THE PAIN THAT IS NOT YET PAST

THE PAIN THAT IS NOT YET PAST

Hindus have suffered a lot from Islamic invasion, conquest and rule. Women enslaved, sold in slave markets and to save honour, committed into committing self-immolation (jauhar). The death toll over a thousand years is estimated at 80 million at least. The forced conversion and population decline from the effects of oppression in the estimation of Ferishta was from 600 million to 200 million in four centuries. The loot, cultural desecration, demolition of thousands of temples and building of mosques at those very sacred sites using the very temple material, and burning of universities and viharas---the oppression was endless. And then came Partition and its horrors. There was relative relief for brief periods when the ruler was less oppressive. But the thousand year enslavement---never wholly, for India was large and never completely subjugated---has left a permanent mark on our civilisation that continues to traumatise us even today owing to active terrorism fuelled, funded, organised and orchestrated from across the border. We are yet to achieve Hindu-Muslim cohesion which has never been and perhaps will never be unless we can arrive at a true separation of religion and politics, although the Constitution provides scope for it. Doctrinally, though, Islam is terribly antithetical to Hinduism and if followed to the letter will never allow for Hindu-Muslim amity and peace, leave aside a close-knit unity. Hinduism accepts all religions as valid paths to God but not so Islam which is totally exclusive and intolerant of all other faiths. Hence, the future of India in terms of communal harmony is uncertain.

Written by Sugata Bose