Let’s Cherish Tolerance, Our Greatest Virtue: A Plea On New Year’s Eve

One of the hallmarks of Hinduism is that we are an exceptionally tolerant people. We deeply believe in the karma theory which makes us conclusively holistic in our approach; no wonder we have survived and thrived over many centuries, one among the longest surviving civilizations in the world.

Look at other native civilizations who have lost their originality consequent to foreign rule and oppression. The Greek thought has lost its originality, having merged into Christian beliefs. The tribal cultures of Africa are now a queer blend of Christianity and Islam. In South America, the decline of the great Mayan culture has been nothing short of an epic tragedy, courtesy mass-level forced conversions to Christianity, ditto for the aboriginal natives of North America. In Scandinavia, the Sami people are struggling to preserve their local traditions, which are fast fading under the Christian influence.

Umpteen number of people across the globe have been threatened with persecution and death before their forced conversion to Islam or Christianity. Given the unchecked brutality at play in the name of religion, the delicate fabric of native faiths and beliefs has been demolished beyond repair in many countries.

Going by the conquests it has endured over centuries, India could have easily become an Islamic or Christian nation, but we have retained our identity as a Hindu nation. Judaism is another religion that has survived the test of time.

We should be immensely proud of the fact that Hindus have never resorted to forced conversions in any of their conquests at any point in time. Stepping into the year 2024, we should cherish this great Indian heritage with a defining sense of joy and fulfilment.

We should continue to respect other faiths and religions like we have always done since time immemorial. More importantly, we should not fall prey to fake news and false propaganda that talks of a depleting Hindu majority and exaggerates the forced conversions to Islam and Christianity.

We are and will remain a Hindu nation but as a majority, we should be magnanimous in our approach and respect other faiths and religions. Above all, we should protect minority interests unconditionally. We should not dwell on the fact that many among those were Hindus who were forcibly converted to Islam and Christianity in the past.

Let bygones be bygones,

Let’s move on as one nation that seamlessly integrates and respects many religions,

Let’s build a stronger India, Democratic and Secular in the truest sense of the word!