Our society is divided in so many strata - language, religion, region, caste, profession and so on. We see the conflicts and even battles resulting from this division. But what if I say, it would be better to have a new way of division of our society or new strata so to say!
Weird it might look at face value, but this has some merit. I got this thought from Guru Nanak, who created a new sect called Sikh from the vast Hindu religion hundreds of years back. Today is Guru Nanak day, so with tributes to his great social and political movement, I like to ponder over this thought. What Guru Nanak had done resulted into a long standing tradition called Sikh. This sect has been a great protector of India all the times. This sect has been doing all the hard work and smart work like agriculture, auto repairs, transportation, hotels etc. apart from the largest constituent of the Indian army. Sikhs have always been loyal to India whole heartedly without any treason. Not only that, they have been the identity of India abroad because even after living for generations they have not cut the cultural ties and tradition with India. And this is due largely to their affiliation to a single faith to Guru Nanak and Granth Sahib. Despite their powerful and battling personality, there have never been sectarian riots in Punjab or wherever Sikhs live in India or abroad. There has been no issue of untouchability, conversion or exploitation. In short, today Sikhs have the largest singular identity in India compared to any other society.
With such a glaring example, I cannot prevent myself from imagining more such relevant identities. For example, Maratha could have been a new sect founded by Shivaji or Rajput could have been a new sect founded by Maharana Pratap. This could have helped both these visionary leaders ascertain a new set of values among their followers instead of using the historic, stale concepts of Hindu religion. With the kind of affiliation and affinity these leaders received from their followers, it would not have been a forceful superimposition. In fact, by founding their own new sect, they could have made the choice simpler for Hindus - either convert to the new sect to subscribe to leader's principles OR remain Hindu to be considered as opposing the leader's principles. I am sure with the prevalent terror atmosphere in India then, many would have opted for converting to the new sect. At least, if I were there then, I would have converted.
Apart from giving a new identity like Sikh to these societies, it would have served a lot of favours to the modern India as well. I put down a few below:
1) Better national integration : These new identities would have simplified integration due to absence of additional dimensions like caste, subcaste, region (deshastha, konkanastha, vaidarbhiy etc). Today, several identities of a single man make it difficult to apply an additional identity of Indian (this identity has come only after 1947).
2) Ease of social cleansing : It has been quite a task to cleanse the Hindu religion off age old rituals and superstitions. Even today, this has not happened despite so many selfless social reformists and legislature. A single identity would have got rid of all old things in one go just like Sikh.
3) Common civil code : With majority of population being affiliated with the new sects (not Hindu), it would have been impossible for the constitution to allow separate laws for different sects. This would have prevented all further tensions and also resulted in all sects learning to coexist without stepping on each other's tows. Today, India would have been not only the largest democracy on the earth but also the largest organized civil society on the earth.
4) True federal structure : Each sect or identity being powerful in itself, the governance would have been clear - local freedom to the states with only common parameters governed by Centre. Like, law and order, natural resources, agriculture and industry, electricity, education being the ambit of state government without any hindrance from the Centre. And national security, defense, monetary policy, foreign relations, foreign trade being subjects of the Centre with states having no deviation. Today, in each of these subjects, both centre and states dive as per their wish and create a chaotic and unaccountable governance.
5) Saving history from being at ransom : Today, we see a few political and social leaders evoke the social sentiments by calling upon the great idols of our history like Shivaji. This is purely from their own selfish motives perspective but common, simple street people fall prey. By having a sect with identity with such a historical icon, the petty leaders would have no way to use such tactics to create hate among the people.
Well, I hope I could make the point - the new sects would have been far more than just simple 'pride and honour' things, the fundamental constituents of the modern India and the modern Indian people.
Weird it might look at face value, but this has some merit. I got this thought from Guru Nanak, who created a new sect called Sikh from the vast Hindu religion hundreds of years back. Today is Guru Nanak day, so with tributes to his great social and political movement, I like to ponder over this thought. What Guru Nanak had done resulted into a long standing tradition called Sikh. This sect has been a great protector of India all the times. This sect has been doing all the hard work and smart work like agriculture, auto repairs, transportation, hotels etc. apart from the largest constituent of the Indian army. Sikhs have always been loyal to India whole heartedly without any treason. Not only that, they have been the identity of India abroad because even after living for generations they have not cut the cultural ties and tradition with India. And this is due largely to their affiliation to a single faith to Guru Nanak and Granth Sahib. Despite their powerful and battling personality, there have never been sectarian riots in Punjab or wherever Sikhs live in India or abroad. There has been no issue of untouchability, conversion or exploitation. In short, today Sikhs have the largest singular identity in India compared to any other society.
With such a glaring example, I cannot prevent myself from imagining more such relevant identities. For example, Maratha could have been a new sect founded by Shivaji or Rajput could have been a new sect founded by Maharana Pratap. This could have helped both these visionary leaders ascertain a new set of values among their followers instead of using the historic, stale concepts of Hindu religion. With the kind of affiliation and affinity these leaders received from their followers, it would not have been a forceful superimposition. In fact, by founding their own new sect, they could have made the choice simpler for Hindus - either convert to the new sect to subscribe to leader's principles OR remain Hindu to be considered as opposing the leader's principles. I am sure with the prevalent terror atmosphere in India then, many would have opted for converting to the new sect. At least, if I were there then, I would have converted.
Apart from giving a new identity like Sikh to these societies, it would have served a lot of favours to the modern India as well. I put down a few below:
1) Better national integration : These new identities would have simplified integration due to absence of additional dimensions like caste, subcaste, region (deshastha, konkanastha, vaidarbhiy etc). Today, several identities of a single man make it difficult to apply an additional identity of Indian (this identity has come only after 1947).
2) Ease of social cleansing : It has been quite a task to cleanse the Hindu religion off age old rituals and superstitions. Even today, this has not happened despite so many selfless social reformists and legislature. A single identity would have got rid of all old things in one go just like Sikh.
3) Common civil code : With majority of population being affiliated with the new sects (not Hindu), it would have been impossible for the constitution to allow separate laws for different sects. This would have prevented all further tensions and also resulted in all sects learning to coexist without stepping on each other's tows. Today, India would have been not only the largest democracy on the earth but also the largest organized civil society on the earth.
4) True federal structure : Each sect or identity being powerful in itself, the governance would have been clear - local freedom to the states with only common parameters governed by Centre. Like, law and order, natural resources, agriculture and industry, electricity, education being the ambit of state government without any hindrance from the Centre. And national security, defense, monetary policy, foreign relations, foreign trade being subjects of the Centre with states having no deviation. Today, in each of these subjects, both centre and states dive as per their wish and create a chaotic and unaccountable governance.
5) Saving history from being at ransom : Today, we see a few political and social leaders evoke the social sentiments by calling upon the great idols of our history like Shivaji. This is purely from their own selfish motives perspective but common, simple street people fall prey. By having a sect with identity with such a historical icon, the petty leaders would have no way to use such tactics to create hate among the people.
Well, I hope I could make the point - the new sects would have been far more than just simple 'pride and honour' things, the fundamental constituents of the modern India and the modern Indian people.
I am dumb. You really mean a few more sects? That too for conservation of unity?
ReplyDeleteYes, more sects on the line of Sikhism. Imagine if Maharashtra would have a dominant sect called "Maratha" founded by Shivaji, of which all Hindus - irrespective of caste - would be followers. Today so called Maharashtrians are divided into so many bits and pieces of caste, subcaste, pantha etc that there is no single identity. Just compare the social structure in Punjab with social structure in Maharashtra.
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