The entire story started with foreigners and it seems that they themselves have become the matter of an "end" to it. What do I mean by an end is the end of "foreign culture" and restoration of the "Hindu Culture". Let me peep a bit into the past before I start my "Blah Blah Blah", as they (so called the real Hindus) say it.
The term Hindu was derived from Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was a historical name of the river Indus. This name was given, as produced, by the Persians to the people living by the side of this river. So, in other words, Hindu is more a geographical word and has nothing to do with religion. Only with the passage of time it got itself transitioned to a completely different purpose. Perhaps, before "Hindu" became a religion of India, what was religion of India is itself debatable. From 1500 B.C. to 1000 B.C. it was Rig Vedic age and from 1000 B.C. to 600 B.C. it was later Vedic Age. The term Hindu evolved only after 12th Century A.D. if we follow texts and not rhetoric.
The term Hindu was derived from Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was a historical name of the river Indus. This name was given, as produced, by the Persians to the people living by the side of this river. So, in other words, Hindu is more a geographical word and has nothing to do with religion. Only with the passage of time it got itself transitioned to a completely different purpose. Perhaps, before "Hindu" became a religion of India, what was religion of India is itself debatable. From 1500 B.C. to 1000 B.C. it was Rig Vedic age and from 1000 B.C. to 600 B.C. it was later Vedic Age. The term Hindu evolved only after 12th Century A.D. if we follow texts and not rhetoric.
Hinduism and Hindutva
Next is Hinduism. If we follow our own Constitution, then Hinduism is collectively used for the religions that got evolved in India (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism). But the parody is this that Hinduism is completely different perception today even though legally its projected as a cluster of religions. This by many is seen as a part of creation of utopian society. For me and for any other democrat, Hinduism is a way of life which has evolved in thousands of year, learning from mistakes and boasting on its dominant past which is being rubbed by its so called advocates. These advocates relate Hinduism to Nationalism, and everything else as "Invasion".
Hindutva was coined by V.D. Savarkar in 1923 pamphlet "Hindutva: Who is Hindu?" It was one of the first set of movements that advocated Hindu Nationalism. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, "Hindutva is an ideology that sought to define Indian culture in Hindu Values". This definition is upto many extent correct because by these Hindu Nationalist, everything else than "Hindu" is not a part of Indian Culture. For e.g. they will never count the Mughal arts as Indian because they were not Hindus.
V.D. Savarkar said that Hindutva is in itself the glorious history, the period of which no member in his own cadre has been able to define. Everything before Afghan invasion is accounted for the Hindutva history though most of the places of Harappan civilisation and Indus civilisation find its place in Modern Pakistan. They forget or perhaps ignore the concept of diverse and flourishing culture over here because it does not suite their interest.
Culture and Heritage
It is worth mentioning the difference between culture and heritage over here. Heritage is a part of culture, culture which one has acquired from his/her forefathers and Culture is Heritage along with the changes which one will adapt with his/her own generation and the generation about to come. For e.g. the Internet culture which we are living in is not our Heritage.
Now what does it imply is that we should respect our forefathers and in order to do it most respectfully and effectively, we need to obey and respect their Heritage and ours too. But the fact of the matter is, that in order to protect our Heritage, we should not become over-sensitive and emotional which may lead to the erosion of others Heritage. The word "threat" is used to describe the foreign influence on ours by these extremists. Alas they forget the difference between the two that culture evolves greatly with time, only Heritage remains constant. Heritage changes very slowly.
Now what does it imply is that we should respect our forefathers and in order to do it most respectfully and effectively, we need to obey and respect their Heritage and ours too. But the fact of the matter is, that in order to protect our Heritage, we should not become over-sensitive and emotional which may lead to the erosion of others Heritage. The word "threat" is used to describe the foreign influence on ours by these extremists. Alas they forget the difference between the two that culture evolves greatly with time, only Heritage remains constant. Heritage changes very slowly.
So whenever these outfits claim that they want to protect Indian Culture, then they put themselves behind the backdrop as they are speaking about Heritage and not Culture. Its just beyond the capabilities of these outfits to understand the richness of Heritage and the balance of Culture which exists in our nation. Off-course I do agree that some correction is needed when the youths give more weightage to Halloween and less to Indianisation (respecting Indian culture and its Heritage), but that does not mean that things need to be taken this way.
Conclusion
Hindu is not a religion which just imbibes the traditions which were developed in Modern India, perhaps much of it what we know was practiced and written in many parts of present Pakistan. The migrants called Aryan can not claim that what only they did and practiced is "Hindu", they should keep well in mind that as the evidence suggests, they themselves belonged to Central Asia. So what they are telling as purely Indian is itself a mix of Central Asia and the then India. If they are ready to engulf this fact then what stops them from accepting the influence of other foreign culture on this rich diversity. Is it about dominance only? Because facts present contrary, one needs to analyse these terms separately and with completely different perception.
For me Hindu is a geographical name of people, Hinduism a way of life and Hindutva a political statement, a political gimmick which has exactly the same corrosive power which the Verna system (four fold caste system) in Later Vedic Age had. That system not only introduced inequality among different sects but gender in the same sect too. I fear the same may not happen in case of "Hindu, Hindusim and Hindutva", till now the events have only endorsed this fear. Let us hope not it escalate further.
For me Hindu is a geographical name of people, Hinduism a way of life and Hindutva a political statement, a political gimmick which has exactly the same corrosive power which the Verna system (four fold caste system) in Later Vedic Age had. That system not only introduced inequality among different sects but gender in the same sect too. I fear the same may not happen in case of "Hindu, Hindusim and Hindutva", till now the events have only endorsed this fear. Let us hope not it escalate further.
