What 'saffron terror'? 'Left-liberals’ can't be allowed to mock Hindu sacred symbols any more
They do not have the temerity to treat any other religion as contemptuously as they treat Hinduism.
As a Hindu, saffron for me is NOT the BJP. The colour saffron has a very special significance for Hindus. But how do you react when someone criticises the core of your religious beliefs? Being a religious person, how do you respond to the mockery of your faith?
Do you cringe at the thought of someone defaming your religion — or do you simply shrug it off?
As a practising Hindu — and a deeply religious one at that — I am not okay with anyone mocking my religious beliefs. I am not okay with anyone vilifying my gods for the sake of a few ha-has. And I am not okay with anyone satirising Hinduism under the sham of 'liberalism'.
I have observed that over the years, we have reached an unprecedented scale of religious defamation, where any act of violence by fringe groups is termed an act of “Hindu terror” or “saffron terror” by sections of the media and leftists.
But I have never seen these left-liberals using such titles for any other religion. They only love to bash Hinduism. When the leftists label such atrocities as 'saffron terror', they paint entire Hinduism with it – collectively damaging the entire religion and hurting the feelings of the Hindu majority.
The explosion in a northern suburb of Kolkata has once again led to the same blame-game between the TMC and the BJP.
For the TMC, giving a 'saffron terror' angle to a crude bomb blast is an usual element of their discourse. It suits Mamata’s appeasement politics. However, what is conveniently forgotten is how arms and explosives have become commonplace in Didi’s West Bengal, where violence has become a byword for politics.
It’s not for the first time that this ‘saffron terror’ bogey has been raised, and it won’t be the last. A few months ago, noted actor and filmmaker Kamal Hassan had also used the term ‘saffron terror’, as if India was at the biggest threat from it.
The term 'Hindu terror' is oxymoronic. Hindus are, by nature, very peace-loving and compassionate people. To describe isolated acts of violence or threats or lynchings by Hindu extremist groups as organised 'saffron terrorism' not only hurts the sentiments of Hindus, but also devalues our fight against terrorism.
A few months ago, in one of the episodes of the American show Quantico, it was shown that Hindu extremists had plotted an attack in Manhattan to pin the blame on Pakistan. When the actress Priyanka Chopra identified “Hindu terror” by connecting it to the Rudraksha, a Hindu symbol, it presented the entire religion in a bad light.
Even though Priyanka Chopra, ABC Studios and the executive producers of Quantico had to apologise for offending Hindus, this type of portrayal of religious fanaticism not only hurts the Hindu community, but also builds up concepts such as 'Hindu terror', giving a very wrong impression.
Another such incident was the atrocious Kathua rape case, where many liberals and left-leaning people mocked Hindu gods and a Kerala woman artist even released images of male genitalia superimposed on Hindu religious symbols. Though this was not the first time that Hindu gods and/or Hindu symbols were mocked by leftists, but being a firm believer in Hinduism, I take serious objection to such an offensive depiction of my religion.
I am all for the artist’s sentiments of depicting cruelty towards an 8-year-old girl, who was abducted, raped and murdered in Kathua, which is situated near the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. The anger that the lady had towards the brutal rape was well reasoned. But her decision to sketch and share demeaning pictures of Hindu religious symbols on social media was nothing but preposterous.
The BJP has to be criticised for lawlessness, and we have every right to express our emotions and condemn the event. But giving this event such an ugly turn, where Hinduism and its symbols are being mocked, seems exceedingly repugnant to me.
This form of vigorous religious desecration not only mocks Hinduism, but also hits a new low among those who propagate religious hatred under the pretence of 'freedom of expression'.
For centuries now, Hindu iconography has been imbued with symbols that hold a special significance in the lives of Hindus. Their spiritual meaning, their impact on our culture, traditions, and their association with our gods and goddesses, make them all the more sacred to us. Distorting these symbols dislocates them from their religious meaning — and there is a pressing need to set some boundaries when it comes to depicting sentiments through these symbols on public platforms.
Here, I would like to share my understanding of some of the Hindu religious symbols that have often been besmirched, and which must be protected from desecration just like other religions’ symbols — for mistreating any religion’s deities and symbols is absolutely beyond the pale, and Hinduism is no exception.
The significance of saffron in Hinduism
Under the disguise of Hindutva, vested interests are abusing Hindu religious sentiments. What’s worse is the presence of many irrational thinkers in the country at present, who assume such fascists to be actually associated with Hinduism and the colour saffron.
It is important to understand that Hinduism has not bequeathed the copyright of saffron to the BJP or its right-wing affiliates.
So, those who mock saffron or rail at 'saffron terror', hinting at the BJP’s religious hatemongering, demean the Hindu religion ignorantly.
In Sanatana Dharma, the saffron colour has a special significance.
Symbolising Agni or Fire, the colour is believed to expel darkness and bring light. It is also associated with sacrifice, religious abstinence and cleansing, and is said to be the driving force behind the quest for truth or salvation. Often, sanyasis wear bhagwa-coloured clothes when they leave their homes in search of the supreme God or the ultimate truth.
Not only Hinduism, but saffron colour has a special place in other religions too. In the Theravada tradition, Buddhist monks can be seen wearing saffron robes. In Sikhism too, saffron is used as the background colour of the Nishan Sahib, which is the flag of the Sikh religion.
So, when political opponents endorse the belief that saffron or bhagwa can be translated directly into the right wing’s political motives and antics, it highlights how the liberal intelligentsia has failed to realise that politicising religion and confounding religious fascists with “bhagwa” is a grave mistake.
The significance of Trishula
Trishula, or trident, is a highly sacred symbol in Hinduism. While many Hindu deities wield it, the trishula holds a prominent place in the Hindu religion as it is held by Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga. Representing trinities, the trishula symbolises various ‘threes’ in Hinduism.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram: Denoting Lord Shiva, ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ can be described as Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Satyam implies that Shiva is the ultimate reality. Shivam means he is the substance, the substratum, the goodness that lies within us and outside of us. Sundaram means that he is the light, the tranquillity, and the beauty.
Aum: The sacred symbol and sound 'Aum' or 'Om', which means the ‘Atman’ (soul) and Brahman (the universe), consists of three curves, that signify the three states of consciousness. While the lower curve signifies wakeful consciousness, the upper curve implies silent consciousness and the semi-circle above the upper curve represents pure consciousness of the soul or the ‘Atman’.
Trimurti: The Trishula also signifies Trimurti or the Trinity of the supreme divinity — representing the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction in the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Tridevi: Just like Trimurti is a triad of male deities, Tridevi is a triad of goddesses, the consorts of the Trimurtis. These manifestations of Devi, the supreme divinity, are represented by the Hindu goddesses Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Parvati.
Gunas: With trishula as a weapon, Lord Shiva destroys evil and ignorance. The three points of the trishula also represent the three ‘gunas’ or qualities which exist in the physical world. These are the ‘gunas’ of ‘sattva’ (goodness, balance, constructive, uplifting, harmonious), ‘rajas’ (passion, lust, action, desire, attachment), and ‘tamas’ (darkness, chaos, destruction, disease, intoxication).
Kaal: Trishula also represents the three time divisions — the past, the present and the future. Also known as Mahakala, Lord Shiva is the master or the controller of time, and the trishula signifies that Shiva is and will always be beyond time.
Three Lokas: The three blades of the trishula also symbolise the three lokas — Swarg (heaven), Bhumi or Bhu (earth), and Patala (underworld).
The significance of Shivalinga
The Shivalinga is another sacred Hindu symbol which has often been subjected to slanderous interpretations. The Shivalinga is considered a description of the energy and potential of Lord Shiva.
It is worshipped in temples, where many devotees offer or pour milk (perform ‘dudh abhishekam’) on the Shivalinga, with the belief that it will take away their sorrows and sicknesses.
The rounded, elliptical structure is made of three parts, representing Tridev. The base, which remains underground, symbolises Lord Brahma. The middle symbolises Lord Vishnu. And the top part, which is worshipped, symbolises Lord Shiva.
The significance of Hanuman ji’s gada
Hanuman ji’s gada (mace), even Lord Hanuman himself, has been treated sacrilegiously, hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus.
Perhaps the significance of Hanuman ji’s mace is not known to all.
Hanuman ji’s gada, which the Lord carries in his right hand, is a symbol of self-sovereignty, bravery, virility and physical strength. While the gada is Lord Hanuman’s primary weapon, it has been used by many other Hindu deities as well. Lord Vishnu carried a gada named Kaumodaki in one of his four hands. In the Mahabharata, the gada was used by Bhima and Duryodhana too.
I deplore the mockery of such ‘religious symbols’ by anyone.
The Sikhs value their religious symbols — be it the Khanda, or the Five Ks (Kesh, Kirpan, Kara, Kangha, and Kachhera). Similarly, Christians too hold their symbols like the cross dear to them.
Likewise, for Hindus as well, their religious symbols embody a spiritual truth — and they are all fully worthy of veneration.
Then, why is it that time and again, liberals and many other entities fuel religious desecration, targeting Hindu symbols and gods? They make fun of Hinduism without even realising the impact on the masses, which are deeply connected to their religious beliefs and faith. They do not have the temerity to treat any other religion as contemptuously as they treat Hinduism. I wonder how and when Hinduism became such an easy target for religious desecration.
I sincerely hope that some light is shone on this unsolicited practice, and the blasphemy and denigration of Hinduism and Hindu symbols stops soon.
We should celebrate, practise and follow our religion, our faith in peace.