Hindutva

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Let me first begin by explaining what we mean by Flat World Forces or Forces of Globalization as they relate to the concept of a Flat World.

These are forces which have rendered Geography and Distance as irrelevant and have enabled Access to Markets, Information and Resources anywhere in the world possible. The effect of this twin combination is that a no-name company called Infosys based in India is able to compete and win against an established incumbent in the USA. Now the same forces operate in the reverse direction to the aid of a Multi-National or a Missionary in India competing against native businesses or native religions and win because they have better access to Markets, resources and information.

In a world which is going to be increasingly influenced by these forces one must adapt to leverage these forces to one's advantage and to not be rendered irrelevant by these changes.

Now Infosys which was benefiting from the effect of flat-world forces in acquiring competitive advantage from its foreign competitors could have lobbied with the Indian Government for Protectionist Laws that prevent its foreign competitors from setting up shop in India and thus eliminating the home ground advantage it had. But Infosys did not, it instead to take the challenge in stride and decided to focus on how to continously innovate and re-invent itself to further take advantage of the flat-world forces in order to continue to win against foreign competitors in the USA while not being unduly worried about their setting up base in India.

So there is a lesson here to be borrowed by the Indian Right. That lesson is that Politcal, Socio-Cultural Philosophy of the Indian Right will be challenged by these very same forces in multiple ways bringing into question the relevance of this philosophy as it manifests in Public Policy/Governance and Socio-Cultural Movements/Institutions.

So the question is Hindutva in its current form that Philosophy that can manifest itself in the most relevant manner
- in Public Policy/Governance so that its adherents are equipped with right economic and security environment so that they can effectively live, compete and win in the face of Flat World Forces.
- in Socio-Cultural situations so that its adherents continue to draw inspiration, direction and their moral compass of right and wrong to thrive and prosper in a world dominated by flat world forces and dont lose faith in it and abandon it in favor of other socio-cultures ways of life or theologies which have been more effective in leveraging the flat world forces to their advantage

Hence the need for a critical look and re-invention of the underlying philosophy and how it manifests itself in Public Policy and Governance as well as in Socio-Cutural issues.

HINDUTVA IN PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNANCE

To date the manifestation of Hindutva in the sphere of Public Policy and Governance has been primarily to right the wrongs of the past century and to the extent it has been a philosophy that emerged from a position of weakness, seeking a position of strength. That perhaps was essential in the context of the Political Environment of the last century.

This century is different. The mood in the country is different. The mood is no longer about wrongs of the past. The mood is about the future and the boundless opportunities of the future as demonstrated by the phenomenal success of Indian Enterprise and Indian Knowledge Capital. So the political manifestation of Hindutva is out of sync with the mood of the nation. Rather than INSPIRE AND INSTILL CONFIDENCE AND FURTHER THE CAUSE OF POLICIES AND GOVERNANCE THAT EMPOWERS INDIA STRATEGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY the focus of Political manifestations of Hindutva in its current form is limited to DEBATING ENDLESSLY OVER WHETHER OR NOT JINNAH WAS SECULAR, WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD BE RESERVATIONS IN MINORITY OWNED INSITUTIONS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD HAVE ANTI-CONVERSION LEGISLATIONS OR WHETHER THE UPA IS INDULGING MINORITY APPEASEMENT.

HINDUTVA AS A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY DOES NOT PROVIDE A GUIDING PRINCIPLE
- TO HAVE A POSITION ON RESERVATIONS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
- TO HAVE A POSITION ON FOREIGN COMPETITION
- TO HAVE A POSITION ON ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
- TO HAVE A POSITION ON LOCAL GOVERNANCE

resulting in muddled policy prescriptions and utter confusion in the political adherents of Hindutva to the point where you hear multiple voices. The onlt issue they are united on is opposing the UPA's Minority Appeasement policies.

These are the issues that will continue to matter in the future. So Hindutva in its current form needs to re-invent itself as a sound economic and strategic philosophy which will manifest itself in a political agenda that is relevant to the issues of the 21st century.

HINDUTVA IN SOCIO-CULTURAL ISSUES

In the socio-cultural sphere again Hindutva has been primarily focused on preservation of the past be it names of cities, be it places of worship or be it practices and tradition or on prevention of western influences or on revision of history and to the extent it has been a defensive philosophy again working to preserve, prevent or revise. That perhaps was essential in the context of the overwhelming Secular Environment in the media and the Social Institutions.

As a philosophy rather than inspire change, Rather than focus on strengthening mainstream hinduism to eliminate Caste, to make traditional forms of worship more relevant and meaningful, to make traditional rituals more relevant and meaninfgul, the philosophy was limited to defense against other philosophies. Which explains the most defensive of responsives. Broad Anti-Conversion Laws. Where is the confidence in this philosophy that the Instititutions and Movements it has inspired can survive the onslaught of these western forces ?

Rather than INSPIRE AND INSTILL CONFIDENCE AND FURTHER MODERNIZE ALL SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE RELIGION THAT EMPOWERS ITS ADHERENTS TO CONDUCT LIFE AND DERIVE A MORAL VALUE SYSTEM THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE PRESENT TIMES.

The focus of Hindutva in its current form has been limited to DEBATING ENDLESSLY OVER WHETHER ARYANS WERE INDIGENOUS OR NOT, WHY INDIAN MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS DONT ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR HINDU HERITAGE. OR WHY VALENTINES DAY SHOULD NOT BE CELEBRATED

HINDUTVA AS A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY HAS NOT HELPED BUILD INSTITUTIONS AND MOVEMENTS
- WHEREIN CASTE COULD HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM MAINSTREAM HINDUSIM
- WHEREIN THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM IN THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS COULD HAVE BEEN APPLIED BY TODAYS YOUTH TO DERIVE A MORAL COMPASS OR VALUE SYSTEM BY FRAMING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM IN TODAYS SOCIAL CONTEXT

INSTEAD IT HAS INSPIRED MORAL POLICING AND HOOLIGANISM, WHILE NOT PROVIDING ANY GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR HOW SOCIO-CULTURAL VALUES DERIVED FROM HINDUTVA AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN A SOCIETY GOVERNED BY SECULAR LIBERAL PRINCIPLES CAN COEXIST IN HARMONY.

Hence the need for Hindutva to re-invent itself as philosophy that can guide and inspire on 21st Century Indians on
- what should be the role of Government
- what kind of Public Policies should be pursued
- what kind of socio-cultural institutions and value systems should be built and adopted
- what kind of religious reform must take place

MOST IMPORTANTLY
- How will such religious and socio-cultural institutions and value systems thrive in harmony within the Secular Liberal System of Governance.
- How wil such a Government and Public Policy address the Strategic and Economic Interests of India as a whole and not just Hindus.

SO IN SUMMARY FLAT WORLD HINDUTVA AS A PHILOSOPHY IS MEANT TO BE THAT RE-INVENTION OF HINDUTVA WHICH WILL
- BROADEN ITS FOCUS
- TRANSFORM IT FROM A POSITION OF WEAKNESS TO A POSITION OF STRENGTH
- TRANSFORM IT FROM A DEFENSIVE REACTION TO A PROACTIVE CHANGE AGENT
- WILL BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD, COMPREHENDED, RELATED TO AND ADOPTED BY
- WILL PROVIDE THE POLITICAL ADHERENTS WITH A VISION AND STRATEGY ON HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE AGAINST THE LEFT OF CENTER FORCES WHILE APPEALING TO ALL INDIANS WITH ITS STRATEGIC AND ECONOMIC VISION
- WILL PROVIDE THE SOCIO-CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS WITH A PHILOSOPHY THAT WILL NOT JUST PRESERVE BUT ENSURE THE HINDU WAY OF LIFE AND HERITAGE OUTLASTS THE NEXT MILLNENNIUM