If the atrocities against Hindus have to be highlighted across the world, it must be done with the timing and strategy of political and social awareness and without any hesitation.
- Genocide and atrocities against Hindus have been afoot in multiple nations today – Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Fiji, West Indies, Myanmar, Indonesia etc.
- But there has been little to no attention given to atrocities against Hindus simply because the world did not find any use and considered it ‘normal’ or as a historical change.
- India under the current leadership seems to be making relevant noises and it is with these changing times we should keep a good view of our efforts and continuous movement to fulfil our goals around it.
India is rising. There is no denial. Those who deny are yet to come to terms. Panda Huggers or otherwise can keep claiming but we are been paid attention. The Ukrainian crisis has made sure India plays a large role in mediation as well as close ties with Russia and USA. Much of the debate around our rise is on our terms for now and while some narrative games are being played to show us in poor light, the Indian powerhouse is part of the Asian century. We are touted with the Chinese and we will continue to do so.
However, I wish to shift to something important that comes from the heart. While we are rising, we are yet to show our history well. Yes, soft power in yoga is good. Millets are excellent. In fact, our vaccines save the world. But little has been done to show our genocide and Atrocities at the hands of many instruments of destruction. In fact, I would say that laxity is also on us since we have to balance it out on geopolitical terms. But while the government and the organs around it focus on these aspects, it’s civil society that must focus on showcasing the past. And one must remember that the past is not to be shown for revenge but to show clarity and undo a few historical blunders that set us behind centuries. It may sound clichéd to some but if the declining West can shape themselves from their historical interests then so can we. If the Chinese can shape themselves from their history then I believe we can as well. There is no shame to stare at and study the truth. Truth has the ability to set us free and make us prepare for the future. Therefore it is my luck that I came across certain organisations that are planning to academically approach this part with absolute honesty.
When I heard that a prominent group of Kashmiri Pandit activists were formulating a plan to start a system of lectures around theories of Genocide, I immediately asked my mentor VVithal Chowdhray to get me access to the classes. Thus started a session every week towards the weekend for 6 months, where under the guidance of Senior Advocate Titoo Ganjoo and Dr Dileep Koul, the theories of genocidal events with Professor Raphael Lemkin’s description as the European viewpoint of a community’s genocide through a number of steps, each being heavy as anything both theoretical and emotionally as examples around the Jewish genocide came up.
But what made me show interest was the realities and pragmatism shown by Dileep sir to address the elephant in the room, i.e the Genocide of Hindus for centuries that never get addressed but is put under the table of political and geopolitical events of history. The fact that even today Hindus in many regions of the subcontinent and outside are subjected to Genocide even today and has yet to be paid attention to is the major reason why people must attend this session. Kashmiri Hindus have been facing waves of genocide for centuries but it was never highlighted or shown to the world until recently. The community has obviously maintained oral tales and a few accounts but until recently, it never came out optically with support collectively. And in this, it’s the efforts taken by Dileep sir to highlight how necessary it is to read your atrocities and prepare yourself for the future that is unpredictable and dangerous if we never understand ourselves.
Jonaraja was a chronicler during the times of Sikandar Bhustikan. His account is been translated by Dileep sir as I write and I sincerely hope I will read and show the world the realities that have never been exposed to the Hindu community as a whole. I believe that if the West has the Jewish or Christian genocide to highlight, with success in lobbying in international organizations, there is a need for us to do the same. Jonaraja was one of the first people to ever chronicle an actual Genocide step by step. The term ‘Jaati Vidhvansh‘ was important for us to understand as it highlights the forceful removal of Jaatis or communities from their roots. Jonaraja not only made the importance of genocide evident for future generations but also explained it step by step centuries before Professor Lemkin did. Hence, given the due importance of the man, the institute is named after him. The tribute is important given the need to make sure our writers and scriptures are highlighted properly with important information as well as care.
This project doesn’t only focus on the importance of our writers or our history but it also reminds us of an important reality we all must confess and recognise.
- The reality of how certain lobbies today differentiate between genocides of communities
- The reality of how criminal the world organizations have been being to not see or judge the Hindu genocide that has happened for centuries
- The mere fact that calls for being emotional and appreciative of genocides equally goes for a toss when people refuse to recognise Hindu genocide throughout the years
It is a sad fact that many Hindus have fallen prey to this jargon as well. Whether they understand or read history or not, acceptance is going to take time. Indians in general were under colonization for a long and yet we only seem to remember the 200 years of the British. Some only remember the Invasions and some don’t even wish to call out both!! Such is the monumental situation that the Jonaraja institute of Genocide studies wishes to address. It does not wish to be a lobby, it certainly does not wish to lie but to show the truth that ultimately matters. The real truth, ugly and gore as it is, is in your face.
For example, if you ask about the Christian Inquisition in Europe which not only targeted Jews in the 15th century but some Christians from the Protestant sect as well, everyone in the West will remember it. But do they ever pay attention to its activities in Goa? The fact that the Portuguese Christian Inquisition lasted beyond Britain’s colonial rule? The extent of damage done? Temples lost? Hindus and others who refused their will, slaughtered in thousands?
The answer is no. And why?
Because it is too damn easy to ignore Hindu lives for others.
Let’s take another example.
One of Dileep Sir’s lectures introduced me to the concept of the ‘hedonistic scale’ a method to decipher the extent of likeness and the opposite of it for test subjects. It further fascinated me for future reading but the lecture continued on the path of history of a figure known as ‘Suhubhatt’ who was a Kashmiri Pandit and after converting to Islam, showed extreme zeal in killing and persecuting his own community members as dictated by the king. Such was the kind of story that made me wonder what scale of reading made him do this. Was it power? Was it an inherent hatred for his own people that made him do it? Was it something similar to what Victor Frankl has described in his works around the concentration camps where certain Jewish guards tortured their own people with the same zeal?
Such is the importance of this information that it educates us, wakes us up and makes us realise that it’s not as dualistic or objective as we claim to seek. Academia has often pushed to ignore this element everywhere.
Genocide and atrocities against Hindus have been afoot in multiple nations today. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Fiji, West Indies, Myanmar, Indonesia etc. But there has been little to no attention given simply because the world did not find any use and considered it ‘normal’ or as a historical change. Such is the reality that only due attention to them has started after social media became a popular destination for alternative media and for multiple pages by those who wished to show the truth decided to show it to you. Pages like Yugantar Goa, Hindugenocide.com, Hindus of Bangladesh, Youth for Panun Kashmir and many others decided to work and I can say this is nothing but sheer determination and will that requires a clap and a voice in support in all possible ways. At least a start is there. Somewhere!
This is still nascent in nature. If the atrocities of Hindus have to be highlighted, it must be done with the timing and strategy of political and social awareness and without any hesitation. Thankfully projects and institutions like the Jonaraja Institute of Atrocities and genocide studies continue their work and will do so. My time with them hasn’t ended. It has started and it will continue to grow in multiple folds. India under the current leadership seems to be making relevant noises and it is with these changing times we should keep a good view of our efforts and continuous movement to fulfil our goals around it. There is no personal glory or joy in this but service, service to our ancestors, Gods, culture and roots. This is the epitome of one’s karma and the Dharma, he or she must follow.
One can follow Yugaantar Goa on Instagram as well as Jonaraja Institute of Genocide studies on Facebook.
(Anhad Jakhmola is a postgraduate scholar in international relations. He has his undergraduate degree in history and is pursuing his PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies. He is a columnist for many portals and is a keen public speaker in debates and discussions. Views expressed are author’s own)
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