The Modern Hindu Identity

What does it mean to be a Hindu, and what is influencing it

Identity seems like a fundamental force that defines our existence. Who are we, you and me, if not our identities? However, notice that I used "seem" and not "is"; that's because what we call identity is not at all fundamental even though it feels like bedrock. Identity is always in flux; it's like the river—the water is flowing; one instant it's there, and the next it's gone, but we still think that it's the same river. Identity is also quite similar; we identify with one version of ourselves in the morning, and by nightfall we might become strangers to the thoughts that we had earlier in the morning. And this just doesn't happen with individuals, but also with communities and in the latter case the effects of this flux may be more uncontrollable than in case of an individual.

The rise of BJP in political, and the sangh parivaar in cultural landscape has been trying to groom a new Hindu identity. One which has a stronger sense of in-group and out-group associations. For the in-groups they desire more conformity to what they find ideal, and for the out-groups they desire more marked cleavage and subservience to the Hindu identity. For those of us, who identify with the Hindu faith, the demands are - don't eat non-veg during festivals, do not question the patriarch, vote for the identity and not the cause, don't defend the out-groups. For those of us who don't identify with Hindu identity their demands are - don't eat Bos taurus, don't even appear to be handling them, be grateful that the Hindus let you live, and submit to the demands of the Hindu patriarch cause they know best. Ironically, the argument behind these demands is that the Hindu patriarch is tolerant and knows what's best.

It's true that in recorded history and history that lives in our heads, Hindus seem to have the least blemishes when it comes to waging atrocities in the name of religion. Well, one of the reasons could be that Hinduism does not fit in the mold of religion that comes from the West. The western religion was an attempt at homogenizing faith - one book, one god, one messiah, one code of conduct. Till the time of the birth of these reigions, Hinduism was a tapestry of faith, that was violent a couple of millenia ago (remember Shaivites v/s Vaishnavites) but had recently become conciliatory and all-encompassing (in part using caste system). When the guests from Maghrib arrived, this tapestry found reasons to crystallize and ossify. When came the Turk, the followers of Veda found themselves different. When came the British, tribals were classified as Hindus. So to think of Hinduism as a religions seems to be an affront, it's in a completely different category.

Islam had been widely used as a tool by man's avarice to make a bunch of people kill other people for them. Christianity shares this track record in the Crusades. And now it seems that the self appointed representatives of the new Hindu identity wants to outdo them. But to do that first you need to homogenize the Hindu faith. You need to churn the milk, to get the solids. You need every person, who identifies with the faith, to think in the same way. Possibly follow the same code, and follow the same Imaam, sorry religious patriarch. This is definitely a threat to Hindu society. The Hindu society that I knows from just over a decade ago, whch I believe was a golden one, didn't hate so feverously or feared destruction with such intensity. It was confident, and under no compulsion to make Hinduism great again, it was great already. Yes, the institutions of Hindu community were under more government control than any other faith, or that Hindu code of conduct was under stronger and harsher scrutiny than any other faith, yet we had enough faith in the Indian state that we did not feel the need of a deep state (a recent YT post from the Jaipur Lit Fest has me worried sick) to protect Hindu identity. If we jot down the facts most of the Indian Prime Ministers have been from the Indic faiths, most of the ministers have been from the Indic faith, any one who matters in the alley of state coercion is with almost certainity a Hindu. HDI for Hindus is way better than than for another community, and as a Hindu you need not worry about where to get a house. Okay the last one is a long stretch, anywhere there's a community involves, they demand your conformance. But it's easier to change your dietary preferences than your surname.