Is Hinduism Becoming A Religion?

Religion collectively is always a political grouping and its spirituality is an individual’s faith – Kali Hawa

I remember in sixties and seventies, that is when I became conscious of political and mundane world around me, Hinduism seemed like a big sponge, joined together with tiny strands; homogeneous in ways discolored at places in other ways but having no central core. It was indifferent, self-absorbed and tolerant to others who did not interfere in its system, inclusive in belief but isolationist in relation to castes and traditions. The binding was common festivals and pilgrim centers otherwise everyone listened to or cared about her/his own local guru/deity and traditions.  Back then any calander picture of deity was as important as the idol in temple. Mythology from Puranas and handed down traditions gave theological underpinning to spiritual quest whereas esoteric Vedantic doctrines were pursued by serious seers who had detached from the family life and the mundane world. It was not a political grouping purely a caste/region/ethnicity-based groupings held together by all-encompassing mythological umbrella of traditions. Since it offered no political leverage, it was ignored by all political parties whereas other religions which were political grouping were actively wooed.  

Early on there were a few political groups trying to usurp Hindu plank, thereby, trying to preempt political capital out of massive Hindu majority. But the masses were largely unimpressed and indifferent even though all political groups including the dominant Congress party, were hobnobbing with religious minorities. One reason probably was the track record of these radicalized outfits duringc the pre-independence period and the second was self-absorbed Hindu indifference and the confidence and sense of security that comes with massive majority. Some religiously avowed minority political outfits did get traction, the Akali in Punjab and Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala.  But religiously aligned Hindu groups remained on the fringe barring RSS which kept a low profile, had dedicated cadre but not the critical mass to make any dent. Hindu multitude viewed them with comic curiosity particularly for their funny uniform but they were growing quietly albeit at a pace as not to cause any alarm at political circles. It was like GM bosses dismissing Tesla engineers as ‘a bunch of engineers playing with laptop batteries.’ All this while the general discourse was still about socialism and secularism; meanwhile Congress broke in to parts engendering several political outfits all married to ‘samajwadi’ ideology one way or the other. In the Eighties after persistent failure of enterprises and inherent inefficiencies, socialism ideology began to decline, open market economy which was viewed disdainfully by the political class gradually began to find acceptance.   

Eighties were watershed years. A paradigm shift in politics and economy. Dhirubhai Ambani transformed the stock market, millions from working middleclass joined the stock markets until now preserve of a miniscule business community, booming technology and market changing from supply dictated to demand driven with the opening of Japanese based collaborations in bikes like TVS Suzuki, Hero-Honda and Yamha, Bajaj-Kawasaky etc. brought in defining change in the life style. Consumer items which were always unavailable or having long wait lists suddenly became available on demand. Final push came from telecom revolution brought in by Sam Pitroda. This was renaissance period in post-independence Indian. Not just business, politics too changed color dramatically due the ennui set in by years of tired /lackluster and unimaginative rule of Congress party. Several Regional parties rose in different parts of India and the beginning of the rise of OBC as a powerful pressure group. Politics of exclusivity and polarization began to solidify.

Mandal movement and its counter Ram Mandir movement are two defining milestones in India’s post-Independence politics. This was also the time when for the first time Hindu votes began to gel into vote banks in some pockets of India viz. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, similarly OBC vote bank’s consolidation began in UP and Bihar. During this time seeds of a core, a center of gravity began to emerge in the spongy Hindu mass. While the political face of RSS, BJP, was gaining strength, still keeping low profile yet exerting enormous influence through its umbrella organization like Bajrang dal, VHP and ABVP, RSS began to acquire critical mass quietly and the center of gravity of Hinduism. The idea of a non-formal power center has basis in perception. The core of a religion is its political seat in the garb of theology and threads holding it in the center of gravity are small but vociferous bands as enforcers. An individual reacts to situation on the basis of perception, a society reacts on basis of collective perception of its individual members. The perception of masses that RSS is the de facto central core of Hindu doctrine and has the ability to enforce its doctrine got accelerated push after Modi began in 2014. A religion has a core, whether a central doctrine or a seat that interprets and enforces the doctrine. In that sense Hindus were not adherent of a religion rather members of a humongous mass held together loosely by a set of books/traditions vaguely and at times in contradiction to each other. Now there is a seat in a position to dictate terms and rules of conduct. Hindus are therefore fast slipping into a regular religion.