Six Un-Hindu things under Modi Govt

Government Control of Hindu Temples:

Despite Modi’s so-called Hindutva image, more Hindu temples have been brought under government control during the last six years of BJP rule. 

In 2019, BJP Uttarakhand state government passed ‘Char Dhaam Shrine Board Management Act’ to take control of 51 Hindu temples in the state.

In 2018, then Maharashtra state government, under the CMship of Devendra Fadnavis, passed a bill in the Assembly which enabled state control of ‘Shani Shignapur Temple’. 

Maharashtra govt also took control of Mahalaxmi Ambabai Temple in Kohlapur by passing ‘Shree Karveer Niwasini Mahalaxmi (Ambabai) Mandir (Kolhapur) Act’ in 2018.

In 2017, BJP government in Haryana took control of Chandi Devi Temple, Panchkula and Durga Mata Temple,  Hisar (Banbhori village).

Although Article 25 empowers the government to take control of temples, the process of takeover is subject to certain restrictions. For example, documentary evidence of financial misconduct is essential to facilitate such takeover.

In all the above cases, BJP government failed to conduct due diligence prior to takeover. Under the pretext of facilities management and infrastructure improvement, it usurped control of temples.

Nearly 60-70% of temple donations are utilised for paying staff salaries, upkeep of temple premises and other secular purposes. Only 1-2% of donations are used for festivals whereas, no donation money is spent on the development of Ved Paathshalas. Doesn't this mean that BJP gradually transitioning into a secular party?

Interestingly, BJP opposes government takeover of Hindu temples in non-BJP ruled states but grabs temple properties in states where it is in power. Such duplicity proves that BJP's concern for Hindu welfare is a sham.

Increased funding for minorities through Ministry of Minority Affairs:

Ministry of minority affairs was created on 29th Jan 2006 by the UPA government with the sole purpose of pampering minorities. The decision wasn’t surprising because the UPA always pandered to minorities. After BJP’s resounding victory in 2014, Hindus were hopeful that such ministries will be disbanded due to their discriminatory nature. 

However, BJP not only continued with the UPA legacy but also consistently increased funding for minorities in order to appear secular. Surprisingly, the so-called Hindutva party introduced several new schemes for minorities under different categories such as education, economic and infrastructure, which further expanded the scope of the ministry.

Moreover, the ministry hasn’t yet seen a non-Muslim union minister as a head, even though incentives to all minorities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis are part of its objectives. Why did the government choose a Muslim Minister as a head of the minority affairs? Why not a Parsi, Sikh or Christian as the head of the ministry? 

The answer is obvious - after Hindus, Muslims are a sizeable vote bank in India. It is a big carrot to a party whose sole objective is winning elections.  

Third Largest Exporter of Cara Beef in the world

Over the last ten years, India has emerged as the third largest exporter of Cara Beef in the world. Although Cara Beef (buffalo meat) belongs to the same cattle family as that of Cows, it isn’t considered holy by many Hindus. As a result, rising exports of buffalo meat hasn’t been a matter of concern. As per the graph below, beef exports from India witnessed consistent increase under Modi’s rule. 

  

Source: Agriculture and Processed food products development authority (APEDA)

According to APEDA, Buffaloes are strictly slaughtered using Halal, which is an Islamic practice. 

Although Buffaloes don't enjoy the same place as cows, they are deeply interconnected with Hindu culture. For example, a Buffalo is the vehicle of 'Yamraj' - the God of Death. In Southern India, many buffalo festivals such as Sadar (AP), Kambala (Karnataka) and Jallikatu (TN) are organised as a mark of respect to Gods for the good health of cattle.

Just like cows, Buffaloes have been a source of milk products such as milk, butter, white cheese and curd. As they play a pivotal role in providing nutrition to Indian children, slaughtering them for exports is a brutally un-Hindu act. 

Continuation of Right To Education (RTE) Act

On 4th August 2009, UPA government enacted RTE to enable free and compulsory education for children aged between 6 to 14 years. According to the Act, aided and unaided schools are legally bound to keep 25% of school seats reserved for children from economically weaker backgrounds. 

However, flaws in the ACT led to the exclusion of aided and unaided minority schools from the ambit of RTE. The minority institutions, therefore, escaped from stringent rules and procedures of RTE, which were to be followed by aided and unaided non-minority schools. This discrepancy alone has led to closure of Hindu run schools in our country over the last ten years. Apart from 25% reservation, other provisions of RTE added to the unviability of managing a school.  

While a minority school (Convent or a Madrassa),  could easily operate in a small building without complying with RTE standards, other private schools (administered by Hindus) were made to follow the rules diligently. Failure to comply results in closure or takeover by the state education department.

Based on data provided by National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), nearly 3,000 schools have been closed in 2015-16 due to non-compliance of RTE act. The closure of Hindu administered schools will facilitate growth of Convent Schools and Madrassas. 

RTE, therefore, has created such disparity in the education sector, which is counter-productive for the majority community. It is a UPA legacy, which has no relevance under a government that thrives on Hindu votes. 

Different states, Different rules

BJP adopts and follows different rules for different states, which gives an impression that party’s brand of Hindutva is opportunistic. For example, the party rakes up temple and cow slaughter issues in the Hindi belt, however, conveniently changes stand in states like Goa and Mizoram where the dominant population is Christian. 

For example, BJP has set up a missionary cell in Mizoram to pander to Christian sentiments. The displaced Bru tribes, who were the original hindus from Mizoram, are being settled in Tripura. Beef is openly served in Goa’s restaurants to cater to foreign tourists. Except cows, all sorts of cattle are slaughtered in Goa using Halal practices.

In the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir, BJP government has introduced domicile act to ensure status quo in its demography. This is in sharp contrast to BJP's publicly stated position of integrating Kashmir with rest of India.

Revision of History Textbooks/Curriculum

Post independence, India’s history was distorted in the curriculum primarily to diminish the perception of India’s glorious civilizational past. The presentation of contents was disproportionately in favor of Mughals and British rule. The primary objective was to inculcate a sense of inferiority among Hindus regarding their own roots.

Unfortunately, BJP hasn't done much to rectify the existing distortions. The history books continue to sing glories of Mughal rule and do not offer a detailed account of Hindu rulers.  The history of great Hindu kingdoms of Cholas, Ahoms, Bhatti Rajputs, the Marathas, Maharana Pratap and sacrifices of Sikh Gurus have been awfully neglected.

The utter disregard of BJP government in this matter is producing another generation of Hindus with a sense of inferiority. As time is slipping by, a golden opportunity to rectify historical wrongs is being missed.