Status of religious freedom in India - I (continuation of "Freedom")

"Hinduism is more a way of life than a method of worship.
Dharmo Rakshati Rakshithaha
If you protect Dharma, Dharma will in turn protect you"

when we read the sentences like this, we feel proud to be a Hindu..
same goes to a muslim or christian..every religion have great sayings like the above and every individual feels proud about their own religion..

those who are not satisfied with their religion, or those who are in a need to change due to the inevitable circumstances will(or)can change their religion from hindu to muslim, etc., etc.,

what my concern here is..

why a religion needs publicity or promotion??
why a religion need to offer benifits to the people for conversion of the religion instead of the conversion on individual's wish??
why a religion can or can not have harmony with other religions??

the sentences that i mentioned in the begining of this article applies to all religions, its a way of living than a method of worship.. nothing else..
including hindus, here i would like to say few words..

** never give publicity**
its a bare truth that everybody has to accept that "hindu societies" always patient(tolerant) to the other religions and always had the harmony with the other religions.. you can read the facts in the coming lines..

just to simplify and make it clear to everyone, let me take few live examples..

sachin tendulkar (or) Mohd.Azharuddin (or) Sunil Gavaskar (or) KapilDev (or) Sir Don Bradmon doesn't need publicity, cause they are the legends in their area
Titanic doesn't need publicity
Microsoft, Sun, Oracle, Google, Yahoo Don't need publicity
Nokia, samsung, Sony don't need publicity
Ferrari, Merc don't need publicity
Myke Tyson don't need publicity
Mahatma gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Carl Marx, Saddam Hussain don't need publicity
charlee chaplin don't need publicity
McDonalds, KFC don't need publicity
watican city, Mecca don't need publicity

by this time you might have understood what i am trying to say..
if the idealogy of our religion is broader and our religion is remarkable in its preachings,
we don't need to give publicity, people they themselves would love to learn about it..
all the above said people and places don't need publicity we all love to learn about them..

now i expect wise answers from some stupid and rich organisations dumping their money into India and other growing countries to convert people into their religion..
now i expect answers from OSAMA for his recent video stating all americans to join Islam..
now i expect answers from some hindu extremist organizations who have a feeling of hatred about other religions..

the more they come and ask other religions to convert, the more they are loosing their ground..
the more they try to promote their religion, they are telling the world how small they are..

no religion taught to "HATE"..
no religion taught to "KILL"..
no religion taught to "CONVERT"..

what we are seeing today is the result of the acts of some oppurtunists.. don't buy their stories..

be what you are..
change your religion if you want to or if you need to..
don't change because of some benefits offering by the organizations..

be proud if you change your religion for being a better human being who knows about two religions instead of one.. some people may talk about your conversion, but you can ask them what do they know about their current religion and what they have done so far for the current religion?? I bet, they cannot answer you.. :) because they have done nothing for their religion and they know nothing.. most of us only know how to close our eyes and wish for something during prayers time and with that we will be thinking that our feelings are deep for our religion..
as you know it is always easy to criticise than appreciate..

"IF SOMEBODY COME AND ASK YOU TO CHANGE THE RELIGION, ASK THEM THAT WHETHER THEY ARE WILLING FOR MUTUAL ??"
a religion which gives freedom of practising the religion is always better than a religion which will try to restrict you for your life time..
a religion can play an important role in a human being's life style and values but life is not just religion.. its just a part of life..

follow the principle "Live and Let the others Live"..
at the end everybody is a human being and one fine day everybody goes six feet under.. In the middle why do you need barriers like religion, race etc.,??

Love a person, Love a nation, Love nature, Love anything, But when it comes to religion, understand your religion but don't build a mad love about your religion.. i hope all the religion extremists will understand this..

and here i would like to add few more words for them who complain about religion extremists as well..
for every action there will be a reaction.. if you slap a small boy, be ready for the return slap in your life.. you may get it anytime..

those who talk about "SHIV SENA", those who talk about "GUJARAT GOVERNMENT's SIDING FOR HINDUS" etc., etc.,
the following lines will tell the facts about the incidents against HINDUS and their Temples.. [interesting, in malaysia they still have this temple issues.. don't think that you are in 21st century, not in malaysia.. visit www.othermalaysia.org.. you can find some valuable articles by Mr.Farish A Nor, a malaysian also.. :)]

you play with hindus feelings in Mumbai, shiv sena was born.. you made Bal thackrey a Great Leader.. now even hindus are saying he is an extremist, but who is the reason behind this?? you burn innocents in a running train in GHODRA, Gujarat consequences came and the next elections have shown the feelings of the country.. you break temples, you break statues of Lord Buddha,

Here one should understand this "YOU" refers to who.. i don't mind if every muslim put himself at this place.. but its not my fault, its all depends on your wisdom towards the truth and religion..

thara singh from rajasthan should be punished, but what made him to do that?? who asked 'YOU' to come to my country and convert my people..
what are the benefits that they have got in LIFE after conversion.. don't talk about materialistic benefits like few thousand rupees for conversion..

"WHO EVER TALK TO ME ABOUT CONVERSION OF A RELIGION ON BELIEF IS A S*****D IN MY VIEW"
the only answer i can give is "LOOK AT YOUR BACK AND CORRECT YOURSELF, THEN TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE AND THEIR RELIGION" Hindus are not exceptional here.. i am talking whoever it is..

If i marry a muslim and she wants me to convert for her, i can and i would love do that..
If i marry a christian and she wants me to convert for her, i can and i would love do that..
and i only like to debate with the people who can do such.. (not only for ur wife, for any of ur personal reasons.. n from any religion to any religion..)
those who can not do, are still hanging to a tree of religion, they can hang there and enjoy..

India Never called tourists from the world saying "Truly Asia" or any other thing... People come on their own for its well known culture..
India never encouraged any single religion, it is open for all and all religions have equal rights.. (more for minorities)

If somebody want to comment on Hindusim,
let me answer as a HINDU,

"Hinduism" is like an ocean..

Its too deep to understand for a normal human being in his life time.. where is the oppurtunity to criticise it when don't even know the full meaning..
This ocean can take in how many other rivers also, and taking out few waters from this ocean can never make this ocean to dry..
This Ocean never asks the rivers and canals to come and join and it wont complain if its water is being removed and used in some other form..
Its existence is forever and one cannot change it..
The wealth of knowledge this ocean gives you depends on howmuch you can extract from it, there is no limit..
The more it has been evaporated by external factors, the more it will be filled in back with fresh waters without any effort..
Those leaving it thinking the waters are salty will sent back to the same for the same reason..

and i wish to hear every religion say proudly about their religion the same way as long as they have tolerance for other religions..
the day we don't have it.. howmuch we sing our religion song also, forever we will be there where we are..

And finally...

to the morons who are trying to bring communal riots in india.. (may be you are DAWOOD, may be you are OSAMA, may be you are MUSHAROFF, may be you are BUSH or may be you are any Hindu Extremist thinking that you are the only true hindu)

"Don't try to play with INDIA@HINDUSTHAN, our waters are more than enuf to sink you and your whole bloody rationalsim to the deepest.. I promise you, you will never return again"

Don't ever try to take the advantage of the Patience of India..
the day it opens its third eye, all you oppurtunists are no more..

"And i request all who condemn my usage of Hindusthan in the above lines to leave my country on the spot without any demands, because that is what India is from the day it got independence..those who can not accept it, please find USA, UK, Pakistan, bangladesh or some other country according to your convenience. Thank you for staying with us all this while, but it is always better to stay where you feel your home is instead of staying in the neighbour's house and thinking about home and singing your family song"

"as i said in earlier blog..
national anthem is for indians, not for muslims, hindus, christians, sikhs, parsis or for any single religion..

"SING NATIONAL ANTHEM OF INDIA IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF INDIA, IF CANNOT.. YOU LEAVE OR WE WILL MAKE YOU TO LEAVE"
the idea of it is not to rub our ideas on others, but to bring in a feeling of a new religion called "INDIAN"..

"Hindusthan: is me dil bhee hai our dum bhee"

In general, most Malays are lazy..most Chinese are greedy..most Indians cannot be trusted.

Racism in Malaysia: they are right in front of the door step of 50yrs of independence, but this is what they said about their fellow citizens.. :) interesting, a must read..

Punch Lines: In the survey..
Thirty four percent said they have never had a meal with people of other races.

The survey found that 42 percent do not consider themselves Malaysian first, 46 percent say ethnicity is important in voting, 55 percent blame politicians for racial problems and 70 percent would help their own ethnic group first.

According to the survey, 58 percent of Malays, 63 percent of Chinese and 43 percent of Indians polled agreed that "in general, most Malays are lazy."

Meanwhile, 71 percent of Malays, 60 percent of Chinese and 47 percent of Indians agree that "in general, most Chinese are greedy."

Sixty-four percent of Malays, 58 percent of Chinese and 20 percent of Indians agreed that "in general, most Indians cannot be trusted."

Full details:
Racism
Still rife in Malaysia.
First survey in 50 years makes dismal reading. Baradan Kuppusamy. Asia Times.
Mar 26, 2006

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's first serious survey of race relations, in 50 years, shows that behind the façade of outward unity and peace, racism runs deep in this multi-ethnic 'melting pot'.

The telephone survey of about 1,200 Malaysians also found that the majority of the various races find comfort and security in their respective ethnicity and not in a common 'Malaysian' identity, as the travel and tourism brochures suggest.

"The findings are not at all surprising," said social scientist Chandra Muzaffar.

"This is partly because ethnic boundaries are real in our society and almost every sphere of public life is linked to ethnicity in one way or another."

The survey, by the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, also found that negative racial stereotyping was deeply entrenched.

For example, minority Chinese and Indians see the majority Malays, who make up 60 percent of the population of 25 million people, as lazy.

Chinese and Indians, who began migrating here in the early 19th century, make up 26 percent and 8.0 percent of the population, respectively.

It found that more than half the population does not trust each other. For a nation that claims to be a 'melting pot', only eleven percent of the respondents said they had eaten often with friends from other races in the past three months.

Thirty four percent said they have never had a meal with people of other races.

The survey found that 42 percent do not consider themselves Malaysian first, 46 percent say ethnicity is important in voting, 55 percent blame politicians for racial problems and 70 percent would help their own ethnic group first.

According to the survey, 58 percent of Malays, 63 percent of Chinese and 43 percent of Indians polled agreed that "in general, most Malays are lazy."

Meanwhile, 71 percent of Malays, 60 percent of Chinese and 47 percent of Indians agree that "in general, most Chinese are greedy."

Sixty-four percent of Malays, 58 percent of Chinese and 20 percent of Indians agreed that "in general, most Indians cannot be trusted."

The survey, commissioned by the semi-official New Straits Times newspaper and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, is the first honest look at Malaysian society and the findings have left Malaysians gasping in disbelief at how firmly racism and racial stereotyping has become entrenched and accepted as a way of life.

The Merdeka Centre said the survey "gives an honest picture of the country's situation and inter-racial perception" and warns that extremists can take advantage of inter-racial fears and suspicions in the absence of a meaningful interaction.

The ruling National Front government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi works hard to portray the country as an example of multiculturalism where Muslims, Hindus and Christians live together in peace.

But experts have been voicing concern that, increasingly, the communities were drifting apart and polarization of the races and a lack of social unity were on the rise.

They squarely blame the politicians and the country's race-based politics for the sharp rise in racism. The shocking findings have also prompted civil society to demand a ban on all race- based political parties.

"Let us outlaw all Malaysian political parties that restricts membership on grounds of race, religion or sex," said lawyer politician A. Sivanesan who is senior leader in the opposition Democratic Action Party, one of the four registered multi-racial parties in the country.

"It should be written in the constitution that only multi-racial bodies be permitted."

Others say the few multi-racial political parties are weak and unable to grow because of the strong domination of race-based parties over the political system.

"Social problems affect all communities," Sivanesan said. "Poverty, drug and crime are not specific to any one race. All races face the blight."

"What the survey clearly shows is that the various races live peacefully but separately," Sivanesan told IPS.

"Half a century after independence we are further away from knowing each other than when we startedàseparate schools, separate friends, separate lives."

Curiously, the survey showed that many Malaysians had vague ideas, not only of each other's cultures and traditions but also of their own.

Hari Raya Puasa was wrongly perceived as the Malay New Year by 32 per cent of Malays, 84 per cent of Chinese and 45 per cent of Indians --when the festival actually marks the culmination of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Similarly, the Chinese New Year was thought to be a religious festival by 57 percent of Malays, 53 percent of Indians and a whopping 62 percent of Chinese respondents.

Despite the lack of unity, the country has enjoyed long periods of peace except for one race riot in 1969.

And unlike in some neighbouring countries where uniformity is enforced, Malaysia's minorities are not restricted and are free to practice their own cultures and religions and enjoy a vernacular education.

But, the government officially practices a policy of positive discrimination that favours Malays over other races in many areas -- from employment, education, scholarships and business to cheaper housing and assisted savings.

Private companies must hand over 30 percent of equity to ethnic Malays and a portion of housing and commercial property must be sold to them

These measures, collectively called the New Economic Policy or NEP, were started in 1970 to reduce the yawning economic gap with the Chinese community, which dominates business in this country, as in most of South-east Asia.

Originally designed to last for 20 years it has continued without check, sparking envy and resentment between Malays and non-Malays.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked and jailed in 1998, has caused a stir by proposing to reform the political landscape which he says is straining national harmony.

"We need to appeal to the Malays, Chinese and the Indians and the rest that we need to go beyond race-based politics.

"If you continue to harp and support this racial equation, you will never be able to overcome racial divisions," he told supporters at a recent rally.

The government is aware of the deep divide and has taken measures to close the gap.

One experiment in racial integration is the 'Vision Schools' initiative where students share sports fields, assembly halls and canteens, but attend classes conducted in their own languages.

But the initiative is embroiled in controversy mainly because of the fear among Chinese and Indians that the vernacular education system would suffer and erode their identities.

A popular initiative, the national service programme, started in 2004, puts youths of all the races under a single roof.

Students are chosen at random and taken to camps for about three months in the hope that they will learn team work and absorb each other's culture.

But, the experts say racism is too deeply entrenched in official policies and the socio-political system for such 'half-hearted' measures to make impact.

"The survey's findings might be a bitter pill to swallow but it tells us who we really are behind the façade we show the world," said Sivanesan.
Asia Times