Rahul Gandhi needs to learn beyond temple visits
Rahul Gandhi, being a politician, is also accused of `seasonal’, `occasional’ `tourist’, and ‘political’ Hindu by his critics. His Kedarnath visit is also linked to Assembly elections in five states.
NewsBharati 08-Nov-2023 12:29:23 PM
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Congress leader and Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi recently visited the Kedarnath temple. Apart from taking the darshan of Kedarnath Baba, Rahul visited the samadhi of Adi Shankaracharya, who is credited for rejuvenating Hindu Dharma. Rahul also organized a `bhandara’ at Kedarnath. He even served food to the participants. In a nutshell, Rahul behaved like any other Hindu, who has great and deep affection for Kedarnath. Every Hindu dreams of visiting Chardham, which includes Kedarnath. It is assumed that it does not happen unless a visiting Hindu has deep affection, love, and faith in `Hindu Dharma’.
Rahul Gandhi is a politician. He was born into a family, which had ruled this country for decades. His family represents a particular political ideology. Secularism is a core point of the Gandhi family’s ideology. Rahul continues the family legacy at an ideological level, which is absolutely acceptable in a democratic nation.
However, Rahul, being a politician, is also accused of `seasonal’, `occasional’ `tourist’, and ‘political’ Hindu by his critics. His Kedarnath visit is also linked to Assembly elections in five states. Rahul, in the recent past, has not missed any opportunity to show his interest in Hindu Dharma. But it was mainly restricted to visits to various temples. He recently wrote an article in a national English newspaper, which was titled ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’. Rahul, in this article, tried to interpret Hindu Dharma by his own understanding and perception. But Rahul’s political opponents attribute all this to the changing psyche of the people. They feel that Rahul’s newly found love for Hindu Dharma is out of political compulsion as people are fed up with politics of appeasement, in which Hindu sentiments are always suppressed and humiliated.
For the people like Rahul Gandhi, religion is a personal matter. Any secular person can make this argument. The question arises – why did Rahul Gandhi organize a ‘bhandara’ at Kedarnath when a Bhandara’ is necessarily a social gathering? Rahul should understand the meaning of
धारणात् धर्म इत्याहुः धर्मों धारयति प्रजाः।
यः स्यात् धारणसंयुक्तः स धर्म इति निश्चयः।।
If he is really interested in understanding Hindu Dharma. It may help him in understanding relation between individuals, society, and religion.
It is not surprising that Rahul is showing interest in Hindu Dharma on one hand but does not miss any single opportunity to attack individuals and organizations, which are working for Hindu Dharma. Any true Hindu would never find any contradiction with it as he/she has been taught to be tolerant of any criticism. Furthermore, Hindus have also been taught to offer respectable space to the opponent's view, even if it is in the minority. Welcoming, tolerating, accepting, and re-fashioning any ideas has been a fundamental feature of Bhartiya Vichar, because of which we have survived as a democratic nation despite heavy odds.
But the same attitude is not seen in Rahul Gandhi. Rahul’s approach toward Hindu individuals or organizations, which are working for ‘Dharma’ is not healthy and does not fit in the accepted and time-tested ideas of Hindu Dharma. In fact, his language shows his undemocratic attitude. This attitude is stuffed with hatred, dislike, intolerance, prejudice, disgust, and animosity with other interpretations of Hindu Dharma.
Remember what Rahul had said in a press conference a few months back (January 17, 2023). He had said, “My ideology does not match with his (Varun Gandhi) ideology. I can never go to an RSS office. For that to happen, you will have to first slit my throat”. One fails to understand why Rahul Gandhi is using extremely violent words to demonstrate his resentment for RSS. Why did he resort to using terms like `slitting throat’?
Rahul Gandhi is entitled to have his own view. Not only because it is his fundamental constitutional right but Hindus have believed in opponent views since ages. Hindus believe in tolerance, and democratic values and respect all their views. This was great Bhartiya Vichar Parampara when Europe was living in a primitive age.
In contrast, one remembers the visit of former President Pranab Mukherjee to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur in June 2018. Pranab Da was targeted for accepting RSS invitations from his own party and leftist ecosystem. However, he did not succumb to any pressure and attended the RSS function. Pranab Da expressed his views freely, which were listened to by the participants seriously. Pranab Da was a Congressman throughout his life. He was an RSS critic for a long time. But Mukherjee emerged as a true democrat. Inviting critics like Mukherjee and accepting RSS's invitation, shows a true democratic spirit from both sides. Openness is a pre-requisite for a democratic society, in which attitudes and actions like `slitting throat’ have no place.
Satyajit Shriram Joshi
Satyajit Shriram Joshi is Pune based senior journalist.