Saffron flags emblazoned with Aum fluttered in the afternoon sunlight as I made my way towards the venue of 1st Hindu Conference in New Zealand on 12 May. The alarm bells in my head rang loud and clear. This was fundamentalist territory. The Hindu Conference was organised by The Hindu Council. A sophisticated arm of the Hindu extremist parties like the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad). Its cousins being the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the militant Bajrang Dal. The alarm bells had triggered off ever since I got the press release that invited participants and said that this was not a religious or philosophical conference. Delegates would be vetted and allowed only if they had any contributions to make (read no troublemakers).
Of course I registered. I wanted to know what these Hindu fundamentalists were doing in New Zealand; whether they were still pursuing their divisive agenda and distorting the picture of the Indian community. Now, let me make it clear that I do not have an issue with their form of worship or interpretation of Hinduism. In my democratic world people can practice any religion they want. What bothered me was the tone of the press release and the theme. “The contribution of Hindu community to the national life of New Zealand“. I was afraid of misrepresentation and misappropriation of the stories of the Indian community to the mainstream as if ‘other’ Indians are not really Indian.
Hindu fundamentalists have two classic strategies for propagating their agenda. The first is to sway the masses with thunderous oratory of unsubstantiated statements. The second is insidious and more dangerous-to obfuscate facts, appropriate anything of value in pre-Islamic India as ‘Hindu’, obliterate human complexities and the plurality of Indians and project a homogenous, Hindu, pan-Indian.
So the alarm bells became louder as I went in and got my delegate pack. I had missed the morning session because of some work. The prime minister had come and gone. Apparently she had given an excellent speech in which she used the word Indian only once. The rest of time she called the organisers and delegates Hindu. The workshops were almost over. I sat at the back listening to a round up of the day’s events. Most of the men and women had a saffron scarf around the neck. The glorious Ganga flowed on a picture in the background. It was all about the greatness of Hinduism. Then came the Bharatiya (Hindu) sports. A ragtag bunch of unfit boys shouting Vande Mataram and Har Har Mahadev (both slogans appropriated and misused by the fundamentalists) and playing some games that, any boys anywhere might have played before Playstation and Xbox invaded.
The next day, 13 May, was even more interesting. Apart from the academics and organisations like NZ Police, CYF and OEA who spoke to the point, the rest of it was Hindu patriarchs and saffron robed swamis blubbering on about Hinduism, Hindu philosophy, Hindu temples, Hindu sports, Hindu business and more. ‘Garv Se Kaho Hum Hindu Hai’ one moderator proclaimed-the cry of the militant Hindus who marched towards the Babri Masjid and demolished it. Not a religious seminar eh? Then there were statements like ‘Women were treated well in India before Islam came there’; ‘I will not talk about the troublesome period of Islam in India’; ‘Sania Mirza (Indian ‘Muslim’ tennis player) is more popular because she wears shabby clothes’? What does Hinduism have anything to do with sports and business? Aren’t the qualities required to excel in both universal? Not according to the Hindutva brigade. It has more to do with being ‘Hindu’. People tried to ask questions which was actively discouraged. Topics like dowry, domestic violence, the polluted Ganga were expertly swept aside. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family, the Hindutva brigade stated but there was no place for non-Hindu Indians. I will not even go into the caste issues.
Of course I stirred the pot a bit-just a bit. Enough for a saffron clad swami to ask me why I hated Hindus. Aapko Hinduon se ghrina kyo hai? As a rule I never invoke my religion. I don’t need to. I am comfortable with my religion and unshakeable in my faith. It is my faith that gives me the strength to ask questions. My faith teaches me truth, integrity and to fight for justice. My religion teaches me to be flexible, fluid and inclusive; that the divinity is inside of me and everyone else. My religion teaches me universal love not hatred. So inko sawaalon se ghrina hai, dar hai-it is these people who hate and fear questions. Just because there are people out there who do not follow ‘the Hindu way’ as prescribed by these right-wing pseudo gurus and patriarchs. There is no prescribed ‘Hindu way’. From atheism to pantheism, from materialism to altruism it is all accepted. But that is not what the saffronites preach.
It is a pity. In the sixtieth anniversary of India’s independence when the Western world had not given her democracy one chance in hell she has lived through external and internal problems. Multiethnic, multilingual and multicultural India can lead the world in understanding pluralism and tolerance. Instead these Hindu fundamentalists constantly hark back to a mythical golden land and with their blinkered view are stuck in a 5000-year-old time zone. How does that help with living in present day New Zealand? When concepts like national identity and national life are problematic in themselves and require critical discussion, projections of a singular Hindu Indian identity in New Zealand is harmful to the Indian and mainstream community. It does not help with creating intercultural spaces and harmony nor does it assist policy-makers and government officials in any way. And politicians either don’t seem to understand or prefer to fudge contexts. Sir Barry Curtis called Manukau City the ‘Hindu capital of New Zealand’ at the opening ceremony. What did he mean by that? Did the Prime Minister mix up the ‘Hindoos’, the old Indian immigrants with the fundamentalist Hindus or was it deliberate to please Labour constituents? No wonder the stereotypes keep perpetuating.
Then there is the Asia:NZ Foundation which was, surprisingly, a silver sponsor for this conference. I emailed Charles Mabbett, their media advisor to find out more. I asked him:
- Can you tell me how much money Asia:NZ gave towards this conference and under which funding category was it given?
- Were you aware of the Hindu religious fundamentalist roots of the organisers or the propaganda they do?
- Why was there no Asia:NZ representative at the seminar as you would have one, say at the Banana conferences and similar events considering that this was being touted as a major programme for the ‘Indian’ community?
He did not reply for two days so I phoned him. He said I should ask Jennifer King (who is on leave until 5 June) because she gave the money and in any case he was too busy with other things before he left for China! I am just articulating what the larger South Asian community feels-Asia:NZ Foundation is China-biased. There is only lip service towards India and the Indian community here (and South Asia). That names like Hindu Council and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh did not turn up on the red alert is proof enough of the lack of knowledge about and engagement with India; that there was no one to attend the conference shows their interest and that Charles Mabbett did not see the need for damage control thinking I am merely a pesky member of the general public says a lot too. After all what can I do?
And finally there is the lack of leadership within the Indian community. None of those pompous patriarchs going on with their theoretical blah and how the youth are going astray paused to think that the youth might have an opinion and should be given space to express it. There was no thought to capacity building only how to attract youth to religious practice through sports and such. Indians are a diverse lot and a hard group to bring together but someone has to take charge. If there is no one to make hard decisions amongst the elders; no one to lobby for the greater good of the community without feeling too important, no one to stop others from twisting the long history of Indians in New Zealand and no one to talk to the youth then the Indian community is going to languish here. No point in lamenting about anything then. Stay stereotyped, be passive and happy. Let the divisive forces make a mess. We have only ourselves to blame.
