The pen is mightier than the sword, should use it to rebuke narratives
As we turn the corner and welcome 2022, I am reminded of the phrase, “The pen mightier than the sword.” The “pen” allows the expression of one’s “thoughts” and the sword represents the “ might.” I chose the title to express and exemplify what I have come to believe in and what Sanatan Dharma has always stood for from the ancient to the present. As we turn the page from the grip of deadly COVID-19 in 2021 to a hopeful and nearly Covid-free 2022, let us wish everyone, “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhino (May Everyone Be Happy).” More importantly, we should be reminded of our ancient teaching, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One).” Both quotes are a lot mightier and more meaningful in today’s global world than ever before because of too many ongoing cultural, religious, social, and/ or political conflicts.
India is the world’s largest and thriving democracy with the oldest civilization and heritage. India has survived hundreds of years of Muslim invasions and the Colonialism yet she has stood firmly rooted in Dharmic values and traditions. India, the second-most populous country, has the largest religious diversity to include Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians, Jews, Buddhists, and agnostics. People of all faiths have lived in relative peace and harmony with little religious intolerance. India has never practiced any religious conversions unlike the Islamic zealots and Christian missionaries who continue practicing it shamelessly to date. Why?
All Sanatanis must use their sharp pens and ask the religious fanatics of any minority religion to practice their faith as they wish but let us practice ours uninterruptedly in secular India. For example, the Muslims, the largest minority in India, should observe Friday prayer within the confines of Masjids rather than occupying the highways, roads, parks, or other public places and causing public hazards which can easily be avoided. The Christians should put a stop to conversion and respect the law of the land. Let us all stay focused on the development of humankind to live happily and peacefully in the land of Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Guru Nanak, etc. without discrediting any religious order. We must raise our collective voice as mightily as we can against anyone who attempts to create an environment of hostility, unrest, and separatism in the name of religious intolerance.
Beyond India, let us ask the Western leftist media and the so-called intellectuals to leave India alone. Why the media is obsessed in distorting the image of India and her most righteous Dharmic values? Our sharper and mightier pens should rebuke their narratives. How dare the self-proclaimed intellectuals under the disguise of academic freedom, claiming to have a better and deeper understanding of India’s heritage, call for “Dismantling Hindutva.” Let the Indian diaspora of Sanatanis send the strongest message with the might of their pens that it is about time that they begin respecting our faith or face the consequences.
Let the House, Senate, and the White House know that the unity, economic and educational prowess, and collective voice of Indian diaspora matters and we command due respect and recognition for our faith and citizenship. The recent attempt of passing the Islamophobia Bill in the House on partisan lines is a disgrace; they seem to have a very short-lived memory of the 9-11 which caused unprecedented devastation at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Only 20 years later, the House wants the Islamophobia monitored from the windows of the State Department while the U.S. let Afghanistan fall into the hands of Muslim clerics and fanatics. How sad, toxic, and polarized is the environment in Washington? Every one of us must communicate to the Senators that the Bill must be dead on arrival because the world deserves better. If the U.S. is unwilling and/ or unable to aid the needy, at least offer respect for who they are and stop interfering in their internal affairs. I wish the U.S. had vaccinated not only at home but abroad to minimize the continued spread of deadly COVID-19.
To the fellow Indians in the U.S. and elsewhere abroad – you are now part of the privileged Indian diaspora. India will always be your Janma-Bhoomi, the U.S. or another country is now your Karma-Bhoomi and both deserve your loyalty and respect. India gave us so much starting with our robust cultural values and the best possible education leading to moving abroad for better opportunities and living the dream. Let us continue our dreams without the shameful activism about ‘casteism’ in the United States. India itself has made caste-based discrimination unlawful and the social barriers are coming down. Yet, some disgruntled activists are making the noise to the core of ugliness and jihadism to superimpose the caste in the U.S. laws. May we use the might of our pens and ask the caste activists to become advocates for equal protection and equality for all. It is their state of mind that needs an awakening that God has created us equal and therefore why the question of caste, color, and/ or religion in our Karma Bhoomi? Let us do our Karma, raise family, succeed in our professional careers, do the greater good for society, and realize our dreams.
Finally, our strongest message with the mighty and sharper pen to the lawmakers in India must press for creating equality for all in economic, education, employment, social, political, and other areas. India has been divided once by the Colonial conspiracy with some of our own conspiring for personal gains and notoriety. As India celebrates its 75th anniversary of Independence in 2022, the message and actions must be loud and clear that no more division and unequal rights in the name of caste, color, region, and/ or religion; everyone must adhere to ‘One Nation: One Constitution,’ and celebrate the multiplicity of cultures, languages, and traditions. India must also enact the Uniform Code bill as soon as practical to strengthen unity in diversity and to dismantle all disparities, particularly religion-based. Why should there be two Indias – one for Hindus and another for non-Hindus? Why should religious minorities continue to have distinct rights and privileges? Why the caste-based reservation should continue even after 75 years?
Let our pens be mightier and sharper and voice louder in 2022 that the “World is One” and Everyone deserves to be Happy and Healthy!
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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Very good article (though I may have some disagreement in the details).
I think the ‘thought leadership’ space, not only in India but the world over, has been occupied predominantly by the ‘left’ and ‘extreme liberal’ people.
Google searches and Wiki articles would yield more of their views than any counter-views, with the result, when today’s youth (who will be tomorrow’s leaders) try to understand any subject, be it about politics, economics, religion, culture, history, etc, they get mostly the views of the left and extreme liberals. I see even kids who read off the net being strongly influenced by the extreme liberal views.
Those with counter views do not have much academic citations to present against the overwhelming citations for the left and extreme liberal views.
This is dangerous as the current and future generations get extremely skewed, warped and manipulated views on just about every subject. For future generations to get balanced views, they need fairly equally represented views of multiple points of views in various realms.
My suggestion for the author’s foundation is to create a national level leadership training project for youth that develops leaders (from all states) who may have counter-views to the left and extreme liberals and also create platforms and institutions to present their points of view, which should be popularised, and over time, to create academia who could publish their research findings and develop a thought leaders, at least over time.
My 2 cents.