Hindu Rashtra It is not a mere slogan but a

vibrant reality
During his election campaign in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls, Shri.Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime
Minister, called for a debate on Hindu Rashtra. VIGIL duly arranged an open debate on Hindu
Rashtra. The programme was held on the 24th October, 1989 at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall,
Music Academy, Madras. At the outset, six members of the public were called upon to speak;
three for and three against Hindu Rashtra. Veteran Congress leader and former Member of
Parliament Srhi.T.Chengalvarayan, an advocate by profession, presented his view of the Hindu
Rashtra concept in the light of secularism as professed by Congress.Shri.K.Suryanarayana Rao,
a senior RSS leader in charge of the organization in the Southern states delivered the lecture
throwing light on several aspects of the concept of Hindu Rashtra. Here we reproduce his lecture.
Publisher – Sankranthi, 1990.

MANANEEYA SURYANARAYANA RAOJI ON HINDU RASHATRA

At the outset, I would like to thank Shri.Rajiv Gandhi for having initiated this idea of a public
debate about Hindu Rashtra in the media and public forums. Whatever may be his intentions, a
debate is good and I welcome it. I congratulate and thank the organizers of VIGIL for taking the
first chance in organizing a public debate on Hindu Rashtra.

I am proud to be a worker of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, for whom Hindu Rashtra is the
cardinal principle. It is a matter of conviction and faith for us. It is our life-breath. This concept of
Hindu Rashtra is not a creation of RSS. Great savants like Swami Vivekananda, Aurobindo
Ghosh, Lokamanya Tilak, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathi and others
have all proclaimed our nation as Hindu Rashtra. Dr.Annie Besant and Sister Nivedita, both
accomplished intellectuals from the West, who were attracted by the culture and people of this
country, and adopted this as their motherland have also acknowledged our nation as Hindu
Rashtra.

But now political leaders and a section of the media are trying to create some confusion about
this Hindu Rashtra belief. Each is interpreting according to his own ounderstanding and
background neither realizing the truth nor keeping an open mind to know what the protagonists of
Hindu Rashtra wish to convey through these words. It seems such persons look at it with some
prejudice perhaps political and religious.

“HINDU” means…
What is Hindu Rashtra? The word ‘Hindu’ does not mean only a religious faith just like Islam or
Christianity. ‘Hindu’ denotes the national way of life here. It is a national connotation. Before the
advent of the British, the country was known as Hindusthan and all the nationals as Hindus. Only
the British gave the new name ‘INDIA’ to this country, and the word Indian came to be used in
place of ‘HINDU’. Even today the word Hindusthan and Hindu are often used with a national
connotation only. For example, the first nationalist daily from Madras started in the last century
named ‘The Hindu’. Many public sector industrial units are named, Hindusthan Aeronautics,
Hindusthan Photo Films, Hindusthan Machine Tools etc., the seas to the south of our country is
called Hindu Maha Sagar.

Many travelers from our country who went abroad have the experience of being addressed as
‘Hindus’ irrespective of the religion they belong to. Why, even Syed Abdullah Bukhari. The Imam
of Delhi Mosque was greeted as a ‘Hindu’ in Mecca. Late Shri Mohammed Carim Chagla, the
former Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and Education Minister in the Central cabinet wrote
that he is a Muslim only by religion but by culture he is a Hindu and all Muslims of this country are
Hindus.
The recent All India Muslims Conference led by all fundamentalist Muslims were called Muslim
Hindusthani Sammelan. Mohammed Iqbal, the famous Urdu poet has sung ‘Sare Jahanse Accha,
Hindusthan Hamara’ – note ‘Hamara Hindusthan’, i.e., our Hindusthan.

For RSS men, the ‘Hindu’ thus connotes, not a particular sect, a religion or a faith but the culture,
the traditions, the way of life of the people inhabiting this part of the world from times immemorial.

This is an ancient country which has been described in our great books as ‘Bharat’, lying to the
north of the seas and to the south of Himalayas. A galaxy of savants and sages, great in various
fields of human activity were born here and have contributed to the welfate of humanity and its
development. A unique value system blossomed here. The entire people living between
Himalayas and Kanyakumari progressed, basing themselves on these values and built up their
own traditions, beliefs, faiths and culture. Every great person, born in any part of this land has
endeavoured to strengthen this cultural unity and integrity of this country and its people.

Not a Political Concept

Thus we the children of Bharat are living on this common motherland of thousands of years. We
have common forefathers common sages, saints and heroes, common values of life, common
traditions and culture, common history, common way of life which is called Dharma and common
aspirations etc. Those who identify with these common factors form the Rashtra or the Nation
here and that is exactly ‘Hindu Rashtra’. We are all part and parcel of this Hindu Rashtra.
Whether some people accept and recognize it or not due to their ignorance, Hindu Rashtra exists,
it has been existing for ages and it shall continue to exist for ever. Thus Hindu Rashtra is not a
political concept but a cultural and emotional one, eternally asserting itself.

National Sentiments, Values

This is the case as regards every nation. All nationals of a particular country have an emotional
attachment to its history, forefathers, heroes and traditions. This makes them work hard, suffer
and sacrifice for the progress and protection of their country. The national sentiment is supreme
and above all other sentiments whether religious or sectional. Take for example, the youngest
nation ‘America’ formed four hundred years ago by all kinds of people of various countries. For
the past four hundred years they have developed an American identity, their own traditions and
they have their National heroes like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Every American holds this national tradition and the heroes with high regard and respect. No Jew
or Muslim of America can say that because Washington and Lincoln were not Jews or Muslims
he cannot revere them. The ‘religious’ sentiments are subservient to ‘national’ sentiments and
values. Similarly, in this country Bharat, in Hindu Rashtra, every national should hold its national
heroes like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna in high esteem. They are the age old symbols of all the
great values which the country stands for. Religion should not come into the picture at all.

English Education Twists ‘Hindu’

In this country from ancient days the Hindus, i.e., the nationals, held religious beliefs. Nobody
objected to other man’s way of worship here. Everyone was free to practise and propagate his
own faith. There was full freedom. People say, Hindus are very tolerant. This word ‘tolerance’
does not correctly represent our way of life. The word is very inadequate. You can hate a man but
still tolerate him. But here there is no hatred. You recognize the right of every person to have his
own belief. He is recognized and respected – Religion is no barrier for mutual love and
understanding. This is the Hindu attitude.

The grand principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’ was developed and practiced in this land. That is why in
addition to so many religions born in this country, when a fe more religions came from outside the
borders or our country, those religions and their adherents did not face opposition but received
wan welcome here. Religion is considered as a personal matter, the relation of the individual with
his Maker. People belonging to various religions in this country are all Hindus by culture and are
Nationals of this Hindu Rashtra. As there are Shaivas, Vaishnavas, Jains, Budhas and Sikhs
amongst Hindus, there can be Christians and Muslims also. This is to be clearly understood. Of
course, it may be difficult to understand this in the vitiated political atmosphere and also with the
background of English education. That is why Gurudeve Rabindranath Tagore exhorted: “If you
want to understand Bharat study Vivekananda”.

We have to know ourselves through the eyes of our own Rishis, Sanyasis and Scholars and their
books and not through the Western scholars and their writings.

Not A Theocratic State

As Hindu Rashtra is not a religious concept, it is also not a political concept. It is generally
misrepresented, as a theocratic state or a religious Hindu state. Nation (rashtra) and State (rajya)
are entirely different and should never be mixed up. State is purely a political concept. It is
political authority with sanction concerned with the governance of the people laying down and
directing the policies of the government. The State changes as the political authority shifts from
person to person or party to party. But the people and the Nation remain the same.

Since ancient days various dynasties ruled in different parts of this country at different times. But
the basic and fundamental cultural unity of this country was not disturbed. For the past one
thousand years various invading foreign hordes following Islam also ruled different parts of the
country at different times and later the British ruled over almost he entire country. The people did
not change. After independence the congress party ruled the entire country for sometime and
then various political parties captured political power in different states. But still, the common
emotional factors of the people of this country have remained the same and the people too
upheld those values and sentiments in one voice rising above regional, linguistic and religious
differences as was witnessed on several occasions. This is the uniform experience.

That clearly explains the difference between a Rashtra and a Rajya e.e., Nation and Stae.
Rashtra is eternal and State is transitory. It is like the body and the Soul-Atma. According to
Hindu conviction the Atma is eternal and only the bodies and their forms are changed.

Our Ethos In a Natural Way

What are the factors that have kept this nation as one in spite of foreign domination for over
thousand years. It is its faith in its age-old culture, Dharma, tradition and its forefathers like Rishis,
Acharyas, Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. All this can be condensed into one word and that is the
HINDUNESS, HINDUTVA. The Hindu ethos is asserting in a most natural way in the social,
political lives and activities of the people. For example, the English legacy of cutting a tape at the
time of opening ceremonies is being replaced by lighting a lamp. Launching a ship or a plane is
done with coconut breaking. When the ‘India Festival’ at Paris was to be inaugurated sixteen
Sumagalis dressed in the traditional Hindu style carried ‘Kalasams and Kumbas’ filled with Ganga
Jal. A number of monograms of Government departments are lines taken either from Veds or
from the Bhagavad Gita “sham no varunaha” for the Indian Navy. “Yogaksheman vahamyaham”
for the Life Insurance Corporation etc., Examples can be multiplied.

Hindu Rashtra is very much alive and it asserts too – in various forms. The RSS wants to make
everyone understand, realize and feel proud of the same. This is the strongest and the only
integrating factor binding people from North to South and East to West rising above all other
considerations of region, language, religion, caste or class. It betrays one’s ignorance to say that
Hindu Rashtra idea will disintegrate the country into various Rashtra. In spite of the havoc done
by the political parties and leaders for the last forty plus years of independence the country
remains one only because of its essential Hindu character. The Hinduness only can integrate the
entire country. Several fissiparous tendencies have cropped up only because this Hinduness is
being suppressed by political vested interests. RSS is convinced that only when every person in
this country realizes that he is after all part and parcel of this Hindu Rashtra this nation can
progress, standing up as one am . we are working hard against odds to see this realised.

Modern Concept
Another criticism about Hindu Rashtra is that the modern concepts of secularism and democracy
will have no place in Hindu Rashtra. This is again because those who make this charge have
never studied and understood the basic Hndu principles and traditions, since the dawn of
civilization, the first ever intellectual composition of the human being on earth was produced here
in this land of Bharat – and that is called ‘Rig Veda’. In this we find passages “ekam sadviprah
bahutha vadanti”. “ano bhadrah kratvo yantu vishwatah” etc., etc., (truth is one and the intelligent
speak about it in many ways. Let noble thoughts come to us from all directions of the world). That
is the catholicity of the Hindu thought. Everything is based on such universal approach. It is by far
very different from the concepts of Christianity or Islam with which alone our English educated are
familiar.

Because certain things happened in European countries, their calculation is that the same thing
will happen in this also. But on should remember that this country and its Hindu ethos are entirely
different. That is why even in the annals of Hindu polity, you cannot find a theocratic state
comparable to Islamic or Christian States.

Islamic States Today

In the Islamic states of Saudi Arabia, UAE and most of the Gulf countries no person not following
Islam can practice the religion of his conviction and no place of worship can be constructed. It is
compulsory there for everyone to fast during Ramzan month. A few years ago an Arya Samaji
from Bharat was jailed for reading Satyarthaprakash sitting in his house. If the ruling Muslim
group is Shia, it will not tolerate the Sunni Muslims and vice versa. This is the type of Islamic
theocratic State. Why, in our own country the Muslims throw stones at religious processions of
others passing through a locality where Muslims are in good numbers. The Muslim is not
prepared to give any rights to others than his own Muslim sect.

Christians & Pseudo Secularists

The Christian theocracy is equally intolerant. It is very difficult to celebrate any Hindu function in
Nagaland. In Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu, in the coast line, wher ethe Christian fishermen
dominate, the Hindu women pilgrims of Bhagvati Temple Mandaikadu were insulted, molested
and every year it is a problem. It is very difficult to conduct a religious, social or cultural function of
the Hindus in such villages whre there is a good percentage of Christians. Even the psuedo
secularists are more fanatic and intolerant about any other idea because of the Semitic
background of this idea of so called secularism.

History Proves
Whereas in the long history of Bharat no Hindu king has tried to impose his brand of religion on
the subjects in his territory; no Vaishnava king has issisted and forced that everyone should fast
‘Ekadasi’; similarly no Shaiva has forced Shivrathri on all the people. The only instance is of
Asoka the great, who after embracing Buddhism worked as a Buddhist missionary and used his
state authority and resources for the spread of Buddhism. But still he was not intolerant of other
religions. It is a paradox that Asoka seems to have impressed Pandit Nehru and Asoka and his
insignia have been adopted as the symbols of our secular state; for example the ‘Chakra’in our
flag and the three lions atop the Asoka pillar.

No Hindu objects to a Muslim or Christian procession in a Hindu locality. In general every Hindu
respects and recognizes every other religion and does not prevent abybody following his own
religion. This attitude of the Hindu is reflected in the social, cultural and political activities of the
Hindus.

A Hindu State has always functioned as a secular and democratic State. There was never an
autocratic or a fascist Hindu king. History bears witness to this. When Jews and Parsees were
persecuted by the Christians and Muslims respectively in their own countries, many of them ran
for shelter to this country and since centuries they have been living here peacefully. Neither they
had any problem from the Hindus nor the Hindus had any problem form them. The Parsees
particularly have totally identified with the culture and national life of this country still maintaining
their religious identity. There are no conflicts or complaints on either side. Most of the Jews have
returned to Israel after they got back their motherland. And what the Israeli government has got to
say about their centuries of stay in this country? I would like to quote from the booklet ‘Indian
Jews in Israel’ published by the Israel Consulate General in India.

”While most of the Jews came to Israel (from countries other India) driven by persecution,
discrimination, murder and attempts at total genocide, the Jews of India came because of their
desire to participate in the building of their Jewish Commonwealth, because of their unshakable
belief in the redemption of Israel. Through out their long sojourn in India, nowhere and at no time
were they subjected to intolerance, discrimination or persecution.”

The Parsees as a group refused to accept any special treatment, or a separate electorate at the
time of the British rule itself and said they are happy with the Hindu society. Now the followers of
this religion live happily only in this country while there is no trace of Parsees at their place of
origin i.e., Iran. One leading Parsee gentleman exclaimed, Hindus are tolerant to a fault. Then
came the Christians and Muslims. They built their Churches and Mosques. All are safe now. This
is the history of the Hindu people, their kinds and Hindu governments long before even the
secular and democratic concepts were born.

Traditionally the Hindu respects and recognizes the feelings of others. His ideas are all broad
based and universal, always all-inclusive an never exclusive. There will be equal justice for all in
a Hindu state irrespective of one’s faith or belief.

Only a state with such universal Hindu ideas can only uphold all the modern secular and
democratic values. Mahatma Gandhi had realised the greatness of the Hindu ethos and he had
proclaimed that our independent country would be a Rama Rajya – which was a Dharma Rajya,
an ideal Hindu state. He had not hesitated to speak about this openly. Rather he advocated it with
conviction, very vigorously.

British Mischief
Many times some dub this Hindu Rashtra as communal and fundamentalist. The British started
this mischief of calling everything Hindu as communal. In Hindusthan, Hindu is national and not
communal. But even after Independence, our political leaders, themselves Hindus, also have
fallen a prey to this mischief and they speak about Hindu organizations as communal. To call the
Hindu communal will be an insult of all our forefathers, all the Rishis and Sanyasis and their noble
ideals, our culture, our tradition etc., it is a total self condemnation. Hindus have never been
communal and they can never be.

It is only the Hindu-majority legislators of our country who easily agreed to call our State as
secular as against what happened in Pakistan and Bangladesh, because the very nature of Hindu
is secular.

Fundamentalists, Communalists?

Fundamentalist is one who believes in one prophet and book and holds them as infallible. This
idea itself is totally repugnant to the Hindu tradition. Hindus have several books and several
prophets and nothing is considered infallible. For example in Bhagavadgita, a great book
explaining the highest Hindu values, Sri Krishna tells Arjuna, practically at the end of his
teachings that Arjuna need not accept everything as told by him but only after pondering and
discriminating. He leaves Arjuna to do as he pleases. What an amount of freedom! Similarly all
Upanishads and many religious texts are in the form of questions and answers. Free questioning
is encouraged in our tradition. Because of this most of our texts are highly rational. To charge
such persons who sincerely wish to uphold this tradition as communal and fundamentalist, is
scurrilous to say the least, and an indication of excessive ignorance on the part of the critics.

The tragedy is, it is only these bitter critics of Hindu Rashtra, who boast themselves as secularists
are encouraging communalism and fundamentalism to grow in our country.

When the fundamentalist Muslims objected to the Supreme Court decision on the Shah Bano
case, the so-called secular government yielded and brought a new enactment upholding the
Muslim personal law thus nullifying and rejecting the Supreme Court verdict. Recently this was
reminded to Syed Abdullah Bukhari by a Central Minister while requesting Bukhari to see that
Muslims vote the Congress. During the elections to the legislative assembly of Mizoram, the
Congress election manifesto promised that if they are elected to power the State will be governed
according to Christian beliefs laid down in the Bible. It is during the Communist regime in Kerala
that a separate Muslim majority Mallapuram district was carved out just to appease the Muslims.
These are only a few samples of communalism as practiced by the so called secular parties.

By always harping upon the interest of minorities and appeasing them, these political leaders
have encouraged minorityism and have never allowed the Muslims and the Christians to identify
themselves with the national mainstream. The truly nationalistic integrating factors such as
common forefathers and common cultural traditions, etc., are not being brought home to the
people and as a result every day new separatist groups mushroom and create problems. The
basic values of democracy and secularism such as the rule of law and equality before law
irrespective of caste or creed has been thrown to the winds.

For All Round Development

The Hindu tradition of freedom of thought and recognition of an alternate path or dissent are
highly democratic character the all-inclusive Hindutva-Hinduness-alone can provide the strongest
sense of nationalism, integrating this vast country, rich in variety. This faith and conviction in all-
inclusive Hindutva has become an inevitable factor to save the country from the present turmoil.

Every son and daughter of this country should be made to feel proud of his or her forefathers,
traditions and culture and realize his or her Hinduness. Then and then alone he or she can rise
above corruption and all the parochial feelings of caste, religion or region. The realization of
Hindu Rashtra alone can maintain not only the secular and democratic values but also the unity
and integrity of this great country and inspire the entire people to suffer and sacrifice to bring
about the all round development of our dear Motherland. Let us all work hard to make everyone
realize this truth about Hindu Rashtra. I hope I have tried to make everything clear to the best of
my ability. Namaskar.