The Siege On The Hindu Mind Inside Hindu Temples

I recently wrote an article detailing Hinduism under attack in Trinidad due to some outdated law being used to justify the demonization of Hinduism disguised as an attack on a Hindu leader. While this might be an outright political attack there are others creeping slowly and might be more dangerous. The worse attack is one from inside and one you do not see coming. The other day a Hindu Temple hosted a Sai Baba event, it was called a Sai Satsang. Inside the mandir/temple they sang Bhajans and then began to sing Qaseedas which are like Muslim hymns in Trinidad and Tobago. The danger in propagating Sai Baba and even Hare Krishna ideologies in Hindu temples has a neutralizing effect on the Hindu mind. These two groups do not subscribe to the name “Hindu” and many times refused to be called that. They teach all Gods are the same and all religions are one and many things to that effect. It prepares Hindus to be defenseless when it is only Hindus who are being taught to accept other Gods and other ways using what appears to be Hindu methods, Hindu clothes and other Hindu elements to make it seem harmless. I do not have a problem with trying to create peace and harmony and acceptance, in fact, Hinduism teaches this but, it needs to be done in a community or cultural center. Can Hindus sings Bhajans inside mosques and churches? What would happen if Hindus approached a mosque or church to do this? What would happen if even Sai Baba and Hare Krishna approached a mosque or church to conduct an interfaith session and sing praises to Gods they do not worship inside their places of worship? They wouldn’t try, the answer would be no.

Why is it that peace must always be at the expense of Hindus? Hindus are always the ones who have to convert in an interreligious marriage, always the ones who have to compromise in a society, bend over backwards and scratch everybody else’s back. We can show tolerance but, time for it to be reciprocated and it cannot be done inside a Mandir which represents the backbone of our beliefs. When they have reached inside the Mandir premises that signifies domination, being conquered and what will follow? Our sons and daughters have already been taught to accept this as a form of God? It will be easier to discard the Hindu religion when a coercive spouse-to-be puts their foot down and says they are not allowed to worship our Gods so the Hindu must convert if this is ok with them. We are not giving our children and the future of our religion a fighting chance.

Keep in mind it is mostly Hindus who have to convert in an interreligious marriage. It is mostly Hindus who have to compromise bringing up their children as another faith and are always being victimized as Idol Worshippers. It is easier to use Hindu Gods and Goddesses to advertise and Hindu concepts for branding in the West and Hindus barely complain. Hindus have always been easy going but, we always get taken advantage of. However, the day we begin to stand up for ourselves, everything we have done to create peace, at our expense, will quickly be forgotten and we will be left to defend ourselves because the others will have convenient amnesia. We will be called racists and called out for obstructing the peace. Apparently we are the only people on this planet who never experienced being victims of getting conquered, having genocide unleashed upon us, our temples smashed to pieces and our wealth looted. History books have forgotten us, conveniently. Abrahamic religions spread across the earth by conquering, enslaving and converting by tricky means however, they are always the victims, never us.

The Abrahamic religions believe it is their duty to convert “Idol Worshippers” like us, when will Hindus learn there is a line to be drawn when it comes to multiculturalism? When will Hindus learn we cannot expect tolerance and we alone are expected to dish it out? When will Hindus learn Abrahamic religions believe in exclusivity, this means it is their God and no other can be worshipped. Maybe they will learn when it is too late. We always have our hands open and get slapped in the face. If tolerance is so easy to come by Hindu Trinidadians and Guyanese should ask the Hindus in India about the mosques built over the site where Lord Rama and Lord Krishna were born and the refusal of the other community to move their house of worship built over the most sacred sites in Hinduism. Why? Because they conquered and dominated us and why should their hard work be so easily undone just because we asked?

Vassan I. Ramracha.