Saturday: 30th March 2024 at 5:39 PM
Book Sanatan Dharma: Itna Saral Nahin by Arun Maheshwari
From Chhattisgarh: 30th March 2024: (Sanjay Prate//Punjab Screen Desk)::
Recently, Sangh-BJP, raising the flag of Hindutva, have quietly tried to replace Hindu Dharm with Sanatan Dharma and are calling Sanatan Dharma synonymous with Hindu Dharm. Arun Maheshwari has done the work of spoiling this miracle of Sangh and BJP. In this sense, this booklet is very useful for social-cultural-political workers.
Swami Karpatri Maharaj was a staunch leader and scholar of Hindu religion, who has written extensively on subjects related to Vedas, philosophy, religion and politics. He was a staunch Hindu, a follower of Sanatani Dharma, and was definitely anti-Marxism. He wrote a book "Marxism and Ramrajya." In response to this, Rahul Sankrityayan had written a small booklet "Ramrajya and Marxism", in which he demolished Karpatriji's philosophical and political arguments. But this does not detract from Karpatriji's scholarship.
In the year 1940, he had established a 'Dharma Sangh' - whose objective was to establish Sanatan Dharma ; Whereas RSS was established in the year 1925 itself, which wanted to run the country on the basis of Hindu Dharm and Nazism. It is clear that Karpatri Maharaj's Sanatani religion had nothing to do with the Hindu religion of RSS. In the year 1948, he formed 'Ramrajya Parishad', while after this RSS formed Jan Sangh in 1951. This step of RSS also shows that at that time its Hindu religion had no connection with Sanatan. Karpatriji had also started the cow protection movement in 1966, although this issue was not even on the agenda of RSS. What could be a bigger proof of Karpatriji's opposition to RSS than the fact that he wrote a book named 'Rashtriya Sevak Sangh and Hindu Dharma', in which he mentioned Sangh's most revered Guru Golwalkar's 'Vichar Navneet' and 'Hum Ya Hamara Rashtriyatva'. Philosophically refuted the concepts related to Hinduism and declared RSS as an anti-Hindu organization. In his view, the entire conduct of the Sangh was full of fraud and deceit and in such a situation they could not be expected to protect the Hindu religion. This is the reason why after a few years of his early life he left the path of cooperation with the Sangh.
In his booklet, Arun Maheshwari has placed Karpatri Maharaj against Golwalkar's ideology. Today, when the slogan "Bhagwadhari Aaye Hain" has become a favorite slogan of the Sangh-BJP, Maheshwari explains how Karpatriji had philosophically challenged the Sangh's notion of the superiority of the saffron flag and its being a symbol of nationalism. He quotes Karpatri ji -- "In the battle of (Maha) Bhatat the chariot flags of Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Bhima and Arjuna were different. Arjuna is famous as the monkey flag (Kapi-dhwaj) Hence, it is wrong to say that all our ancestors used saffron flag. It cannot be said that you believe in the flag itself. ... (Therefore) your adoption of the saffron flag cannot be called universal and universally accepted." It is noteworthy that while propagating the superiority of the saffron flag, the Sangh-BJP have instigated communal tension and riots at many places in the name of flag dispute in Chhattisgarh. This year, on Republic Day, such an atmosphere was created that the national flag 'tricolor' was replaced by saffron.
Karpatriji also proves with the help of scriptures that a Sanatani Hindu will essentially be Varnashrami and being communal is not a bad quality, but is the main quality of being a Hindu. The Hindutva politics of RSS-BJP wants to avoid both these allegations. In the same sequence, he has also classically refuted the concept of RSS regarding 'nationality' that only people with same religion, same language, same culture, same caste and same history can be called 'one nation' and if Muslims and Christians etc. join Hindu religion, they can also become 'national'. According to the Sanatani views of Karpatri ji, this thinking of the Sangh stems from anti-Muslim sentiments and following Hitler's extreme nationalism. He believes that the concept of Sanatan is basically based on the eternity and immortality of the Vedas, which Golvarkar does not believe. Thus, with his scripture-based arguments, Karpatri Maharaj proves RSS to be not only anti-Hindu but also anti-Sanatan Dharma.
Golwalkar and any other Sanghi theorist have not responded to Karpatri ji's allegations till date, because they do not have the modern scientific vision to refute Karpatri's religion-based views, like Rahul Sankrityayan had. Arun Maheshwari's comment is - "Today, in this Modi era, the RSS itself has raised the flag of Sanatan Dharma and has bowed down and completely accepted all the allegations of the then Karpatri." Those who were accused of destroying Sanatan Dharma, it is a reversal of history that their own descendants are today raising the flag of Sanatan Dharma and accusing the opposition alliance 'India' of wanting to destroy Sanatan from India. This is exactly the same as the organization that used to lick the soles of the British is today calling itself patriots and the opposition as anti-nationals. Calling Hindu Dharm as Sanatan Dharma is like the election promises of 2014 which later turned into 'jumlas' for the entire Sanghi gang and today again they are being presented as 'Modi Guarantee'. It is clear that Sangh-BJP neither have anything to do with Hindu religion nor anything to do with Sanatan Dharma. When religion is made a political weapon for power, then such acrobatics will have to be done.
It can be hoped that this booklet will prove to be an eye opener for thoughtful 'Bhakta' ('devotees') also.
*(The commentator is a left activist and Vice President of CGKS, affiliated to All India Kisan Sabha. Contact: 94242-31650)*_
Book: Sanatan Dharma: Itna Saral Nahin (Hindi)
Author: Arun Maheshwari (M : 98310-97219)
Publication: Surya Prakashan Mandir, Bikaner
Price: Rs 200 (seed:::553591591)
