Not Hindu Enough

Most of you know that I have resigned from political writing. Yet, sometimes, the activist / anarchist / naxalite / left liberal in me wakes up from its slumber and urges me to write. So here is a post on the recent Fabindia controversy regarding their collection/advertisement campaign- Jashn-e-Riwaaz. I know I am a little late to the party, but to whom do I owe promptness?

At the outset, I am not a linguist and I am not a cultural / history expert. This post is also not about those things. This post is on first principles.

Fabindia, a popular brand for traditional attire in urban India, posted a tweet (now deleted) about its new festive collection - "Jashn-e-Riwaaz" (Celebration of Tradition). The name of the collection was in Urdu. The timing and the description of the tweet gave the impression that the collection was for the festival of Deepavali.

Soon after the tweet, #BoycottFabindia started trending on social media. It can be quite difficult to find out the origins of a Twitter / Social Media trend. In the instant case, the 'origin' appears to be a tweet by Mr. Tejasvi Surya, who is a Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South constituency. 

His tweet read as follows:

Eventually, Fabindia recalled the advertisement.

I did not hear of all this until a colleague told me about it. Initially, I disbelieved it. Then, when I learnt that Fabindia had actually withdrawn the campaign / collection, that's when disappointment set in.

I had a couple of thoughts regarding the Mr. Surya's tweet and the events that followed:

On Language

1) Firstly, what is 'Abrahamisation'? I googled and I could not find any crystallised definition of this alleged process. I am guessing that it is an alleged process by which a particular faith (and its traditions and beliefs) are converted / aligned to Abrahamic faiths. If that be the case, it baffles me that the Urdu terminology of 'celebration of tradition' leads to such conversion. Is calling Diwali "The Festival of Lights" in English lead to conversion of Hindu festivals? Is calling Christmas "बडा दिन" in Hindi lead to Hinduisation of Christian festivals? The mere reference to a particular festival of 'Faith A' in a language that is widely spoken by members of 'Faith B' cannot possibly lead to conversion of Faith A into Faith B.

2) Secondly, the tweet is hurtful to Hindus that speak/teach/learn Urdu, as it typecasts them as non-Hindus/lesser Hindus. It may come as a surprise to Mr. Surya, but there are Urdu speaking Hindus. My grandparents were survivors of partition and came to Delhi, after leaving their everything in (present day) Pakistan. They spoke and read Urdu. I fondly remember my maternal grandfather reading an Urdu newspaper in Delhi, as late as the 1990s. My mother tells me that she would try and copy the script to impress her father. My paternal grandfather used to sign in Urdu. I have old documents of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (as late as the 1970s) which are also in Urdu. My wife did a thesis on an Urdu poet. Merely because we speak/write/study Urdu, are we "less Hindu"? Mr. Surya's comment is hurtful to my grandparents and my memory of them. In fact, if anything, this whole idea that all Hindus must speak a particular language and dress in a particular manner is antithetical to ethos of Hinduism. A Hindu's dharma is determined by various factors such as her context, birth, place, station in life etc.

On Attire:

3) Thirdly, what is traditional Hindu attire? For men, is a Nehru jacket traditional? Is a chudidaar traditional enough or should one only wear a dhoti? Is a stitched dhoti not traditional enough? Is even a kurta traditional, as some suggest that it came from Central Asia? Is a Jodhpuri/bandhgala suit even traditional? For women, is a blouse traditional? Where does it end? Where does it begin? One thing is for certain, calling out people on their clothing is not a core Hindu value.

4) Having said that, let's examine the image. I fail to see what is non-traditional about a saree or a suit or a kurta or a Nehru jacket? One of the objections was that the women are not wearing bindis. But I saw the video - THEY ARE WEARING! Anyway, even if they are not, does the absence of a tilak or a bindi take away the Hindu-ness of a Hindu? I don't tilak my forehead everyday - Am I 'less' Hindu?  

On Accusations:

5) Further, Mr. Surya's tweet ascribes motives to Fabindia i.e.: the whole campaign was a deliberate (a word he uses twice) attempt on Fabindia's part towards the abrahamisation of Hinduism. This is not a small accusation. It accuses a renowned brand of calculatedly designing a campaign through which it can convert Hinduism, that the objective of Fabindia is to undermine Hinduism and that Fabindia is necessarily anti-Hindu. All of these accusations are made on the basis of one video. I suppose that's how politics works - one video and no evidence. This is purely anecdotal, but I think Fabindia has probably had the contrary effect. It has significantly contributed in bringing 'traditional' Indian attire in the everyday wardrobe of urban Indians.

6) The remedy suggested by Mr. Surya is that the brand must suffer a boycott. A boycott is not a small action - it is a collective decision to disengage with an entity. It should be deployed with caution; as otherwise, the seriousness of a boycott is severely diluted. Why such intense hate for an average advertisement campaign? The last time this country boycotted a form of attire was during the freedom struggle. English goods and garments were burnt and deliberately not purchased. It is hilarious that 70+ years hence, an elected member of Parliament suggests that we should boycott a brand that sells 'traditional' Indian attire. 

7) During my debating days, I was taught that ad hominem was not a fair or valid response to an argument. But this is politics. Here, ad hominem is fair play. The message of Mr. Surya's tweet is poorly (or not at all) reflected in his persona. His cover photo on Twitter is in non-traditional attire. He does not wear a tilak. He tweets in English, which is a language far more alien to India and Hinduism vis-a-vis Urdu. If anything, Mr. Surya's tweet was a (deliberate?) misadventure.

On Free Speech:

8) I am not for a moment suggesting that Mr. Surya did not have the right to tweet/express. I am a free speech person, everyone should be allowed to speak/express themselves. But I was saddened to hear that Fabindia recalled the advertisement. I understood their motivations. They were probably scared that it was a matter of time that an FIR would be registered against them, their executives would be arrested and denied bail and their stores would be vandalised. If I had such a grim picture in front of me, I would also recall the ad. Why should a prudent businessman fight the battles of free speech? I felt sad that they recalled (possibly) under fear and not under the conviction that there was an error. It is sad to see free speech die like this. 

9) I saw the whole video advertisement. There is one place where the word "fake" is used. As a Hindu, I felt 'maybe' that should not have been used. But given the protagonist's age and state of mind, the usage of the word could be justified. IF ANYTHING, that could have been avoided. But I did not see it as very serious. For a long time, people of all faiths have heard many things about their Gods and texts.  It is your faith and shraddha that matters and not what anyone else has to say. Hinduism has withstood much more over thousands of years. A clothing brand does not have the power to shake the foundations of Hinduism with a less than 5 minute advertisement campaign. To imagine so, would amount to giving too much power to the clothing brand and ascribing too much weakness to Hinduism. [Addendum: The above was struck out later, when it was pointed out that I had misheard the advertisement]

10) An alternative point of view of the campaign could be that Hinduism assimilates all. It assimilates and accepts all languages - Hindi or Urdu. It assimilates and accepts all people and allows them to celebrate her festivals.  It assimilates and accepts all clothing, as what matters is the Essence. Hinduism is not about one language, one way to dress, one way to celebrate etc. The Oneness that  Hinduism upholds is that of You and God. The Oneness of All. Instead of being hung up on attire and language (which is what Mr. Surya's tweet does), we would do well on focussing on the Oneness that lies within. In my opinion, Mr. Surya's tweet causes far more damage to Hinduism and Hindus vis-a-vis an ephemeral advertisement.

I am reminded of the words of Swami Vivekananda - "There is a danger of our religion getting into the kitchen. We are neither Vedantists, most of us now, nor Paurânics, nor Tântrics. We are just "Don't-touchists". Our religion is in the kitchen. Our God is the cooking-pot, and our religion is, "Don't touch me, I am holy". If this goes on for another century, every one of us will be in a lunatic asylum."

ॐ

Being 30

Song: Maithreem Bhajata by M. S. Subbulakshmi

Recently, I turned 30. It's a milestone birthday. Anyone who knows me, knows that the number 13 is special to me. Thus, it is only appropriate that when I turned 30 (the phonetic cousin of 13), that I write something that merges both. And so, in this post I will list down 13 meditations for the 30 year old (though to be honest, it works for all ages). I must be candid. I am not an authority to give meditations or any advice for that matter. But you know I am preachy.

I have tried to practice some of these (especially recently) and I have found them to be quite 'free-ing'. My friends would testify that my preaching here is not truly practiced by me. But I am trying.

All of us are complex beings with multiple facets to our personality. We have bondages and quirks that we aren't even aware of. At 30, I felt that there was a need to 'unlearn'. To let go of the past impressions and ideas and in a sense to start anew. 

I hope that you will find them useful as well. These may sound repetitive, but I had to complete the count of 13! :P

1. Forgive (yourself): To err is human. The reality of life is that mistakes happen. We are not all-knowing and often we make judgment errors. Sometimes these errors cause material discomfort (such as loss of money, property etc.) and at other times they cause emotional discomfort (such as a heartbreak, regret etc.). It's okay. Hota hai. More often than not, we think we are doing the right thing and in hindsight think otherwise. Koi baat nahi. Forgive yourself. Accept and own up that you made a mistake and that you were in the wrong. If it can be remedied, pursue that. If someone has been wronged, apologise to them. Koi tumhari ego/self respect kum nahi hogi. In any event, close your eyes, see your actions objectively and forgive yourself. Sometimes I say this to myself - "Koi baat nahi Rohan, abh ho gayi galti, abh bas jo kar skate ho woh karo!" Don't live in the shame of your errors. Live in the prospect of your wondrous capability.
   
   
2. Forgive (others): If you can err, so can others. Readily forgive. In the Netflix series Love, Mickey tells Gus that resentment is like holding hot coal - in the end, only the person resenting will burn. They may or may not have asked for your forgiveness, but that is immaterial. Holding a grudge will not solve anything. Instead, it will only remind you of the pain. Let it go. How? Close your eyes. Think of the person that you believe wronged you. Now try and think of their side of the story. Perhaps, they were going through a bad time/day. Perhaps, they were acting out of some childish obsession. Now, ask yourself, if you've seen this kind of behaviour in yourself. It is quite likely that you have - perhaps in a different degree. Forgive them - at some point, you have probably committed the same mistake. If you see yourself in them, forgiveness will come naturally.
   
   
3. Identify (yourself): I think this is by far the most important. Identify yourself - with all your curves and edges, without any moral or pre-conceived lens. You have to see yourself for who you are. [I am not referring to the Infinite Self, but the mash-up of mind and intellect]. It is truly liberating when you are honest with yourself (be honest with others also). Sit in a quiet place and close your eyes. Let the thoughts come. Examine each of them. Enquire from yourself why a particular thought is coming. Trust me, you will find the answers. The naked self frees you, as you have now understood yourself and your feelings. In the movie Call me by your name, Elio's father says - "We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new." Don't bury yourself or your emotions. Examine them. Feel them. You will be more free if you do that vis-a-vis simply burying them. In knowledge lies quietude. It may take multiple sessions of 45-60 minutes to do this. I have tried it and I have benefitted. Knowing yourself frees you.
   
   
4. Judge (not): Once you have identified yourself, accept others for who they are. Don't judge others for their actions. Don't hold them in contempt. We hardly understand ourselves and our actions. In that background, it is futile to even attempt to understand someone else. We don't know what they are going through (or went through). Who are we to pass judgment on others? Free your mind from the clutter of these judgments. Imagine yourself as the all encompassing space. It accommodates everyone. You can too.
   
   
5. (Be) Compassionate: The world has much misery and needs much compassion. Donate. Help others. Take out time to serve the world. Selfless action is meditation. There is no dearth of opportunity. Remember - Aur bhi dukh hai zamaane mai mohabbat ke siwa, aur bhi raahatein hai vasl ki raahat ke siwa.
   
   
6. Reflect (a lot): Building on # 3, spend a little time with yourself everyday. Without the phone. Without the company of others. Listen to your mind and thoughts - they will bring forth matters that are bothering them. Once you know what is bothering you, you can attempt to untangle it. The mind and intellect work very hard and are your most precious tools. Give them attention. In my experience, great clarity comes when time is spent with one's own thoughts.
   
   
7. (Go) Crazy: Live. Be crazy. Sometimes a little craziness also frees you. Like dyeing your hair. Or shaving your hair (anywhere!). Or dancing on the street (or alone in your room). Or bathing in the rain. Or having 'brownies'! It is important to occasionally do uncharacteristic things, as they help you identify your character. Don't be like me, saying NO all the time! Sometimes, say yes.
   
   
8. Love (yourself): Take care of yourself. Don't wait around for someone else to take care of you. If you want balloons on your birthday, buy them - don't wait for your best friend to throw a surprise birthday party. If you want a bachelors party, organise it. If you want to go on a trek, go. Pamper yourself. You can't live your life contingent on others. Take out time for yourself for doing things you like to do. It will keep you sane (and thus free). In the same spirit, your sense of self-worth/respect must come from yourself. It cannot be contingent on fulfilling the (un)realistic expectations of someone else. It feels good when we impress others. But, to my mind, true satisfaction comes when we have impressed ourselves. 
   
   
9. Love (others): A dear friend of mine remarked that the human heart has infinite capacity to love. It took sometime to wrap my head around this, but now I agree. We are loving beings. Our love is not meant to be rationed. It is meant to flow from us to the world. Imagine our love to be the baad-e-nau-bahaar, the roses to be other persons and the rose fields to be the world. Just like the gulshan ka karobar continues because of the baad-e-nau-bahaar, in the same way, the world sustains through love (To understand this reference, see Faiz Ahmad Faiz's ghazal - Gulon Mein Rang Bhare). Each time we act, we have a choice i.e.: to act out of a place of love. Make that choice. Act out of love, kindness and respect. Don't be mean. Don't be hurtful. Don't say harsh words. They are as human (and thus flawed) as you are.
   
   
10. Let it be: Somethings can't be changed. We control very little in the world. In fact, one could argue that we control nothing. So focus less on the results/outcomes. Focus on your actions (and reactions). That we can control. The universe's response - you let that be. Rejecting the universe's reaction isn't going to change it - that's denial. In the same spirit, lower your expectations. Everyone is already burdened by their own expectations. They do not need the burden of your expectations as well. Imagine if you were under the pressure of fulfilling everyone's expectations and impress them - How would that feel? You won't like that and so nobody else does either.
    
    
11. Compare (lesser): Don't compare yourself to others. All of us are unique. All our circumstances are different. Our upbringings are different. Our backgrounds are different. No comparison will ever be accurate. However, compare (and not compete) yourself to your previous versions. See your changes. Reflect on the journey of your life. You have seen so much, endured so much. Spend some quiet time reflecting on the journey of your life and it will give you much clarity on the journey ahead. 
    
    
12. Speak (carefully): Gossip less! Measure your words carefully - they can hurt. I have learnt it the hard way that even jokes can hurt. So don't say hurtful things, no matter how much you are hurting. You never know when your words will come true, so speak carefully.
    
    
13. Relax: Theek hai yaar. Ho jaayega sabh. Ek do saal late ho jaayega, expectation se thoda kum hoga. Thodi haar hogi. Thodi jeet hogi. Koi baat nahi. Duniya nahi khatam ho jaayegi. Roz roz ka stress lene se acha thoda kum mile, woh theek hai. Fir at least jo mila hai usko toh enjoy kar paaoge. Take a chill brownie or ice cream or payasam. Relax. Relax your goals/timelines, if it's becoming stressful/too much. Relax your do's and don't/rules, if they feel like a heavy burden - including those above (don't do anything illegal though). And smile more! I have found that when you physically smile, the heart smiles too. A smile goes a long way in dissipating our troubles.

I am trying to be a better 30 year old. Hopefully, I will be. I wouldn't have been here and this post won't have been possible without the love and support of my family (especially Mum), teachers and friends. 

Thanks to them!! Cheers to them! This is dedicated to them :)

2014, Durham

PS: Some of the ideas may seem similar to School of Life videos. I watch them often and find them to be very helpful.

A Birthday Playlist

Those close to me know that Janamasthmi is special to me. This blog has seen multiple posts on the occasion of Janamasthmi. In 2011, I even described it as the best day of my life. In 2015, I wrote about various writings on Bhagwan Shri Krishna.

So what do I have to offer in 2021? This year, I have curated a playlist of my favourite Shri Krishna bhajans. I cannot sing for you, but I can certainly share good compositions with you. I wish I could sing beautifully for God. I am somewhat lethargically pretending to learn. Maybe one day I will manage to sing.

Until then, in no particular order:

1. Madhurashtakam by Dr. Subhadra Desai sung in a Raga Maala i.e.: the Raga changes after 2 verses. The rendering of the fifth and sixth verses in Raga Yaman are my favourite.
2. Jamuna Kinaare Mora Gaon by Pt. Mukul Shivputra. I love the part when it says - मली मली के स्नान कराओं
3. Kaun Gali Gayo Shyam by Dr. Prabha Atre. I have heard this countless times and even today when I hear it, I can intensely feel the longing for Krishna.
4. Krishna Nee Begane by Aruna Sairam. This bhajan is in Kannada. This rendition was apparently sung live at India Gate. It have heard it so many times that I have started to pick up the Kannada!
5. Mharo Pranam by Kishori Amonkar. This is a classic. Meera's love for Krishna is unparalleled. We shy away from making the smallest sacrifices for God, and here was Meera, who sacrificed everything!
6. Govind Damodar Madhaveti by Pt. Jasraj. Sometimes when I want to feel enthused with energy, I play this on my way to work. It's so powerful!
7. Aage Krishna Paachhe Krishna by Mokshi Sethi. Everywhere I see, there is Krishna - what an amazing feeling. Close your eyes and imagine there is Krishna in front of you and see how your heart reacts. Now, think if He was everywhere you looked.
8. Om Namo Bhagavate by Pt. Sanjeev Abhyankar. I have had the good fortune of hearing this live. It was surreal - almost trance like. The rare times when you are totally lost in the music.
9. Bhaja Govindam by M.S. Subbulakshmi. I am true Vedanti and so this has to feature here. You have seen Bhaja Govindam references innumerable times. Bhaja Govindam! Bhaja Govindam!
10. Mana Mohan Shyam by Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande. I heard this only last week and it instantly became special to me. Ashwini ji has such a unique way of singing.
11. Manmohan Man Mein Ho Tumhi by Mohd. Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur. I came across this when listening to the radio. Sometimes radio really surprises you. What an incredible find!

I hope you like these. Here is the link to the entire playlist.

May Krishna always be with you.