HINDU RELIGIOUS BOOKS…MYTH OR ANCIENT HISTORY

Vedas,Puraans, Upnishads, are all Hindu religious books, and just as sacred to Hindus as religious books of Christians are to Christian, and Muslim religious books to Muslim. There have been riots, street fights, bloody protest in case something derogatory is said about the books of Christians and Muslims. However since we were ruled by invaders till the year 1947, our religious books were called Myths, and our scriptures, Mythology. And since we were not independent, we were forced to accept that.

But what happened after 1947? Did the Hindu religious books got the pride of place they deserved? NO CERTAINLY NOT.

Let us first get the meaning of Myth:

A. The meaning of myth as per The Free Dictionary :

1) A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people.

2) A popular belief or story that has become associated with a person, institution, or occurrence, especially one considered to illustrate a cultural ideal.

3) A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology.

4) A fictitious story, person, or thing.

B. The meaning of myth as per Dictionary.com :

1) A traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of act.

2) Stories or matter of this kind

3) Any invented story, idea, or concept

4) An imaginary or fictitious thing or person.

5) An unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

It seems that after independence Hindus were transferred as a saleable commodity to the new political rulers for exploitation and manipulation. And religious leaders also joined these political rulers to enjoy this fruit of exploitation. Every political party has ruled India, including those who have publicly advocated interest of Hindus paramount in their agenda. YET NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. They have given reasons why they could not construct temple at Ayodhya and usher in uniform civil code, but why they could not do simple things is something beyond comprehension of the writer.

One of the simple things that any political party could have done was to at least make sure that Hindu religious books are not called myths and our entire scriptures as mythology. Why no Hindu religious leader has done anything about it, is for readers to judge. But why our Hindu society did nothing is something more alarming and definitely points to our extreme passive attitude.

Every individual Hindu has to do something about it. And more so by people above the age of 50 years. People above fifty (I am above fifty) must feel ashamed for what we are passing on as inheritance to the next generation (passive attitude, false ego and misplaced pride) and start discussing this openly with others, of equal age, elders and more especially with younger generation.

But do not expect Hindus above the age of 50 to do that. The false ego and misplaced pride will not let them do this. Like a lowest grade clerk or a junior most supervisor, they will give reasons for this, exonerating themselves. They will blame everything else except their attitude. Hindu society is going down, disintegrating, but who cares?

I have tried to find a solution to change this attitude, but have so far failed. DOES ANY ONE ELSE HAS A BETTER SOLUTION TO CHANGE THE ATTITUDE OF HINDUS?

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