ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE URGED TO UPHOLD SECULARISM

OPEN LETTER: 

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE URGED TO UPHOLD SECULARISM

On the eve of the National Executive of SAMATA PARTY in which as associate party DRAVIDA PERAVAI participates, we place before you an open appeal to uphold the secular character of our Indian constitution. With regard to your call on a national debate on conversions, we state that a democratic society is bound to discuss everything under the SUN. Our party always welcomes such open discussion. But we cannot accept your suggestion to curtail the scope of discussions only with regard to conversions. Our Dravidian movement wants to discuss threadbare all the tools of religious propaganda particularly the mythologies, Vedas and religious texts. We have debated in South for nearly 70 years. Let a national debate begin on every text of every religion and whatever part is found irrational and unscientific be deleted.

We cannot even now say THAT WORLD IS FLAT AND OUR SOCIETY NEED NOT INDULGE IN DOUBLESPEAK. The word religion derived from Latin word religare means bundle of beliefs. Time to examine all such beliefs in the light of science had come. In this context our party places before you certain points for consideration. Practice tolerance towards all faiths and try to redeem people from poverty first and superstition next, launching a massive education drive, we urge. This is the beginning of the national debate which you, your government and the Hinduvta School has forced us to initiate.

Humanity is one and indivisible. If you look at the roots of various religions you can arrive at similarities. A study of Rome reveals that clan religion and the cult of the family guardian spirits survived too long a period. Souls of the dead were the guardians of family and clan, Romans nursed a belief."Dii manes" is the spirit of the dead that gained Godhood. "Penates" a word derived from "penus" which means provisions or food supplies became the name for household guardian spirits. From the word"lar" which meant guardian spirit evolved "lares familiares", which was the family guardian spirit. The guardian spirit of the roads was called"lares viales", for cross roads"lares compitales". Spirits of seafaring were known as"lares permarini"... Military spirits were "lares militares". In Hinduism also Atalji, you can find similarities. From clans only, countries grew and empires evolved. It is but natural that clan gods existed in every religion. And the similarities must make Hinduvta School rethink their inflated claims...

The family clan cult among the Romans was related to archaic fire worship. The fire cult took on a national form with the evolution of the Roman community out of clan associations.” The eternal flame in the communal sanctuary was personified in the form of GODDESS VESTA, who was analogous to the Greek Hestia. In both cases the personification of fire in female form could be regarded as a survival of matriarchal society. The Aryans being products of patriarchal societies might have male gods of fire and beyond that there is no logic in fomenting hatred between various religions.Agni. The fire god is invoked in many family rituals. Tamil Saint Maraimalai adigalar believes that the fire producing instrument "thee kadai koal" is what is being sculptured as Sivalingam.

The Romans did crucify people on crosses but these were in the form of letter "T"... The cross as a religious symbol existed in almost every country, Ancient China, Ancient India, Africa and America. Even among Australians the totemic vanniga is sometimes made in the form of large cross. Various hypotheses exist about the original religious significance of the cross. Some maintain that it is a symbol of fire perhaps at first wooden steel formerly used for kindling fire. Others claim that it was a solar sign or symbol of fertility. The various interpretations of the swastika (also a form of cross) are just as numerous. Among North American Indians the symbol of four corners of the world is also related to the worship of four elements. Atalji, an impartial inquiry is the need of the hour. A secular country like India must take the lead. We, Tamils who have read Maraimalai adigalar see the similarity between a CROSS and SHIVALINGA. If cross is an instrument to kindle fire Maraimalai Adigal states Shivalinga is also a symbol of the instrument to lit fire. SUCH BEING THE CASE WHY SHOULD HATRED BE FOMENTED BETWEEN SO CALLED HINDUS AND SO CALLED CHRISTIANS AS BOTH ARE PART AND PARCEL OF MANKIND.

After Jerusalem fell to Babylonia in B.C 586, Babylonian influence was responsible in mythological winged bulls known as cherubs sneaking into BIBLE. Well ATALJI, bulls and bull gods are not the exclusive possession of the Hindu pantheon, would you enlighten your Hinduvta School. A BABYLONIAN MYTH SPEAKS ABOUT ADAPA, THE FIRST MAN WHO NOT ONLY RESEMBLES BIBLICAL ADAM, BUT ALSO OUR TAMIL SAINT THIRUVALLUVAR'S ADI.

The Umbrian sabellic documents about tribal migration after Etruscan invasions claim that the migration of one tribe was led by a BULL. And in the new homeland he founded BOUVINIAM, city of Bull.Atalji, from such totemic beliefs the Hindu pantheon of Gods must have invented NANDHI, the bull god or vice versa.

Romans believed in the underground kingdom ruled by Orcus. Souls of the dead would reach there, they thought. This is more or less Naragam where the sinners in Hinduism went. The Sorgam, the land of the blissful in Hinduism is known among Romans as Elysium...

Agricultural beliefs and rites played a prominent role in Roman religion. This is evidenced by the fact that many of the most important deities in Roman pantheon which subsequently took on diverse functions had originally been related to agricultural and pastoral cults. For instance MARS, regarded in the classical period as God of War, had originally been the patron deity of agriculture and pastoralism, the God of Spring and fertilisation.The first month of spring, March was devoted to Mars and festivities in his honour.

Faunus was the guardian of livestock, the god of shepherds. At the end of winter on February 17a jolly orgiastic holiday, Lupercalia,was held in his honour.The goddess VENUS, who later became identical to Greek Aphrodite and was the god of love and beauty, had originally been the goddess of horticulture and viticulture. The god of wine making was Liber,a purely plebian diety.Saturnus,the god of sowing, was related to agriculture, in his honour people held saturnalia festivities in December before first sowing.Cereres, the guardian of grains, was also related to agriculture. In every religion the evolution of godhood provides lot of interesting similarities.

If we have a look at the religion of Mesopotamia, we find the influence of astronomy and subsequent astralisation of gods. The god Utu of Larsa relates to Sun. Throughout the country Sun worshippers called it by name Shamash. Moon was worshipped as god Ura-sin. Other gods were identified with planets.Nabhu with Mercury, Ishtar with Venus, Nergal with Mars, Marduk with Jupiter, and Ninruta with Saturn. Incidentally, the Greeks borrowed from the Babylonians this custom of naming planets after the gods. Romans took it from Greece and Roman i.e. Latin names of the gods are still the names of planets today. The months of the year were also named after the gods. This astral orientation of Babylonian religion also influenced the creation of the calendar. twelve month system that was later adopted by the Europeans.

ATALJI, WE ARE ALSO USING THIS CALENDER AND SYSTEM. This SHOWS THE INTERCOURSE BETWEEN VARIOUS RELIGIONS.CIVILISATIONS HAS FOLLOWED THE GIVE AND TAKE PRINCIPLE. Mankind’s PROGRESS IS BASED OF ASSIMILATION OF VARIOUS SOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE.THE PANTHEON OF GODS HAVE FADED FROM PUBLIC MEMORY.THEIR ORIGINS HAVE LOST RELEVENCE. ATALJI IT IS BUT NATURAL THAT THE HINDU PANTHEON OG GODS, WHO LIKE THEIR BABYLONIAN COUNTERPARTS, WILL FADE FROM PUBLIC MEMORY.

These are milestones in the evolution of culture and civilization, which we have yet to overcome. Future may offer us new discoveries, insights, knowledge for which we should have an open mind to receive. Instead of Dollar, Euro occupies center stage in Europe. The currencies of Rome and other empires have no usage today. Same applies to pantheon of gods. What matters is the essence of all religions which aims to unify people with love. The explosion of Hindustan hatred against religious minorities will cause greater havoc than Hiroshima-Nagasaki explosions.

Let us have a look at one episode from the most ancient epic, GILGAMESH EPIC in which the meeting between Gilgamesh with his ancestor Utnapishtim is reported. The later told Gilgamesh about the terrible floods started by gods. The flood covered the whole world and only Utnapishtim, his family and animals survived because he followed Ea's advice and built a ship. THIS MYTHOLIGICAL MOTIF and INDIVIDUAL DETAILS ARE REMNISCENT OF THE BIBLICAL FLOOD STORY THAT WAS APPARENTLY BORROWED BY THE JEWS FROM BABYLONIANS. In an impassionate manner religion and history should be studied. History should not be used as a tool to foment hatred. One race would have overthrown the rule of another race, but people of both races might have assimilated certain features of the other and such historical accidents are common in history. To say that other religion has no contribution to India is a distortion of history and facts.ATALJI, UNFORTUNATELY HINDUVTA SCHOOL FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE DIALECTICS OF CIVILISATIONS.

The Phoenician god Moloch is a devourer of human lives. Moloch is derived from the word molk, which signifies the sacrifice of children. The worshippers of these gods offered newborn babies and archaeological findings had uncovered near the altars and temples. THE FATE OF CHILD JESUS AS WELL AS KRISHNA IS INDICATIVE OF DANGERS NEWBORNS FACED IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETIES.ONE VERSION SAYS THAT JESUS CHRIST (KRIST) AND KRISHNA (CHRISTINA) ARE SAME. Vivekananda would ask. What does it matter? It is the message that is important.

BUDDHISM has been transplanted in other countries. Historically we should have a look at the techniques employed to divide Buddhism into numerous sects, ultimately to drive it out of India. The struggle around first century led to the split into two schools. The Hinayana school belongs to strict adherents of the original Buddhist concept.Hinayana means narrow path, perhaps word coined by the enemies of this school of thought. The second school known as Mahayana founded by Nagarjuna, a South Indian Brahmin, and beleived that religion without god was in accessible to the masses. Hence GAUTAMA BUDDHA, A RENOWNED PHILOSOPHER WAS ELEVATED AS GOD.ONE BUDDHA WAS DISTORTED INTO A CULT WHICH INCLUDED GODS OF THE HINDU PANTHEON.

995 BUDDHAS WERE PROMOTED.Gautama Buddha the founder of the religion was called Sakyamuni. Buddha of the coming world order is called Maitreya.The last of the 1000 Buddhas is known as Vajrapani. The wise one is Manjusri.Adibuddha became the creator of God.Amitabha, the mystical sovereign of the Paradise. A GOOD RELIGION WHICH DID NOT SUBSCRIBE TO GODHOOD BECAME A POWERFUL TOOL OF EXPLOITATION IN THE HANDS OF POWERMONGERS WHO INVENTED 1000 BUDDHAS TO DISCREDIT BUDDHIST TEACHINGS.

Confucianism is only a philosophical system which taught the moral code for individuals and state. The followers who found out like their counterparts that religion is a lucrative business made Confucius a god and in early 20 th Century China built 1500 Confucian temples. All through human history religion has emerged as a code of conduct and later demi-gods, semi-gods and pantheon of gods were invented by their followers.

In India to capture power hinduvta school is keen to exploit religion. As caste based vote banks have catapulted certain political parties to citadels of power, the followers of hinduvta are looking for greener pastures in the name of religion. Our party thinks such negative approaches will not benefit one and all in the long run.Time to redefine our modes of protest have come.

People are looking for peaceful methods of public expression.Bandhs,strikes,hartals, hunger strikes, morchas and all such agitations do not evoke public sympathy as in pre-independence period.Rioting,demolition of places of worship, spitting venom at artists and cricketers etc are seen as indications of our country sliding back to barbarianism. Hence we welcome debates on all these and let us not fritter our energies on trivial matters and forget nation building.

SUN assuming the form of a cat fought an enormous snake states an Egyptian myth. Sun, known as God Ra traveled in a wooden boat. These Egyptian myths have traveled to India. Here solar eclipse is seen as snake Raghu (see similarity with Ra) swallows the SUN. To emphasize the oneness of mankind we can draw the similarities between Egyptian and Indian myths. But in this age of science SUN being swallowed by snakes will be mocked at.

Let me quote Frederick Engel’s: Like the world which it reflects human consciousness is in a state of ceaseless development.Engels stresses the intrinsic, dialectical contradiction at the root of knowledge, which serves as the source of its endless motion. It is typical of human thinking to try for full exhaustive knowledge of the world for the absolute truth. However world develops unintermittenly and since our cognitive capacity expands unintermittenly this apprehension of the full absolute truth is in fact infinite. At each given moment man's knowledge is but relative incomplete. The absolute truth is compounded from partial relative truths; they are rungs by which man seeks to ascend to the absolute truth. And in each given relative truth there is an element of absolute truth.

So let not India is drawn into needless controversy when progress stands retarded. European communities are coming together to drive their economy to unmatchable progress. Conflicts be it for caste, religion, ethnicity and language will only spell doom for our tottering economy. From an able Prime minister people did not expect the RSS tunes and the anti-Christian. Anti-Muslim propaganda unleashed must stop. A quest for absolute truth should begin, and the Prime Minister must uphold the secular character of our INDIAN CONSTITUTION.

The very existence of superiority complex in the propaganda unleashed by Hinduvta forces is meaningless and out of tune with realities. ARINGNAR ANNA WILL OFTEN REPEAT A COUPLET FROM THITUMOOLAM."ONE GOD AND ONE CASTE” India cannot attain that goal in your tenure. Let there be peaceful coexistence of all creeds while impassionate debate can begin on Godhood.