Right Word | What Mohan Bhagwat Means By Hindu Rashtra-And What Critics Get Wrong

Right Word | What Mohan Bhagwat Means By Hindu Rashtra-And What Critics Get Wrong When Mohan Bhagwat or his predecessors speak of Bharat as a Hindu Rashtra, they aren't advocating a theocratic state, but invoking deeper continuity of Bharat’s eternal soul-Dharma Share Your Feedback + Follow usOn Google Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat recently said at a programme on 21 December in Kolkata that Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra. He has not said this for the first time, nor is he the first Sarsanghchalak to make this statement. All the five Sarsanghchalaks before him have maintained a similar stand, and there is nothing wrong in it. To understand the concept of Hindu Rashtra, one has to understand the term Hindu. Recommended Stories Who is a Hindu There have been many definitions of the term ‘Hindu’. But the most commonly accepted definition is that it was a term used to denote a civilisation that carried certain cultural values imbibed in the concept of ‘Dharma’. There is no equivalent term in English for ‘Dharma’. The closest term in English is perhaps righteousness. Most of the fallacies in understanding ‘Hindu Dharma’ have emerged due to the misinterpretation of the term ‘Dharma’ as religion. ‘Dharma’ is a Sanskrit term and it means a way of life, whereas ‘religion’ denotes a way of worship. Dharma in practice comprises the unchanging, eternal, universal laws and the ever-changing socio-economic order in the light of these laws. Perceived oneness in the midst of all diversities (Avibhaktam Vibhakteshu) has been the eternal message of Sanatana Dharma or Hindu Dharma. In the early years of the 20th century, ‘religion’ was used interchangeably with the word ‘Dharma’ due to the impact of British colonialism on Indian public discourse. Similarly, many philosophers and seers, including Swami Vivekananda, used the word ‘Hinduism’. However, ‘ism’ also denotes a dogma, such as ‘capitalism’ or ‘socialism’. When we talk about an ‘ism’, we are referring to a certain set of rigid rules that create an ideological framework. But ‘Hindu Dharma’ is not a dogmatic framework. Hence, many Indian thinkers and philosophers used these terms interchangeably while writing in English on Hindu philosophy, history, culture and civilisation in the 19th and 20th centuries due to the constraints of colonialism. This is most evident from the writings of Sri Aurobindo, who initially spoke of Hindu ‘religion’ in his famous Uttarpara Speech. But in his later works, he elaborated upon Hindu ‘Dharma’. Dr S. Radhakrishnan and Radha Kumud Mookerji also followed the same path. So, as we move ahead, the word ‘religion’ used by Indian philosophers and ideologues may be read as ‘Dharma’, as that was their intent. The word ‘Sanatan’ means eternal, and as Hindu Dharma is considered eternal, ‘Sanatan Dharma’, Hinduism, Hindu religion and ‘Hindu Dharma’ have been used interchangeably. However, the true essence of Hindu civilisation can best be explained by the terms ‘Hindu Dharma’ and ‘Sanatan Dharma’. It would help readers to read the word ‘religion’ as ‘Dharma’ whenever it appears in the writings...

Preview: ~500 words