By Ameer Tarin Dated: February 15, 2022
The core beliefs and vision of Hinduism
Uniting for peace, a company run discreetly by Mehta family of United Kingdom to promote peace throughout the world draws no parallel. An outstanding feat and a non-profit service offers the world infested with wars, environmental hazards and crimes against humanity; viable and practical solutions to create an atmosphere of peace, non-violence, love, unity, compassion and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The world is one family, concept).
Mr Vijay Mehta, author and the Chair, is assisted by his wife Shanti Mehta, his children Renu Mehta and JoJo Mehta. Mr Mehta also gets helping hand from a noble soul Mr Ravi Kumar of Birmingham. The above mentioned Company is strictly run on the donations and voluntary contributions received on local and international level by lovers of peace and believers in non-violence. The various conferences are held online helping the Company to reduce the burden of overhead expenses.
The eight page glossy magazine (Issue 27 February 2022 priced at £1.50) presumably large circulation, gives the whole lot about terrorism, middle-east, China, Russia, Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear ambition and above all the only solution Hinduism but not a word mentioned about the havoc unleashed on minorities in India and majority Muslim Kashmir by Modi, BJP, RSS and the terror outfits in uniform.
Mehtas champion the cause to resist smaller nations being bullied and invaded by larger neighbours and create awareness as to how erstwhile League of Nations, UN and the International Criminal Court let down people throughout the world. Modern costly weapon systems are replaced by small arms used by terrorists adding new dimension to the threat of world peace. However no details are provided of the terrorism referred to on international level. It is stressed that nuclear proliferation, global inequality, climate change crises, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity are an impediment to achieve the long cherished peace.
While deliberately excluding India, Mr Mehta makes a special mention of the military expenditure that tops $ 2 trillion and the dangerous military alliances NATO, China and Russia and now UK, US Australia (The QUAD, Japan also kept out) causes arms races threatening the world peace. Prime Minister Modi of India prompting an arms race in South-East Asia is left-out conveniently. The world body considers India’s volatile situations on its borders with China and Pakistan as a flash-point bearing the hallmark of a dangerous nuclear conflict.
THE SPECIAL UN SEAT
Mr Mehta recommends that among some immediate reforms a special UN Security Council seat reserved for all countries would be an important step. The VETO power used by the BIG FIVE must be used in conformity with international law and the obligations of the UN Charter. On the contrary, critics of Mr Mehta argue that to avoid further bullying and invasion by powerful nations the principle of one member one vote must be adopted and all conflicts and disputes solved on the basis of a majority vote. The VETO power of the powerful privileged countries must be done away with.
PROFIT OF THE GREEDY
Mr Mehta continues that the privatised economy in its quest for the profit of a greedy few plunders the planet at the expense of nature. The situation of the planet Earth and loss of biodiversity has reached dangerous proportions. Moreover, ecocide and destruction of nature should be considered a crime against humanity. Mr Mehta fails to realise that felling of trees with the intent to create ecological imbalance in Kashmir for decades also must be stopped forthwith. In Kashmir, the damage done to Flora and Fauna is another pathetic tale and the dilemma is completely ignored by the ‘crusader of peace’.
THE UGLY WAR SCENARIO
While painting the doomsday scenario Mr Mehta mentions about the current flash points like US/China’s mounting threat to Taiwan, Russia-NATO troop build-ups around Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear program could anytime erupt into an ugly war. But chooses to maintain silence regarding India-Pakistan-China stand-off as the escalation of two front wars does not augur well for the region and or at least for India.
A TRUE GANDHIAN
A Chhatri by caste, Mehta is very comfortable with a Vaisha Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi and paints a very rosy picture of Hinduism being the only viability to promote peace and non-violence. In support of this argument Mr Mehta maintains that in Hindu religion, Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver, Shiva, the destroyer exist simultaneously and represent the multiplicity of God (In the likeness of concept of the Trinity as in Christianity). Though belonging to the lower Chhatri caste believes that Brahman is the one reality which is the principle of All Beings and declares Brahman as Being, Consciousness and Bliss (Sat, Chit, Ananda).
Gandhi, Mehta says, stated Hinduism’s unique contribution as Non-violence is common to all religions but it has found the highest expression and application in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Hinduism believes in the oneness not of merely all human life, but in the oneness of all that lives. Hinduism is a practical application of the belief in the oneness and therefore, sacredness of all life.
But the recent history tells us that Gandhi’s non-violence always ended in violence. On the last day of his life a violent Hindu Nathu Ram Godse, a member of fascist RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang) pumped several bullets into Gandhi killing him on the spot. The killer Mr Godse is worshipped by Mr Modi and millions of the followers of ruling BJP to thank him to rid India of the fake godly Mahatma. Mr Mehta prefers a sotto voce to talk about RSS and the sundry.
INDIA DEMOGRAPHICALLY
Strangely enough, Mr Mehta’s estimate puts Indian population figures at 1.4 billion with 1 billion Hindus, 200 million Muslims, 25 million Christians, and 20 million Sikhs and adds that Buddhists, Jains, Bahais, Jews and others get along well with its secular constitution, plural society but India, he laments, is economically downtrodden. The break-up given above is grossly erroneous and misleading. Out of 1 billion Hindus mentioned the Brahman share in the population is mere 6% and other 15% shared by castes Chhatri and Vaisha. The balance percentage is shared by Shudras, Dalits (practicing Buddhists), Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains and others.
ON THE INGRAINED CASTE SYSTEM
The essence of the concept the Sanskrit phrase Vasudhaiva kutumbakam is the observation that only base minds see dichotomies and divisions as the world peace is only achieved through Dharmic religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, ahimsa being a central concept. (Sikhism is a monotheistic religion and distances itself from Pantheism, or polytheism) Mehta says, from the Hindu perspective, moving human beings towards truth through unselfish, open minded thoughts and behaviour encourages people to act and live in harmony.
DOCTRINE OF NON-VIOLENCE
Mehta vaingloriously states that Maurya dynasty Emperor Ashok created an exceptional doctrine of life in which subjects of all faiths in his kingdom were protected under his code when Romans were busy killing each other. Ashok, he further says, was one of the first emperor to put the doctrine of non-violence into practice to the extent that even deer hunting was banned in his kingdom. Mr Mehta feels shy of mentioning Ashok’s Kalinga War when around a million people were killed and Ashok pounced on weaker and small tribes and nations in the neighbourhood. The huge number of killings and butchery perhaps moved a Hindu’s Hrday (Heart) and he converted to Buddhism.
HINDUISM THE ONLY WAY OUT
Mehta again says that Hindus believe in the ultimate goal of Hinduism, a series of beginnings, not endings and creation as an ongoing process to create a perfect world where love and compassion are shared by all. Advocating opening of Peace Centres (Like Ashrams in India) to help promote culture of peace for non-violence for addressing conflicts and divisions in the society.
Yoga, Mehta believes, is one the first precepts of Ahimsa (non-violence) and further adds that Hindu ethos permits co-existence, mutual respect and harmonious living of different groups as this world view is based on emphasising the origin of all existence in one truth, God or Brahman. Hinduism’s vision is to build a non-violent peaceful world to invoke the strength of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Though all know that Yoga is a form of an exercise; a therapy practiced by a very small percentage around the world to keep their health in good nick and has nothing to do with Hindu mythology.
CORRUPTION OF HINDU MINDS
A Brahman Hari Shankar Vyas wrote that Indian Institute of technology now has a director who claims to have come up with ‘mantra’ to ward off evil spirits. Director of (IIT) says his friend’s father was possessed by a ghost and he exorcised it by reciting slokas from the Bhagavad Gita.
He also stated that Hindu minds are being stuffed with nonsensical thoughts. Some say cows exhale oxygen while others believe peahen is impregnated by the peacock’s tears. Some believe many ailments can be cured with ‘gauwmutra’ (Cow urine) while others cure Corona virus with cow dung.
RIDDLES IN HINDUISM
Baba Saheb Ambedkar explains in his masterpiece of literature The Riddles in Hinduism “The question is what happened to this doctrine of Brahmanism? It failed to produce a new society? It is not that the Brahmins did not recognize the doctrine of Brahmanism. The result is that we have on the one hand the most democratic principle of Brahmanism and on the other hand a society infested with castes, sub-castes, outcastes, primitive tribes and criminal tribes.”
What is more ridiculous is the teaching of the Great Shankaracharya. For it was this Shankaracharya who taught that there is Brahma and this Brahma is real and that it pervades all and at the same time upheld all the inequities of the Brahmanic society. Only a lunatic could be happy with being the propounder of two such contradictions. Truly as the Brahman is like a cow, he can eat anything and everything as the cow does and remain a Brahman.
IN A NUTSHELL
So much happened in India for the last seventy four years and in the name of mischief called largest democracy, the Hindutva fanatical zealots turned the life of majority percentage of minorities into hell. With the backing of police, paramilitary and army Hindu frenzied mobs indulge in planned killings, persecution using rapes as a weapon and raze properties shattering the targeted populace economically.
This all is done for one simple reason that the upper caste Hindus led by 6% Brahmans feel threatened as lower caste majority Hindus are converting to other faiths like Buddhism, Christianity and in most of the cases to Islam. The orthodox Hindu way of life is rejected outright mainly because of discriminatory caste system, inequality and persecution by upper class ruling elite. The scary situation filters through the minds of Mehta family allowing them to bury the heads in sand, conveniently.
Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone, but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to cemetery …………..
KASHMIR 