At present there comes a demand for ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ like that of South Africa to open the wound and remove the pus and allow the process of healing. Though this is a good concept, we are not sure because it worked in SA [we are not sure how successful it was], it will work the same here in India. Because that demand emerged from within the same ‘religious’ worldview in SA, as both the parties almost belong to the same religion. But the problem here in India is that it is demanded between two different religions that refused to see eye to eye from the past. Though there were few attempts [like that of Akbar and several Sufi saints] to assimilate one another’s worldviews that too not on theological level but based on some mystic experiences, at the end both the traditions co-existed with mutual ‘toleration’ never try to ‘reconcile’ with each other in the name of any ‘TRUTH’. It is pointed out well by K. M. Panikkar, “so far as Hindu society was considered, the impact of Islam seems on the whole to have made it more rigid….Briefly, therefore, it may be said that the encounter between Islamic and Hindu traditions became, after a short time, a problem of co-existence, with mutual toleration [see Part Two] rather than the domination of one by another” (Hinduism and the West. Chandigarh: Panjab University 1964, 4, quoted in Anantanand Rambachan, The Limits of Scripture:Vivekananda’s Reinterpretation of the Vedas, Sri Satguru Publications, A Division of Indian Books Centre, Delhi, 1995, 12).
This being the Indian reality, some political pandits who opposed such a demand in the name of ‘not opening the wound’ have some valuable points. At the same time, brushing history under the carpet of not opening the wound again will make us live with this tension on every level to forget the past and move ahead. When a doctor gives treatment to a patient, she wants to know her patient’s past treatment; the same is the case when one seeks counselling from a psychiatrist for mental problems like that of a lawyer arguing the case for her client based on the past history of the litigation. In the name of not opening the wound again, a doctor or a lawyer or a psychiatrist cannot deal based on the present situation alone. Unless the wound is opened and pus is removed, that will end up becoming cancer not only affecting the area around the wound but slowly spreading the entire body affecting the healthy organs, ultimately killing the person. Certain hard and unwanted historical realities should be faced boldly to bring ‘Truth and Reconciliation’. An honest confession of past mistakes if not restoration to the old status is an essential part of reconciliation. There is no point of vain argument that the particular historic atrocity is only economic or political or social and not religious or communal won’t solve the problem. Whichever the reason might be, reconciliation is not possible merely brushing the past history under the carpet of not opening wounds again.
Well scholars with deep knowledge about this subject with their oratory skill can impress the listeners or readers. However, considering the social context of our [Indian] society where ‘politicizing the religion and communalism the politics’ now become a norm, several people would prefer to keep the present status quo and learn to live and let live [our eternal mantra or a dogmatic Indian creed] as we were practising this from time in memorial. Because when the demand is made for ‘truth and reconciliation’ most of the people know that it has its own political agenda [coming from the self appointed messiah of the Hindus]. Those who oppose it also do it for their own political agenda [by the pseudo secularist, in the form of minority appeasement treating them only as ‘vote bank’]. This reminds me of the Hindi agitation which happened in Tamil Nadu back in the 1960s in the name of ‘PROTECTING TAMIL’. We all know well that it was started for their own political agenda which surely gave some political dividend. But an interesting point is that Tamil being one of few surviving classical languages never needs other’s PROTECTION. It withstood all kinds of onslaughts and continues to remain and even emerge one of the world languages for many non-Tamilians showing interest to learn and know more about it. The same is the case with our SANATANA DHARMA [not PRESENT Hinduism like that of ‘Buddhism’ which was recently ‘invented’ by the Westerners, Hinduism was also recent Introduced as a Religion by outsiders] which definitely not a RELIGION but a civilizational value managed to survive by with standing all kinds of onslaughts on it by others.
One danger in such an attempt to bring ‘truth’ in order to ‘reconcile’ is that one party will always use the VICTIM card to prove how the other side was always wrong and they were always right. Even if they manage to bring such dialogue, in the long run there is no guarantee that it will really bring out the ‘TRUTH’ or ‘RECONCILIATION’. Because both sides will use the weaker points of the other to continue to keep the hostility alive [like China refusing to settle the border issue permanently], particularly when they both have to sell that among their own people for their own political gains. This we see clearly at present in India. Though some selected leaders from both the camps managed to hold a dialogue and at the send leave shaking their hands, each side will carry only the attack launched by the other side on them not accepting the ‘truth’ as it is. Added to this, those who participated in such dialogue might not be accepted as the true representative of their own respective traditions as there will always be internal rivalry to claim as who is the true representative of that particular tradition.
Then this will open up a pandora box of so many claims of similar ‘TRUTH and RECONCILIATION’ between different groups among a particular tradition, particularly in the name of bringing ‘SOCIAL JUSTICE’ to the oppressed people.# For example, though [al]most all the Hindus consider Buddhism [the very word that we should not use for it] as a part of Hindu tradition, present many modern day Buddhists [or Neo-Buddhist from the oppressed class] might demand for the restoration of several Buddhists temples and Viharas that were demolished by few kings in their sectarian zeal. Nobody can deny the fact that this has not happened. Both textual and archaeological evidence are there to prove this.
Similarly, if the same demand is made by the Socially oppressed communities by proving the atrocities done among them by others, what would be the end. Already some parts of our land are burning because of the tension between the tribes and non-tribes about their rights and reservations. Then the other side might claim that the present generation is not responsible for what happened in the past and now we are ready to accept their equal status to move ahead forgetting the past. If this kind of argument would hold value, then why not the same with other such demands.
Then another example is, Christianity. It is a well known fact that however they claim that their faith never believes discrimination in the name of, caste, gender, race etc. it is there in India as several such discriminations, particularly in the name of caste is still practised in their churches. Even a separate Dalit Theology and separate movement among the Christians to fight for their legitimate right within that religious tradition is the proof for this. Just go and visit Dalit Christian website to get all the information on this subject. Then one sampradaya can do the same against another; even one sect against another within the same sect [Vadakalai versus Tenkalai among Vaishnavas, to give one example].
Considering all these socio-political realities, many people believe that let us agree to disagree as we cannot solve all the human problems that were created in the past based on our present interpretation on them, and continue to live and let live. As we cannot solve the border and water [and so many similar] issues between two neighbouring countries [China and India; India and Pakistan]; between two states [Karnataka and Maharashtra; Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, etc.] they will emerge and will be used by the politicians for a limited purpose when it will serve for their political agenda whereas common people never bothered about it as they don’t have time for that.
Well, these are only my questions and observations. I am as a lay person not having any knowledge about the past history [like that of the scholars] can share my view as a part of INTELLECTUAL ENTERTAINMENT knowing well that even this brainstorm is not going to serve anybody’s need or interest but will remain only a time pass for me. This is true in one sense. When I become tired of thinking about only one subject, for a change I pay attention to another issue.
So I would like to close this with my statement [without having any kind of agenda, other than intellectual entertainment]:
From time in memorial Bharat welcomed and assimilated all outsiders accommodating them within their dharmic civilization not allowing anyone particular group to compromise with their identity based on their collective consciousness. Live and let live always remain the backbone of our dharmic civilization.
DB, Gurukulam, 7-5-2023
# ‘If we do not wake up at times, we shall find a similar tragedy enacted by all the submerged classes. The present awakening is affecting all classes. The “untouchables” and all the so-called semi-savage tribes will presently bear witness to our wrongs against them if we do not do penance and render tardy justice to them.— Mahatma Gandhi, Young India, 20-10-1921, CWMG, p. 449.
Leave a Reply