🛕No Country for the Oldest Religion🛕

I am a citizen of India, living in India. I belong to neither the right wing nor the left wing. If anything, I am 'truth wing' - a concerned citizen of India who has woken up to the reality, especially in the wake of the #PahalgamTerrorAttacks when tourists were killed just for being Hindus. 

Consider this: out of the nearly 200 countries of the world, guess how many have Hindus as the majority of the population? Three - finger-countable on one hand! (In case you are wondering, they are India, Nepal and Mauritius.) Soon, this figure is likely to be ZERO, the way things are going.

India is the sacred geography of Hinduism. It is our last refuge. There is no other place we can go to; nobody else will accept us if we lose India. Yet, we are indifferent and apathetic to our own plight, smugly confident that we are safe. We have ignored this issue due to various reasons such as 'turning a blind eye', pseudosecularism, and misplaced notions of tolerance and nonviolence.  

One thing has become abundantly clear more than before: Hindus were, are, and will be under attack from anti-Hindu forces. Here's a breakdown of this issue based on three questions: WHAT?, WHY? & HOW?

Read on, if you do not want Hindus to become third-class citizens of the world, persecuted and converted by militant religions...

Beheaded idol in the Belur temple complex (picture by author)

🛕WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

🚩Subversive immigration and demographic change 

The recent fallout of India's war on terror revealed who stands with us not just among the nations of the world, but also within the country. Surreptitious illegal immigration from Islamic countries around us aided by pseudoseculars and leftists has burst out into the open resulting in the anti-India, anti-Modi, anti-Hindu views. There are those that help these illegal immigrants get local ID cards and even voting rights. 

🚩Criminal activities by foreigners

If you monitor the crime news in India, you will find that non-Hindus are over represented in criminal activities relative to their population level. On the other hand, if you look at the academic and economic achievements, Hindus are over represented. In other words, nothing has changed since the days of Abrahamic subjugation of our culture and plundering of our wealth. Hindus who focus on socioeconomic progress are being cheated and looted by non-Hindus, be it through criminal activities, conversions, reservations, Waqf, etc.

🚩Conversions are still going on

Of the three Abrahamic religions (Jewism, Christianity and Islam - in order of appearance), the latter two are the most problematic for Hindus. It is in the nature of these two religions to convert. Whether it is a misplaced notion of 'saving souls' or just increasing their numbers, it is ingrained in them as a sacred duty to convert as many 'heathens' as possible. In spite of the check on foreign contributions, surreptitious conversion programs continue unabated, especially in areas such as the Punjab, Odisha and East Godavari.

🚩CON-gress has not done anything to protect Hindu interests

Ram Mandir would not have been feasible under the dynastic party govt - the 'jan-nalayak' himself has said so. None of the other temples would have got a facelift. CON-gress and its allies are only concerned with one thing: passing on the prime minister's position from one family member to another like a family heirloom. This is done by appeasing minorities at the cost of Hindu interests. Take the recently concluded Mahakumbh Mela and think how many CON-gress leaders took part in it, or wished Hindus on the occasion. You will find that the number is close to nil. 

🛕WHY IS IT HAPPENING?

🚩Partition was the greatest fraud on India and Hinduism

India was expected to be a secular democratic state while our neighbours could select the theocracy of their choice. More Muslims stayed back in India than the populations of the 2 Islamic republics at that time. They continue to enter India in hordes illegally. After Pahalgam, when deportation orders finally came through, it led to the discovery of many women who have married Pakistani men, had their children and are living here in India! While the pseudoseculars will cry hoarse and say this is a shining example of the failure of Jinnah's 2 nation theory, what was the point of it anyway? If their countries were created mainly for followers of their religion, why are they coming to the land of the 'kafirs'? They are either here to drain the nation's resources or subversively alter the nation's demographics by reproducing rapidly.

🚩Worst geopolitical location for India 

Unfortunately, India is surrounded by hostile neighbours inimical to our socioeconomic and demographic security. Each of these has some grouse to pick with India. Ironically their illegal immigrants live here whereas people in their countries abuse us. Their sympathisers live amongst us, like snakes in the grass, living off our largesse while supporting them. A case in point, when the Indus water was stopped, these very snakes came out into the open to protest. We cannot expect any other country to stand for us - they mostly think of themselves. Otherwise, Pakistan would not have received billions of dollars in aid in spite of being the epicentre of terrorism. India has borne the brunt of this terrorism since long before 9/11, but still, when provoked, the other countries expect us to 'exercise restraint'. And when we retaliate, urban naxals within the country exhort us to 'de-escalate'. 

🚩Hinduism v other religions 

Don't let anyone tell you 'all religions are the same'. They are not! There is a chalk and cheese difference between Hinduism and Abrahamic religions. Hinduism developed as a fellowship of many different truth-seekers who did intense sadhana to give us the wisdom contained in the Vedas. It is philosophically diverse and calls for self inquiry and self experience of the Eternal Truth. Abrahamic religions began when their prophets apparently had visions and revelations of a 'zealous god'. These and other dictums were recorded in prescriptive books that a follower has to strictly adhere to without questioning. The ultimate goal in Hinduism is moksha - liberation from the cycle of birth and death, the highest state a human soul can achieve. The ultimate goal in Abrahamic religions is salvation on judgment day; if you are a believer you will be saved, otherwise you will burn in hellfire forever! Hinduism is a way of life that facilitates self-realisation and accepts different paths to the same goal. Abrahamic religions are cults and subcults that claim exclusive rights to salvation and employ coercive, incentive and manipulative methods to convert others.

🚩'Abrahamification' of India is the ultimate goal

They can call it being secular, 'upholding the Constitution', allege wrongdoing by the BJP government so they can oppose every good scheme, but the ultimate driving force behind any of these is only one thing: the underlying ANTI-HINDU BIAS. And this bias compels them to attack Hinduism and get away with it since they know there won't be any retaliation. This bias compels them to use any means to convert: love jihad, advertising religions on leaflets, fake healing sessions, etc. 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' and 'church planting' are  ultimately geared towards the total conversion of India to their respective religions. 

🚩Colonial hangover

The Islamic invasions resulted in temple destructions, unfair taxation and conversions. The British tried their best to convert us by giving a free hand to missionaries. The whole of the northeast is Christian today because of their efforts. The Portuguese initiated the Goan Inquisition to convert the population in the western coast, and the Dutch did the same on the eastern side. Macaulayian education system aimed to create 'brown sahibs' - Indian in appearance, but entirely European in language and cultural practices. Even today, our children continue to study in convent-run schools and colleges where Sanskrit is not even offered as an optional subject. Even today, there are missionary hospitals ostensibly working to treat the poor, but simultaneously employing their 'pastoral care' practitioners who go around wards doing bedside prayer sessions and 'ministering' to patients and their families. 

As if these were not enough, the entire entertainment industry, notably Bollywood, was flooded with Pakistanis in its early period when scripts were written in Urdu! Even today, Bollywood song lyrics are mostly Urdu-based, and you will struggle to find a decent song in Hindi, let alone Sanskrit. 

The result of all this: children who are western and pseudosecular in their outlook. Gullible patients and their families who think they got better due to the missionaries' prayers and accept conversion. Bollywood celebrities who do not utter a word against Pakistan even when they send terrorists to kill our tourists and soldiers. 

🛕HOW CAN YOU & I HELP?

🚩Target the ideology

Hinduism does not advocate the notion of 'othering' or unwarranted violence against anyone, but if our very identity is under threat, rising up to defend it is our dharma. It is important to remember that our battle is against ideologies, not individuals. The radical thought process entrenched in their minds is the driving force behind conversions and terrorist attacks. Attempt to address this rather than express hatred towards any one person or community. 

🚩Assist the government and armed forces 

The very least you can do is support those who are striving to keep you safe. This includes the government when it takes affirmative action against terrorists, the soldiers who defend us in tough conditions, gutsy intellectuals who confront radical ideologies, all at the cost of personal comfort and safety. If you cannot be proactive, at least do not create barriers in the way of those who are.

🚩Call for deporting illegal immigrants

If you can identify illegal immigrants and foreigners who indulge in criminal activities in your locality report them to the police or your MP. Try to identify the nexus of dodgy agents who get them Indian ID cards and report them.

🚩Be united!

Beware that the Abrahamics target the faultlines of societies they seek to convert. Avoid fighting with fellow Hindus over petty language, caste or cultural issues. 

🚩Educate your children on Sanatana Dharma

When was the last time you sat with your children and explained to them about the greatness and beauty of Sanatana Dharma? If you are unable to do this, find out about classes that can supplement their school education with dharmic knowledge. Shloka classes are a good way to begin. Enroll them in schools affiliated to Sanatana Dharma, or at the very least, those that offer Sanskrit as a language to learn. Try to find out more about your own religion so you can teach them. 

🚩Learn basic self defence 

It may well come to this, whether you like it or not. It is better to be prepared for a breakout of violence given the radical, volatile and militant nature of people who live with us in our communities. 

🚩Help in whatever capacity you can

If you know about the dangers to Hinduism, spread the word. Educate others who are ignorant about these issues. If you are the enterprising kind, initiate action against pseudoseculars who denigrate Hinduism thinking they can get away with it. If you are a lawyer, set aside some time to represent the cause of Sanatana Dharma.

🚩Exercise your franchise wisely

NEVER EVER vote for CON-gress or its allies. They are pseudoseculars and, frankly, anti-Hindu, because they are pro- every other religion than Hinduism. I am not suggesting that BJP is the most perfect party, but as of now there is no other party that is as sympathetic to the cause of Hinduism as the BJP. It would be utterly foolish of us and even dangerous to vote out a PM who has been working tirelessly, day and night, for the welfare of India and Hinduism, all the while facing opposition from anti-India forces.

🚩Join forces with pioneers

If you aren't familiar with the works of Rajiv Malhotra, J Sai Deepak, Anand Ranganathan and Dr David Frawley, to name a few, do so immediately. There are many books written by them on these issues that you can read. Contribute to their cause and add to the discussions already taking place. 

Finally, don't just forward this article; act on it!  As Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, taking appropriate action at the right time is the only thing that is in your hands; so do something before it's too late!

🕉️Uttishtha Bharata!🐚 🐚Dharmo rakshati rakshitah!☸️ 

🔱Har Har Mahadev!🔱Jai Mata Bhavani!🔱Jai Bajrangabali!🔱

Hinduism for the ignorant

Hinduism is the most ancient religion in the world that has survived an onslaught of colonial subjugation, bigoted misinterpretation, and evangelical conversion attempts.  

Recently, I have encountered quite a few social media posts about Hinduism, mocking the gods/goddesses, and its religious practices.  Here is a couple from X:

Typically, the people who post these messages have a rudimentary understanding of the religion, and often have ulterior motives of the religio-political kind and the western anti-immigration rant (as above) that compels them to dig up random images or one-sided articles to support their theory of how bad the religion is.  

While Hinduism itself is not dependent on validation from any quarters as it is a self-evident, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining code of life, I still thought I should address the mind-numbing ignorance evident in such posts.  

I find that there are two kinds of ignorant people when it comes to Hinduism:

The genuinely ignorant: the typical kupa-mundakas - the frogs-in-the-well, who do not know that any religion other than Christianity and Islam exists in the world, but are open to know more about Hinduism.

The deliberately ignorant: the radical, bigoted, evangelical missionaries whose business interest it is to deny the good aspects of Hinduism and highlight its shortcomings so that they can cover up the defects of their own religion while they peddle their ideology to their gullible flock.

I shall attempt to present fact-based findings from my own study of Hinduism with the hope that the first kind would find it informative and helpful in broadening their horizons, and the second would at least tone down the rhetoric, although, I suspect it is a tall order.

I am not doing this just because I need to rise to the defence of the religion I was born into.  On the contrary, I had been ignorant myself of the deeper aspects of Hindu customs and culture, thanks to the Macaulayian education system that I studied in.  I realised I needed to find out more about all religions, and undertook a comparative study of the major faiths of the world.  Through this, I have come to appreciate the beauty inherent in Hinduism vis-a-vis other religions. 

Here's a list of accusations against Hinduism that I have encountered in the social media messages.  I shall attempt to address each of them based on the observations and inferences from my own deep-dive into the tenets of Hinduism.

Hinduism is caste-based: 

Since every bigot worth his salt will rake up this issue in his rant against Hinduism, I thought I should address this first.  The caste identity was originally based on the individual vocation rather than the accident of birth.  None of the Hindu scriptures advocates discrimination based on caste; both of these - postnatal caste determination and caste-based discrimination - are later, unfortunate developments.  

The hierarchy was never meant to be rigid and the identity was always meant to be fluid, with members moving from one level to another, depending on their natural disposition and vocation.  In modern-day India, caste-based discrimination is largely confined to the smaller towns and villages.  It does not help matters that the caste-based reservation system has been institutionalized by the country's Constitution, which only serves to strengthen these divisions.   

Besides, people who throw the caste brick at us should realise that divisions are part of their own religions.  Consider these:  

Christianity: literally, hundreds of denominations - too many to list here!

Islam: Shia, Sunni, Ahmadiyya, Sufi

Judaism: Reconstructionist, Hasidic, Orthodox, Rabbinic

Buddhism: Heenayana, Mahayana, Theravada, Tibetan, Zen

Jainism: Shvetambar, Digambar

Sikhism: Namdhari, Khalsa, Nirankari

You get the picture?  Adherents of these sects are often at loggerheads with each other; if God is one why do their religions have so many sects?  Not to justify divisions in society, but know it to be the nature of man to divide himself into smaller and smaller groups based on characters such as race, nationality, culture and religion - this is a universal problem, not confined to Hinduism alone. 

Further reading:

• Rajiv Malhotra's excellent exposition on caste: Varna, Jati, Caste: A primer on Indian Social Structures (also read Dr B R Ambedkar's views on Islam while you are at it).

There are so many Hindu gods!

Yes there are; said to be about 33 crore in all (i.e., 330 million!).  But the primary underlying god is one: Brahman (or the Universal Consciousness, or the Unifying Energy).  Hinduism believes in the concept of ishtadevata (one's chosen god), which is one aspect of this unifying energy that appeals to the disposition of the worshipper.  Many families have kuladevatas (clan gods) and many villages have gramadevatas (village gods).  Even natural phenomena such as weather-related events or diseases have personified god elements.  

This might sound confusing to an uninitiated mind, but the basic principle is this: Brahman is one, but its manifestations are many.  Just look around you; the world is teeming with lifeforms of all kinds.  There are hundreds of varieties of any given species of flora or fauna.  Even among humans there are multiple races and ethnicities.  When there is so much diversity in our tiny little world, which is but a speck in the infinite cosmos, why not among gods?  Why can't the infinite energy multiply itself into smaller energies with specific attributes or functions? 

Hindus may worship many gods in many temples, but the basic underlying principle is the same.  It is this principle (the higher Self) that the atma (soul or the lower self) of a Hindu aims to merge into eventually, thus escaping the karmic cycle of life and birth.  This merger is called moksha (also called nirvana, kaivalya, nirvikalpa samadhi, the turiya state, or god-realisation).  This is possible only when one gives up attachment to the phenomenal world, and negates the ego or the lower self through sustained spiritual practices such as meditation.  

Since this is a difficult standard for an average person to aspire to, one can focus on the ishtadevata while one purifies the mind.  Therefore, the gods function as markers for seekers to focus on, or signposts while traversing the difficult path towards self-annihilation leading to moksha.  This is the path of bhakti (intense emotional devotion): the idea is to move from the formed manifestation of god to the formless Brahman.  

Further reading: 

• Swami Chinmayananda's book, Glory of Krishna
  
• The Bhakta Meera book
  
• My Sky-clad book review & interview

Hindu gods look grotesque: 

Yes, the anthropomorphised forms of our gods do appear distinct from you and I.  Some have many hands, many faces, blue/dark complexion, elephant/monkey face, etc.  They are usually accompanied by a variety of natural elements and beings: lotuses, trees, banana leaves, fruits, elephants, bulls, tigers, lions, mice, and even dogs.  Like I said, Hinduism does not discriminate against any life form for 'being dirty;' everything fits into the larger scheme of things.  

Some chief examples of our gods are:

Gods with animal faces:

Ganesha/Vinayaka (elephant-faced): first among gods/remover of obstacles

Hanuman/Bajrangbali (monkey-faced): Rama's messenger/destroyer of evil

Trimurtis (the Holy Trinity):

Brahma: preceptor/creator god (with 4 heads)

Vishnu/Narayana: preserver god (with a lotus growing out of His navel)

Shiva: destroyer/regenerator god (with a snake around His neck)

Tridevis (the 3 main goddesses):

Saraswati: goddess of learning (consort of Brahma; She is seated on a white lotus, holding the veena - a stringed musical instrument) 

Lakshmi: goddess of wealth/prosperity (consort of Narayana; She is seated on a pink lotus, accompanied by white elephants on either side)

Parvathi: goddess of creation/motherhood (consort of Shiva; She is seated next to Shiva, accompanied by a tiger/lion)

Each deity may have several avataras (yes, the term existed long before the eponymous sci-fi film came along).  Narayana Himself manifests as Dashavatara (10 avataras): fish, tortoise, boar, man-lion, dwarf, axe-warrior, Rama, Krishna, Buddha & Kalki (yet to manifest), depending on the yugas (epochs) and their dharmic requirements.

Again, it is to do with how the gods have been conceptualised by various seekers over the millennia.  Scriptural descriptions of the physical aspects of these deities also exist, based on which, artists have imagined how the gods might have appeared to their bhaktas.  The foremost among these artists is Raja Ravi Varma, a 19th century painter of royal lineage whose lithographs of gods/goddesses adorn our pooja rooms (shrines) to this day.  Ultimately, they are the saguna (formed with physical features) manifestations of the nirguna (formless Brahman) entity. 

The contentious image in the tweets above, that of Kali - the fierce avatara of Goddess Parvathi - carries its own significance of victory of good over evil.  She manifested to kill the demons (hence the garland of skulls) and Her fervour had to be assuaged by a sleeping Shiva who She stepped on, realised Her error, and calmed down. It is through Her divine grace that the 5th century Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa achieved a state of wisdom (hence his name; 'servant of Kali'), and more recently, the 19th century Saint of Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, was blessed with the divine vision of his beloved Ma Kali.  

Indeed, every feature of the physical representation of all the deities has its own relevance.  Just because they appear kitsch does not mean that they are creations of a fanciful imagination, as the tweet above suggests.  It is a bit rich coming from a culture that peddles to its children the notion that a bearded, potbellied, old man in a red suit slides down the chimney in the night to leave them presents!

Further reading: 

• For a quick lowdown, read Devdutt Pattanaik's 7 Secrets from Hindu Calendar Art

[Dwarapalakas of the 12th Century Hoysaleshwara Temple at Halebidu] 

[Notice the broken arms and defacement of the idols carried out during the 14th Century Islamist raids]

Hindus are idolators and object-worshippers: 

What is your problem exactly with idols?  Just because it is mentioned in your scriptures that the believers should not worship Egyptian statues, you seem to have developed a deep aversion to them.  When you put up your religious symbols and sculptures of messiahs and saints, aren't they idols?  Then why single out Hinduism?

Pictures, statues and idols are the saguna (formed) representation of the one nirguna (formless) Brahman.  They are focal points for seekers to look at and concentrate their positive thoughts and prayers on.  In certain places, the origin of these images is considered to be esoteric or swayambhu (self-generated).  In such and other significant tirthsthalas (places of pilgrimage), the spiritual energy level is significantly elevated.  Combine this with certain auspicious moments, and you have a potent combination of place and time that is seeped in spiritual energy for all to benefit from - the Kumbh Mela (that's happening now, as I write this) is one such occasion.  

Temple garbhagudis (sancta sanctorum) and even pooja rooms (shrines) in homes are so repeatedly consecrated with the sound of mantras and bells, the aura of incense and aarti (fire of veneration), and the offering of fruits and naivedya (consecrated food), that they emanate divine energy that the worshippers can absorb by doing pradakshine (circumambulating the deity).  Hence the need for images and idols kept in temples and shrines.  

Since scientific studies are now confirming that everything in the universe is some form of energy, we believe this to be true about objects as well.  The equipment of war, the tools of building, the books of learning, and the gadgets of communication are all worthy of veneration.  In fact, they have special days of their own every year: Ayudha Pooja (for weapons & instruments) and Saraswati Pooja (for books and learning materials) during the Navaratri period.  

Sceptics among you should understand that the human body is made of the same materials and energies found in the universe; the panchamahabhutas (the 5 natural elements - air, water, fire, earth and ether).  The only difference between living and nonliving entities is the presence of sentience and consciousness in the former, but at the atomic level, they are all the same.  

Further reading: 

• Travel-blog on a visit to the Dharmaraya Temple in Bengaluru
  
• Travel-vlog on a visit to the birth place of Adi Shankara - Kalady in Kerala

Hindu religious practices are based in superstitions: 

What appears to be a superstition for an external person is actually rooted in some kind of logic or scientific basis.  This is often the case with most Hindu rituals.  It is just that we have been following these rituals for such a long time without questioning that we do not know their deeper significance.  Had we bothered to ask our grandparents and elders about these practices, we perhaps would have better understood them.  

Let's consider a small example.  During Sankranti, on 14th of January (that's today, when I post this), there exists the practice of consuming a high-energy mixture of groundnuts, jaggery, lentils and sesame seeds, which on the face of it, appears to be just another cultural fad.  However, the mixture provides energy to ward off the effects of seasonal change.  Sankranti is the period when the sun makes it annual northern ascent, and marks the onset of spring and the harvest season with longer days; hence the need for additional energy during this period.  

Pseudosecular rationalists who decry every Hindu ritual, conveniently overlook the ignominious fake-healing sessions organised by pastors, ritual blood-letting of animals during 'holy days,' and female genital mutilation to control the 'hypersexuality of women,' to name just a few disdainful Abrahamic practices.  

Hinduism is the most scientific religion; you only need to look at the deeper significance of the ritual to understand this.  The mental and physical health significance of yoga and other spiritual practices of Hinduism are being validated through more and more western scientific studies. 

In addition, the spiritual experience of people who have had near-death experiences and those who have undergone regression therapy are in concordance with what's already written in the Vedas and the descriptions of exalted states by rishis.

Further reading: 

• How a largely Abrahamic society targeted Osho 
  
• My response to an Abrahamic doctor in a missionary hospital who asked if yoga is validated
• Review of the psychiatrist, Brian L Weiss's book Many Lives, Many Masters

Hindu festivals are polluting: 

It is extraordinary how environmental consciousness emerges in the pseudosecular mind just before Diwali every year!  Fireworks set off during Guy Fawkes Day in the UK, Olympics opening ceremonies, and new year celebrations across the world are apparently not as polluting.  

Many Hindu festivals are nature-based; they celebrate natural events such as harvests and solstices.  Hindu festival dates are arrived at as per the lunisolar Vikram Samvat and the panchanga calendars.  They are marked by lighting of lamps, decorations with fruits and flowers, wearing new clothes, and eating a vegetarian feast.  Most Hindu festivals do not involve animal killing, which is a routine practice in Abrahamic religions so much so that during certain festivals, streets are said to be coloured in red due to the mass killing of animals.  

More recently, environment-friendly options such as green crackers and clay Ganeshas for immersion are trends that are catching on.  There is also the flexibility of focusing only on the bhakti aspect of the festival without bursting crackers or immersing idols.  

Further reading: 

• The yearly fashionable trend of pseudosecular Diwali bashing
• The same old nonsense about the 'new year'

Hindu artforms are sexually disinhibited: 

They are sexually expressive, is what they are.  From the greatest treatise on sex, Vatsyayana's Kamasutra, to the erotic friezes and sculptures of the Khajuraho temple complex, to the symbolic union of the male and female sexual organs in the form of the Shivalinga, Hinduism is the most sexually expressive religion in the world.  

Before you raise your questioning brows with a self-righteous smirk on your face, ask yourself this: how did you emerge into this world?  Not through 'immaculate conception,' I take it!  There is no delicate way of saying this: you are here in your physical body because your parents had sex with each other.  Abrahamic religions are preoccupied with the notion of sin, and consider sex and eroticism  condemnable, and brush them under the carpet.  Denial and repression of sex is rampant in puritanical societies, where women are treated as sexual objects to be safeguarded by covering them up like bank vaults.  

Harnessing the sexual energy is one of the requirements of the spiritual practice of kundalini yoga, the exact technique of which is a secret known only to genuine practitioners as it is likely to be misunderstood by the ignorant. 

Hinduism is the only religion that has included sex in the 4 purusharthas (the primary goals of human existence): dharma (right action), artha (wealth & prosperity), kama (sexual and other desires), and moksha (emancipation).  

Unfortunately, Hinduism's sexual expression in the form of literature, artworks and sculptures was severely subjugated first by the radical Islamist proscription, and then by the laws based on Victorian prudery of British colonialists.  

Oh, and by the way, Hinduism is the most LGBTQ-friendly religion in the world.

Further reading: 

• My advice to parents and teachers who wonder if children should be educated about sex 
  

• The social & religious implications of being gay

Hindu spiritual practices are demonic: 

You specifically mean yoga, right?  For a bigoted mind, every Hindu spiritual practice appears to be blasphemous.  Far from being an exercise in contortion, yoga is a means to harness the inner energy.  It proceeds from strengthening the body through postures, to controlling the mind through breathing exercises, to reaching the inner spiritual core through meditative practices.  Even though the yogic practice is Hindu in origin, its practice is secular, which is why it is so popular across the world.  It's only evangelical missionaries that find it to be 'demonic,' since it poses a challenge to their agenda of brainwashing and mind control.  

There are several types of yoga and spiritual practices, based on the tradition that they originated from.  If you leave out certain dodgy rituals aimed at material gains, none of these spiritual practices involve anything remotely 'demonic.'  If anything, yoga and meditative processes are the subjects of much recent research with positive findings of improved adjustment, mental calmness, and a resilient disposition in their practitioners.

Further reading: 

• Sri M's book on finding a guru for his spiritual progress, Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master
  
• Book review of BKS Iyengar's book on yoga, Light on Life 

Is Hinduism the most perfect religion? 

Not really.  There are several aspects of Hinduism that I wish would change for the better: over-emphasis on the showy external ritualism and materialism rather than the uplifting inner spirituality, the caste based reservation and discrimination, relying on the karmic law instead of taking timely action against perpetrators of anti-Hindu rhetoric, overcrowding and mismanagement of tirthasthalas, etc.  

But is it the religion that affords the most freedom to its practitioners?  Definitely yes!  

Hinduism is a flexible faith with many additions, modifications and deletions to its tenets; it is not a monolithic, cast-in-stone kind of religion.  It is nonprescriptive in nature; that is to say, there is no one central authority or textbook that prescribes the rules and regulations of what it is to be a 'good' Hindu.  We are not compelled to go to a place of worship on an assigned day of the week, pray facing a certain direction several times a day, or compulsorily fast for a month from dawn to dusk.  

The guidelines provided by the rishis of yore are not to be believed in blindly; indeed, the rishis themselves have advocated an openminded self-inquiry into the nature of the Higher Self.  Each individual is free to interpret and apply all, some or none of these principles into his/her daily practice.  

We believe in the concept of karma, which means both action and the merits/demerits of good/bad actions.  Our emancipation lies in our own hands.  Therefore, we are not preoccupied with misplaced notions of sin, judgement days and eternal hellfire.  

Hinduism is open to criticism from all quarters; indeed, every philosophical variation known to mankind already exists within the realm of Hinduism making it the most diverse and organic faith.  At its core, it is deeply spiritual by nature; the external images and rituals are only guideposts for adherents and seekers to delve deeper into their own being until they reach the inner core of oneness.  

I said in the beginning that I have learnt all this through my deep-dive into Hinduism, but I still feel like I have only scratched the surface.  I am mesmerised by the fathomless depth and beauty of Hinduism.  

I am yet to fully experience the aesthetic and intellectual beauty of such works as Soundarya Lahiri by Adi Shankara, Abhijnana Shakuntalam by Kalidasa, Panini's Sanskrit grammar, Baudhayana's math genius, Sushruta's pioneering treatise on surgery, Charaka's treatise on Ayurvedic medicine, the architectural marvels of Jakanacharya, the bhakti-poetry of Surdas, the erotic rasalila descriptions by Joydeb, and the colloquial version of the Bhagavata, Jnaneshwari, by the child-saint, Jnaneshwar, to mention only a few examples. 

I am yet to comprehend even a tiny aspect of the bhakti of Avvai towards Ganapati, of Meera towards Krishna, of Tulsidas towards Rama, of Akka Mahadevi towards Shiva, or of Tukaram towards Vitthala, to name only a few.  

I do not know if I can; indeed, one lifetime would not be enough to fully appreciate and savour the grandeur and divine beauty of Hinduism.  

Further reading:

• Even today, spirituality is the strength of India.

So what do Hindus want?  

At the most basic level, to be left alone.  As you can see, there is plenty on our plate already; we have to balance our karma with satya and dharma while we mitigate the effects of artha and kama to move towards moksha.  The last thing we want is interference from rabblerousers who only aim to denigrate our faith and convert us to their own faith.  

Consider this: how many countries are there in the world where Hindus form the majority of the population?  Out of the 195 countries, 3! - finger-countable, on one hand!   India is the last refuge of the Hindus.  

What kind of almighty condemns people to such ignominy as eternal hell only because they do not follow his path?  Why is the almighty as described in your scriptures 'zealous' and why should we be 'god-fearing'?  We are a god-loving people.   

Conversions through inducements and coercion aim to not only denigrate and change the adherent's faith, but also end up destroying their lifestyle, culture, artforms, and even feelings of gratitude and loyalty towards their nation/state.  We don't seek to convert you because we don't believe in the notion of conversion.  You are already good enough as you are; you only need to think, speak and act towards the common good of all without expecting anything in return.  Conversions are a blot on humanity, the vilest abominations that one human can inflict on another.  

So, you should understand our reticence when you come to us with your evangelising missions.  Do you honestly believe we would give up the spiritually uplifting things listed above for some vague notion of 'saving souls' from eternal damnation?  No thanks, you can keep it.  

Leave us alone, we shall be just fine! 

Further reading:

• Lessons learnt from a Sentinel event
• Why Hinduism is called Sanatana Dharma - the Eternal Religion