It Is Revisiting, Restoring and Knowing the Self Not an Effort to Erase Anyone or History

This piece of mine is an effort to counter the biased, one sided, fear mongering and vilifying some people and organisations without any strong facts in the article written by Lauren Frayer for NPR.org. Here is the link to it:

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/23/714108344/india-is-changing-some-cities-names-and-muslims-fear-their-heritage-is-being-era?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

The writer seems completely unaware about India's past, History of Islamic invasions since 712,destruction of India's heritage, temples, universities, massacre of millions of Hindus, atrocities Hindu women faced, forced conversion, being sold as slaves and brutal imposition of foreign faiths, culture and rule, partition of India.

In Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) temples have a very important central role they are places where Hindu deities live, from where dharma, knowledge, arts, culture are promoted. Temples also used to provide employment to hundreds of people. During Islamic invasions and rule not one or two but thousands of temples were destroyed and mosques, madrasas, tombs and other such structures erected on their places even using their material. It is clear act of hatred to wipe out entire civilisation.

The writer have objected on restoring names of various cities but fail to recognise these are all ancient original names of these places. Few examples are Allahabad was Prayagraj, Gurgaon was Gurugram, New Delhi was Indraprastha, and Patna was Pataliputra. India's original name too is Bharatvarsha.

The writer has also wrongly stated in the article that members of BJP changed the names which is factually incorrect. The right to change name of any place lies with the government of the state and authorities for which MHA government of India's NOC is necessary.

Second the rules and procedure itself encourage to restore ancient names of the places.

This restoring of ancient names is not to suppress any community's identity but it is an effort to reconnect with the roots. The writer is completely unaware that Sanatana Dharma and oldest civilisation on earth based on it are roots and central figure of Bharat. Accepted in constitution too. It is not erasing anything but restoring, reviving and nourishing its roots and character.

This article falsely promotes a feeling that Muslims are facing ill treatment in the country under BJP rule.

The truth is in Bharat Muslims are more secure safe and enjoy all constitutional rights, freedom and are equal to other people in the country.

In 1951census first one after independence Muslims were 9.8% of total population and according to 2011 census their number have increased to 14.23%.

Muslims are second biggest community of Bharat after Hindus.

From politics, administration, constitutional post, judiciary, security forces, science and technology, sports, arts, films Muslims are everywhere and respected, loved and celebrated by all.

The writer falsely claim that Yogi Adityanath have created a militia it is a blatant lie. His youth organisation name is Hindu Yuva Vahini founded in 2002.The writer calls it militia without any fact and proof to back the claim.The writer says RSS don't have women but fail to see there is full-fledged Rastriya Sevika Samiti RSS's all women wing founded in 1936 with one million women members it is not only present all over India but also have branches in 10 other countries too. RSS also has a minorities wing Rashtriya Muslim Mancha with a large number of Muslim members which was founded in 2002.

The writer in her piece have also raised the issue of ' cow vigilantism ' and number of people died in these incidents.

Every act of violence should be condemned and there is no place for such violence in society and perpetrators of these crimes are facing law but she tries to portray these criminal acts as hate crimes against Muslims. Which is not the case.

The cows are sacred in Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and practice of it is not possible without cows and the Panchagavya obtained from them.

Article 48 of constitution of India too mandates protection of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.

The writer fails to see serious problem of cattle smuggling by cattle mafia who don't shy from using lethal weapons and over the years many have been people killed by them.

According to 2017 media reports this smuggling of cattle is a $5 billion strong business and everyday 3000 cattle is smuggled to Bangladesh.

While incidents of violence by some cow vigilantes (Gau Rakshaks) are widely reported but huge violence episodes of armed cattle smugglers are ignored.

The writer says BJP and leaders like Yogi Adityanath blames Jawaharlal Nehru for Kashmir. Gives an impression like it is not true but fail to put facts like it was Nehru who was handling the J&K issue he took all important decisions. She fails to talk about Hindus who were thrown out from there, whole country is suffering because of terrorism perpetrated by Pakistan in the name of Kashmir.

 The writer have given examples of young students preparing for IAS and have portrayed them in bad light who believe in the ideas like nationalism, restoring and reviving of ancient roots.

This wave of Hindu Renaissance is not about suppressing, erasing anybody or any history but restoring, reviving, respecting and living what is our own and reminding ourselves what are our roots, what we faced, how we survived and what we should do to not face such injustice again.

In the end I will quote a Sanskrit Shloka though defines impartial historian but I think it fits well on journalists too.

श्लाघ्यः स एव गुणवान राग द्वेष बहिष्कृता। भूतार्थकथने यस्य स्थेयस्येव सरस्वती।।१।७।।

One who is impartial and beyond attachment (Raga) and aversion (Dvesha) of any kind only he is praiseworthy as a historian.