The way English educated Indians reject Hindu religious practices is so disappointing to watch. Sure, English has brought about economic mobility to millions of lower and middle class Indians over the past 2-3 decades and that has directly led to the abandonment of dozens of typically Hindu practices. It is saddening to see that not only have they voluntarily given up these practices but they appear to be proud about it.
The single most damaging thing that we have given up is the
Bindi. Maybe because it is the most visible identity of a Hindu woman, it is
all the more conspicuous by its absence.
During the Mughal rule, we have heard of rabid kings
forcibly making Hindus give up their practices and symbols. But here we are
today, voluntarily giving them up. I really cannot understand it
Our Hindu brothers are getting massacred in Bangaladesh and
there is no outrage in India! Temples are getting vandalized in an organized way
and we are content watching the T20 world cup on TV!
The other day, I happened to watch a video by Swami Nityananda where he is
accusing Hindus of criminal negligence. I felt he is spot on. If there is one
religion where a majority of its 'followers' are invertebrates, that religion
has got to be Hinduism. It is so maddening.
Politicians in Tamil Nadu regularly use derogatory language
against Hindu practices and its customs. These are the ones that regularly get
re-elected and have mass appeal. How can this be possible in a land with 80%
Hindus ? Have we no shame ?
The further you go away from your roots, the weaker your
moorings become. I have no respect for people who reject their own traditions,
practices and rituals. We seem to compete with each other in the extent to
which we embrace western culture. We see no value in teaching our children the
importance of following and preserving our traditions. We encourage our
children to speak in English at the expense of the mother tongue. I mean, who
does this !!?
Can you visualize affluent parents in France talking to
their children in Kannada because they feel the French language is inferior ?
Isn't it crazy ? But that is exactly we do here in India. Most kids in Indian
cities cannot frame complete sentences in their mother tongue. An even greater
percentage of kids in cities cannot read and write in their mother tongue.
Where are we headed ? Can you imagine the situation 25 years from now ?
If the foundation is weak, the building cannot be
structurally strong. Is it any surprise that we are losing thousands to other
religions ?
