|
Bunch Of Thoughts
M.S. Golwalkar
Appendix
Questions And Answers
On Muslim Problem *
(*) Talk with Dr. Saifuddin Jeelany, Journalist and a noted Arabic scholar, Calcutta. February 1971.
Q : Don't you think that a solution to the Hindu-Muslim problem must be found especially at this critical moment when the country is faced with dangers form all sides?
A : So far as the work for the country is concerned, I do not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims. But how do people look at this problem? Probably these days everyone has become a political animal. Everyone thinks that he would be able to push forward claims or privileges for his own community by exploiting political situations. If this could be remedied, and the people became political from a patriotic - only patriotic - point of view, then all troubles will end in no time.
Q : Has this problem anything to do with the Muslim grievance that they are not getting their due share in the country's affairs?
A : I can understand that the Muslims should be given their due share, as everyone else. But this does not mean demanding various rights and privileges. I have heard about the demand of a Pakistan in every state. The president of a Muslim organisation was reported to have said that he planned to see his flag fluttering over the Red Fort. He never contradicted the report. Such are the things which irritate those who think in terms of the country as a whole.
Look at their stance on Urdu. Fifty years ago Muslims in various states spoke and studied the local languages. They never thought that they had a different 'religious language' of their own.
Urdu is not a 'religious language' of the Muslims. Urdu is a hybrid product, evolved during the Mughal rule. It has nothing to do with Islam. It was in Arabia that Islam was born. The Holy Koran is in Arabic. If at all there is a 'religious language' for the Muslims, it is Arabic. So, why this emphasis on Urdu? It is because, on the strength of one common language Muslims are sought to be united into a political force. That is all. Such a political force is bound to go counter to the interests of the country.
Some Muslims say that Rustom is their national hero. But Rustom was a Persian hero. He has nothing to do with them. He was born long before Islam. If he could be considered a hero by the Muslims, why not Sri Rama? I say, why don't you accept this history?
Pakistan celebrated the 5,000th birth of Panini who was born in that part, which is now in what is called Pakistan. If Pakistanis can claim Panini as one of their great forefathers, why not our local Hindu Muslims- I call them 'Hindu Muslims' - say that Panini, Vyasa, Valmiki, Rama, Krishna are all their great ancestors ?
There are so many people in the Hindu dharma who do not believe in the Divine Incarnation of Rama and Krishna. But they believe that they are great personalities, worthy of emulation. So what does it matter if Muslims do not believe that God incarnated Himself? Why should they not consider such personalities as their national heroes?
According to our ways of religious belief and philosophy, a Muslim is as good as a Hindu. It is not the Hindu alone who will reach the ultimate Godhead. Everyone has the right to follow his path according to his own persuasion.
Let me give you the instance of the previous Shankaracharya of the Sringeri Math, His Holiness Sri Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamiji. An American approached him to be converted to Hinduism. Swamiji asked him the reason. The American replied that he was not satisfied with Christianity, that it left his spiritual longing unquenched. The Acharya asked him, "Have you honestly practised Christianity? Try it first: If it does not satisfy you, then come to me."
That is our attitude. Ours is a non-proselytising dharma. In almost all cases, proselytisation is motivated by political or some such gain. We reject it. We say: This is the plain truth; if you choose, follow it.
This so-called 'minority' problem is not one of Muslims only. It is also within the Hindus themselves. For example, we have the Jains; we have what is known as the Scheduled Caste people some of whom followed Dr. Ambedkar and became Buddhists and are trying to claim that they are separate. As a 'minority' happens to have certain political privileges in our country, everyone wants to prove that he is a 'minority' and claim those privileges. This cuts the whole country into so many fragments which may well spell our ruin. As a matter of fact, we are heading for it.
When some people look at things from the point of view of political aggrandisement, dangerous difficulties crop up. But once this aggrandisement is given up, our country becomes one and we can meet the challenge of the whole world.
Author : M. S. Golwalkar
|
