Decolonization of India

This has become a hot topic in recent times and many Indians have started to realize the importance and the need for the decolonization of India, Indian mind and re-write the history based on facts.

But to what extend India needs to decolonize? Should we reset or revert back history to pre-British or even go all the way to pre-Muslim times? 

Many people especially from the minority community are of the view that this leads to the hatred for minorities and uprising of the Hindu supremacy and chauvinism which they usually term as the Hindu nationalism or rightwing. 

There are many independent and professional scholars like Late Dr. Prof. K. Narayanacharya, Rajiv Malhotra, J Sai Deepak, Meenakshi Jain, Vikram Sampath and so on who are of the view that decolonization must be coupled with restoration or revival of the cultural or dharmic oneness or identity of India and Indians. Even Indians who have converted and moved out of Hindu fold have to acknowledge the Hindu heritage of their ancestors. 

There are many other scholars like Ali khan mahmudabad who think that India was never a single nation at any point of time and it has always been a pot-pouri of diverse culture. It is only in the recent past the name Hindu has been popularized to create a false unity to alienate and eliminate all minority non-Hindu minorities. As a thought experiment, say if all religious minorities disappear and only Hindus alone remain in India, then the fight between all the many diverse sub-groups within so called Hindu people will begin. This is similar to Pakistan which was originally formed by fanatic Muslims who considered themselves to be "pure" but now they have started fighting and killing each other based on their own internal groups and divisions. This happens because of all such decolonization either had no clear end goal or it would be to revive and restore the "race/religious purity". The problem gets worse when this process of decolonization with the end of reinstating "religious purity" is sponsored by the state. This is like the fence eating the plants. So ideally the end goal should be based on restoring humanity which is safeguarded by the Indian Constitution that is commonly accepted by all, instead of any cultural or Hindu identity.

The point made by Ali Khan is worth noting. The pre-British-Muslim India was ruled by many small kings who were constantly fighting each other. There were many spiritual traditions also engaged in constant debates leading to unrest and intolerance. Adding to this there were caste hierarchies creating artificial division in the Hindu Indian society. We can see all of the above to some degree even today. But what kept India and its diverse culture alive is the tradition of spirituality and Dharma.

How to resolve this apparent issue of Indian disunity?

The only answer is to revive this unity under the ideal of Dharma in it's true sense of sacrifice or selfless-service. It does not matter what God/Religion/faith that Indians follow, but they should start seeing the same divinity in each other and in everything. This comes easily for Hindus as it goes well with their Vedic world view that locates God in all. But others have to at least mimic or adapt to this culture of respecting each other and accepting diversity to ensure basic humanity, resulting in peace and harmony. 

The ideal of unity in diversity is built into the Hindu dharmic culture. Dharma is not just religion. It is the art of cognizing the unity in diversity and to work co-operatively in unison with all the diverse entities with the ideal of One family/society/nation/India/world and the universe.

The Indian greeting Namaste says it all. "Parasparam bhAvayantah shreyah param avApsyatha" (the Highest can be achieved by respecting each other) says Bhagavad Gita. Both the State as well as the people should recognize and restore this culture of Dharma that sustains all. Everybody is a minority in a pluralistic Indian/Hindu society and with mutual respect they can protect each other. 

Namaste

Suresh