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E-mail from readers the world over

`Hindus are their own biggest enemies'

That was a powerful analysis of Hindus. I am a Hindu by religion and I desperately wish I could have said, "I beg to differ," but I would be wrong if I did so. However, we need to understand certain other aspects of the religion as well. Hinduism is probably the only religion in the world where you don't need to practise well-defined rituals. Unlike a Muslim, you don't need to do namaaz or go to church regularly to pray. We do have Shankaracharyas, but don't necessarily have to follow their preachings. Whereas in other religions, there are a large number of staunch followers of the guru -- the Prophet among Muslims, the Pope among Christians etc. As a result of all this you develop indifference towards your religion.

Also, we as Hindus, follow our nation's philosophy of not being first to attack. We are receptive, adaptive about external cultures.

The point I am trying to make is that since we Hindus don't react impulsively, our actions are very different from that of others. I don't think that means we are being cowards. Perhaps it could mean that we are rather indifferent and impersonal towards issues shouting for attention.

Gyan P Trivedi

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 14:32:32EST +0530
Subject: Hindus are cowards

Thank you Rediff , for publishing this article. I have a strong feeling that Hinduism is a dying religion. That's why it is showing these characteristics.

Amol Tope

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 10:43:06EST +0100
Subject: Hindus are cowards

It is very dangerous to dwell on examples such as the ones Gautier mentions and draw conclusions on their basis. One must not forget that in India, Hindus form a huge majority and despite the deep divisions there may be within the religion, such a call may appeal to a perverse sense of sacrifice and the need to be more violent (not to be confused with courage).

I am reacting particularly in the aftermath of the Thackeray fiasco. Hopefully this fact that he thinks that he is above the law, is not what Gautier is talking about when he talks of Thackeray's `courage'. I believe that the government was a coward and that India's greatest disease is its power holders who are substandard and lack vision.

Varun Sood

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 11:46:34EST +0200
Subject: Hindus are cowards

Very well-written and very true!

The Hurriyat Conference leaders are openly preaching treachery/secession and yet they are provided with police protection on the Indian tax payer's account while Bal Thackeray is being prosecuted for inflammatory writings. You can break Hindu temples in J&K but breaking a derelict structure is non-secular. Hindus can be killed in hundreds in J&K, but when Graham Staines is killed, the secularists suddenly wake up and cry wolf.

Hindus are their own biggest enemies.

Manoj Gupta

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 10:47:22EST +0100
Subject: Hindus are cowards

The column is really impressive and should be read by every Indian.

Laxman Bhatia

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 15:26:07EST +0530
Subject: Hindus are cowards

I agree with the author of this piece.

Vishal Kortalwar

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 18:00:28EST +0800
Subject: Hindus are cowards

I agree with the writer of this piece. We call ourselves a secular nation but if you look at the years after our Independence, we have had more divide and rule policies by our own politicians and countrymen than the Britishers. In the name of secularism, the Congress has fooled us enough. And we Hindus do need to have a more aggressive attitude or rather, we Indians need to develop an aggressive attitude. I agree with the writer that we Indians should learn one thing first -- to respect India and Indians. If we don't respect our motherland then how can we expect people from other countries to do so?

Samit

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 15:33:49EST +0530
Subject: Hindus are cowards

I agree with Francois Gautier. I have always felt that there are two standards in India -- one for Muslims and another for Hindus When the Hindus brought down the mosque in Ayodhya, it was made a big issue of by the Congress only to win Muslim votes. When so many Hindu temples were razed down by the Mughal emperors, Indian politicians kept quiet. It is these politicians who are solely responsible for creating communal rift among the people.

In Pakistan, the government does not have any consideration for the minorities, particularly Hindus. It is very sad to know that in a Hindu country like India, Hindus are not given any importance and they become the target of the internal rift between political leaders.

Sumithra Rai

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000, 16:29:11EST +0530
Subject: Hindus are cowards

I agree with each and every point made in this article. Though Mr Bal Thackeray has been aggressive at times I sincerely believe that he is one of the very few leaders who is a source of inspiration to all of us. It is high time Indian Muslims realised that they won't be welcomed with open arms by the Pakistanis if they are asked to leave India. Then again, if they (Indian Muslims) are so unhappy to be in India, why don't they just move out of this country?

I totally agree with the fact that the Congress government, for the last 50 odd years, has been bullying us. They have, instead of making efforts to unite us, followed the policy of divide and rule. The Congress has created an obvious rift among the various religious groups by referring to them as Hindus, Christians and Muslims instead of referring to them as Indians. They are responsible for having started the system of reservations. Here, I would like to state that reservations are necessary in the Indian society but the only criteria for reservations should be the economic background of a person and not his religion.

We Indians should be proud to have people like Bal Thackeray among us from whom we can draw inspiration.

Sunita

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