02-21-2006, 10:27 AM
In my mind, a Hindu State/Rashtra would be firmly based on Hindu principles. While I am not yet sure what forms these will take to suit the modern world, I remain convinced that it has to transcend concepts such as democracy, secularism, Equality, Individualism, Globalization and human rights. Most of these concepts are products of the experience of the "west" and their natural evolution to its current state. We do not need any lecture from other civilizations on how to run a fair and just society in peace with itself and its neighbors and an economic force to reckon with.
We will have to come up with our own unique concepts in a true Hindu/Dharmic state. We will have to come up with our own unique institutions, which promote the culture of our land. We should not be afraid to look at concepts which do not include "untouchable" categories such as one man, one vote, secularism and other such haloed conepts of the West. Our confidence to devise our own systems needs to come from our confidence in the superiority of our culture over the current precepts of the west. This is not to say that Hindu society was perfect. Rather our society's evolution stopped with the advent of foreign rule a 1000 years ago. Some major cultural, spiritual and political weakneses of hindu society allowed a 1000 years of domination by monotheistic motivated forces of our Dharmic land. Our major challenge continues to be the erosion of our Dharmic precepts and with that a major dilution in our sense of identity. History is witness to the fact that no civilization has come out ahead without a strong sense of identity. India will have to reclaim this sense of her identity and only then we will find a rightful place among leading nations of the world.
We will have to come up with our own unique concepts in a true Hindu/Dharmic state. We will have to come up with our own unique institutions, which promote the culture of our land. We should not be afraid to look at concepts which do not include "untouchable" categories such as one man, one vote, secularism and other such haloed conepts of the West. Our confidence to devise our own systems needs to come from our confidence in the superiority of our culture over the current precepts of the west. This is not to say that Hindu society was perfect. Rather our society's evolution stopped with the advent of foreign rule a 1000 years ago. Some major cultural, spiritual and political weakneses of hindu society allowed a 1000 years of domination by monotheistic motivated forces of our Dharmic land. Our major challenge continues to be the erosion of our Dharmic precepts and with that a major dilution in our sense of identity. History is witness to the fact that no civilization has come out ahead without a strong sense of identity. India will have to reclaim this sense of her identity and only then we will find a rightful place among leading nations of the world.