Diwali in USA schools - how to counter this propaganda

Today I happened to hear the Diwali video in morning meeting. I have few suggestions if I can make here.

 

1. Diwali has many versions in India.

    The video claims one version of the story and did portray Ravana as Evil/Daemon. But many people in India/Sri Lanka/Malaysia/Bali think otherwise.

 

https://www.thestatesman.com/india/8-places-in-india-where-ravana-will-not-be-set-on-fire-1502698429.html

 

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/a-demon-for-us-but-a-hero-for-sri-lankans-ravana/

 

2. The story is claimed as real and not a fiction. But There are many areas of the story which are not justifying science (as building army with monkeys, Ganesha with elephant face). 

 

3. Other versions of the story.

 

https://www.ibtimes.co.in/dussehra-2015-unknown-stories-that-make-ravana-hero-ramayana-651448

 

Since there are multiple versions/perspectives on this and also this story of Diwali is not inline with science, I thought to bring this to you.

 

I would suggest to show / refer to a more commonly used festival like "Harvest Festival" which is very common and non-religious, non-fictional and scientifically justifying festival. It is celebrated under various names in different parts of India (Pongal, Lohri, Bihu etc)

Harvest Festival is like celebrating harvest and observe Thanks Giving Day for Farmers and Friends.

 

More details:

https://youtu.be/ffY_BjvVe9M

Kashmir Aur Kashmiri Pandit: Basne Aur Bikharne Ke 1500 Saal by Ashok Kumar Pandey

 Kashmir Aur Kashmiri Pandit: Basne Aur Bikharne Ke 1500 Saal by Ashok Kumar Pandey

"Kashmir Aur Kashmiri Pandit: Basne Aur Bikharne Ke 1500 Saal" or "Kashmir and the Kashmiri Pandits: 1500 Years of Settlement and Dispersal", as Google translates it, is a Hindi book by well-known Marxist poet and historian Ashok Kumar Pandey. This is Pandey's second book on Kashmiri history and specifically focuses on the Pandit community's place in it. It covers the entire history of Kashmir from origin to Article 370 abrogation, and focuses on how the KPs have fared in different periods of history. The book is a scholarly enquiry into the sociological reasons for this terrible tragedy, not a list of reasons to blame Pandits for the exodus.

The History Before History

Most people are only familiar with the Hindu myth(s) about the origins of Kashmir, so the author begins by also sharing the myths created by the Buddhists and Muslims of the land. Not only that, he tries to build narratives out of these myths and archaeological findings to try to determine what Kashmir's true prehistory might have been. Of course, in the absence of any records, he can only speculate.

The Mythical Golden Age (? - 1320 CE)

Pop history portrays the pre-Islamic age as a golden period for the KPs, the good old days before the so-called 'Islamic barbarians' turned everything to shit. We get a speed run of the the pre-Islamic political history and socio-economic conditions of Kashmir. We through all the recorded incidents of note where the Pandits found themselves at odds with the king. The monarchs would often ransack temples when required and exile the Brahmin population when it stopped maintaining its ritual purity. The Kashmiri Brahmins in turn would assassinate the kings whenever they felt that their interests were threatened. By the time Mongols swept over these lands, the Hindu kings had become incompetent, short-sighted and cruel.

The Barbaric Islamic Era: Shah Mir & Chak (1320 - 1586 CE)

The pre-Mughal Islamic period of Kashmir was a mixed bag for the Pandit community, just like the period that came before. Sanskrit remained the language of the royal court, which was dominated by Brahmins. There were also episodes where the temples were looted and the KPs were forced to run, like in the reign of the maharajas. We focuses especially on Sikandar Shah aka Sikandar Butshikan ("the Iconoclast"). Pandey discusses the economic reasons for why Sikander melted gold and silver in the temples (to pay indemnity demanded by Timur's opportunistic officials).

By the mid 16th century, Hindu influence in the courts and role of the Brahmins had declined as Muslim missionaries immigrated into Kashmir from Central Asia and Persia, and Persian replaced Sanskrit as the official language. After the end of the Shah Mir dyasty, Kashmir became the first region of northern India to be ruled by a Shi'ite dynasty. The Chak sultans were native Kashmiris and they played a significant role in the spread of Shi'ism.

The Mughal Empire (1586 - 1752 CE)

It was with Akbar's conquest that Kashmir began to be ruled by outsiders and not by Kashmiri kings. After the conquest, the Mughals needed local support to rule Kashmir. They chose to trust the Kashmiri Brahmins over their fellow Muslims because it was from the Kashmiri Muslims that they had taken the reins of power.

The Age of Abdalis (1752 - 1819 CE)

This was the age of anarchy and lawlessness. Unlike the story told by pop history, both Hindus and Muslims suffered at the hands of the different Afghan governors sent by the Durrani Empire. These governors were replaced very frequently by new favourites sent from court and so they focused on extracting as much wealth as possible, instead of developing their province.

Sikh and Dogra (1824 - 1924 CE)

While the Mughals had merely been distant with the Kashmiri Muslims, the Sikh Empire and Dogras were outright discriminatory. The mosques were now the targets of iconoclasm and the azaan was banned in a bid to reduce Muslims to second class citizens. By the time that Dogra rule came, KMs were reduced to a marginalised community, the lowest rung in the class hierarchy. Persian, which was known by all Muslims, was replaced by Urdu.

There were no real learning opportunities available to Muslims as Kashmir was the most backward state in terms of education. This gave the Pandits another advantage over their Muslim brethren. They could only find employment in agriculture and the crafts industry, which were destroyed by over taxation. While this tyranny and misrule were the doing of Dogras, it was the Kashmiri Pandit who served as its representative since he was the one doing the actual business of government (e.g. tax collection) for the Dogra elite which was mostly illiterate.

Conclusion

This is as far as I've gotten in the book. The next chapters cover the events from 1931 to present day. But you can already see how long before 1987 elections, before the Kashmir Wars and even before Independence, the image of the KP minority as stooges of occupiers had solidified in the minds of the majority. This was the real reason why some people turned against their own so easily and why Pandits (and even 50K Muslims) had to flee their own homes like thieves.

As a reminder, the purpose of the book isn't to blame the Pandit community for its exodus. The book is a scholarly enquiry into the sociological reasons for this terrible tragedy.

The BJP Bhakt is more dangerous than the BJP itself

 

The BJP Bhakt is more dangerous than the BJP itself. He uses the BJP to channelise his hate, insecurities, and biases against the minorities, political parties and all those who he disagrees with. In BJP he has found a voice which he had lost for 700 years.

He hates Muslims, he hates Christians, he hates liberals, and sickulars, he hates Congress, he hates SP, BSP, TMC, and every other party leader. He hates Arvind Kejriwal. He hates NDTV and India Today. He hates Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.

He doubts the intentions of every good man in the country based on his religion. He believes Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Javed Akhtar, Shahrukh Khan are traitors. When Aamir's wife wanted to migrate, he made it a national issue. But when he learns that Akshay Kumar has silently migrated 7 years ago, he justifies his actions.

He cannot laugh at jokes made on Modi. He will call the CM of Delhi as Khujliwal or Rahul Gandhi as Pappu, but he can't tolerate Kunal Kamra joking on Modi. All jokes have to stop when it comes to Narendra Modi.

He is educated, but flushes down his brain cells when it comes to sharing fake news against those he dislikes. He does not care that it is fake. He wants to share it nevertheless. The more fake news he shares, the better he sleeps at night.

In 2014, he believed that the Hindus were under threat. So he voted for Modi. Five years, 22 states and 300+ seats later, he still believes that Hindus are under threat. When asked what is he scared of, he will point fingers at the suicide attacks in Sri Lanka. When told that there has not been a single suicide attack in India (except Kashmir) in the past five years, he will change the topic.

He is a Master of Whataboutery. For everything that BJP does which goes against his values, he positions his arguments with a long list of Whatabouteries.

This is his typical formula:

Muslims did this for 700 years + Nehru did that in 1955 + Congress did this in 1982 = BJP is Right.

BJP is always right.

He is a bundle of contradictions. He promotes Demonetisation as the need of the hour, but does not mind dealing in cash himself. He pays bribes to traffic cops and donations for school and college admissions. He sits for long hours with his CA to see where he can trick the IT department on taxes. He even pees on the roadside without waiting for a Swacch Bharat toilet. And he has the audacity to write Chowkidar before his name.

He wants a Bullet Train in which he cannot afford to travel. He wants the world's tallest statue of a Congressman called Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel because Modi decided so. He will even justify the statue of Ram in UP, but he will not ask Modi why he couldn't build a single statue of Veer Savarkar in the past 5 years.

He loves the national flag and the national anthem. But he cannot sing it when asked. He wants Muslims to say Vande Mataram, but he does not understand a word of it himself.

He is a Hindu who has not read the Upanishad. His understanding of Hinduism is through WhatsApp messages. He thinks God exists in the heaven and therefore Ram Mandir is necessary, and Sabarimala will curse Kerala for letting women in.

His icons are those who support Narendra Modi. In Bollywood, his yardstick is not acting but political views of the actors and directors. So Vivek Agnihotri is a rockstar. He supports Akshay Kumar winning a national award for Rustom over Aamir in Dangal and Manoj Bajpayee in Aligarh. He trashes a movie like Grand Masti for going against Indian values, but Vivek Oberoi becomes his new icon because he is playing Narendra Modi in his biopic.

The BJP Bhakt is a follower at heart. He belongs to the industrial era. He uses the internet, but does not agree with the foundations of the internet economy. He loves discipline, orders and compliance. He wants to be lead. He does not like questions about his political icons. But he loves questioning everyone he detests.

He does not like to debate. He knows his icons are wrong. But he keeps justifying their wrongs. When he is unable to win a debate, he uses foul language. He gets personal. He calls names.

He refuses to speak against crimes committed by radical Hindus in the name of religion. He is happy to see innocent Muslims in India pay for the sins of ISIS across the world. He will never thank them for the grace they have shown despite being repeatedly reviled in the past 5 years.

He is more communal than the BJP. He is more dangerous than the BJP. He thinks he is in the majority because BJP has 300+ seats in the Parliament. He doesn't care of the constitutional values. He is a Frankenstein created by the BJP. His hate will override BJP's development agenda. I hope it happens soon than later, so that Narendra Modi can focus on what he has been voted for in the first place.

Look at this joker* squirting milk on "Modiji". In the past 5 years, BJP has made me realise that there are millions like him in my country. In an internet economy, this is a telling image that represents India of the 21st century.

Arguing with a tanatanist

 Saar, tanatan was the most advanced civilization, we had plastic surgery, nuclear bombs, aeroplanes in Ramayan and Mahabharat. Whatever advancement west is making today, they are doing it by reading our vedas and Geeta. Don't you know saar, they made Lufthansa airline by reading our vimaan shashtra.

"So, why did we lost to invadors from middle east and to britishers"

Saar, our technology got lost in Kaliyug, that's why we lost.

"But, if the technology was lost, how are westerners using it now? If it exists what are our saadhus and shakaracharyas doing, why are they not teaching these technologies now?"

Saar, because britishers destroyed our gurukuls, so now we don't have the technology. The government has captured our temples and people are destroying our culture by eating beef in our ancestor's land. Government is not allowing vedic research.

"I read in vedas that rishi-munis used to eat beef in vedic period. Even Ram ate meat, otherwise why was he hunting Mareech."

Saar, don't read westerners' translation, they don't know Sanskrit, so they can not decipher our texts, whatever they write is all wrong. You need a proper Guru-shishya system to learn the knowledge hidden in vedas, it is not possible to learn it on your own.

"But you just said that westerners are making good use of our text and all their advancement has come by reading our texts, so if they can make complicated technology like nuclear bomb, planes and what not, how come they make mistake in simple translations"

I don't want to argue with you, it is a matter of faith for us. You have become blind by studying in western education system. I'm going to spread my propaganda to someone else. Bye

Problems in Hinduism

 

A lot of Hinduism is a bunch of chants, rituals & stories that act as software to support the idea of a hierarchical society that functions along the lines of division of labour.

There are categories for the priests/ educators ie the brahmins, the warriors kshatriyas, the trading class the vaishyae & the Dalits who are the lowest category who do the menial jobs. This was how it was for close to three thousand years. Affirmative action aka reservations has changed things marginally. Caste related violence is an everyday reality. Especially in the rural heartland.

If you look at the lower castes along most social & economic parameters they would be very marginalised. Also the caste system is so sophisticated that each caste has somebody above or below them. If the Brahmins have respect & education, the Khatriyas have political power, the Vaishyas have business clout. The lower castes have sub caste divisions so there is always someone above or below.

Add to that, in the new political climate now, there is this feeling that Hindus are in danger from Muslims. This is unfounded & a political ploy to divide largely uneducated masses who do not understand the mechanisms of oppression surrounding them. So there is an atmosphere of hate around the very idea of being Hindu. The idea of being Hindu is also married to the idea of the Nation. So secular thinkers are seen as anti national. The number of hate crimes have risen.

Mob lynchings & riots are par for course. A lot of the hate plays out on a totally subservient ( with some exceptions ) media that tows the Govt line).

Also Hinduism does not work like Abrahamic religions where conquest & missionary work increase the numbers. Hinduism co opts. This is the DNA. So for example if I am a feudal King following a certain God, lets say Vishnu. If this feudal king wants to take over some tribal forest land, conquest is not the only option. He'll build a temple there with Vishnu as the main deity & in that temple the tribal God will become the susidiary deity. An organic mythology retrospectively springs around it in such a way that the Hero of the tribal narrative becomes a sidekick in the Hindu narrative. This is the way we have a living mythology.

Also we do not much recorded history so we have a greater relationship with mythology more than history.

In the present atmosphere of hate the battle for the future is being fought about the past. All secular history is disregarded & mythology is often seen through a very literal lens. This makes it very easy to manipulate the masses & misdirect their energies into hating the other rather than questioning ineffective Govt policies that are not citizen friendly. The church state distinctions are becoming fuzzier by the day. So the identitity if Hindu carries with it all these complex layers that I have barely scratched the surface off. If you want to help him, ask him open ended questions about his experience of being Hindu, perhaps you might get somewhere.