http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/UttarPradesh/Vrindavan-widows-to-celebrate-Holi-at-last/Article1-1030211.aspx#disqus_Comments
From: indiaresists-request@lists.riseup.net [mailto:indiaresists-request@lists.riseup.net] On Behalf Of Sarbajit Roy
Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2013 1:12 PM
To: indiaresists@lists.riseup.net
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] Definition of "Hindu"
Dear Vijay
Do I know Satyarth Prakash ? Heh heh Heh. .. I'm sorry. Let me explain how this (Arya Samaj) all started.
From 1840's onwards there was a deep cooperation between 2 Hindu Nationalist organisations of British India - there was no RSS or Hindu Mahasabha in those days. - the Prarthana Sabha of Bombay Presidency (which was then a secret society of revolutionaries which included Muslims also) and the Tattwabodhi Sabha of Bengal (Pt.Ishwar Chandra Vidysagar etc) . It was almost exclusively a Brahmin affair although there were some notable exceptions doing things like caste-repeal, widow remarriage etc. These organisations later became the Brahmo Samaj and the Prarthana Samaj publicly but retained all their "fighting ability".
In 1860's a noble pundit from Gujarat with same ideas against caste and other evil practices of a degenerate Hinduism (the Hindu religion was really in a rotten state then because of all the evils of the priestly class) came into contact with Prarthana Samaj and was advised to go to Calcutta to meet the leading Brahmos and read copies of the authentic Vedas (most of the Vedas in the market are corrupted or forgeries by Westerners and unscrupulous Pandits but that is another story) in possession of the Adi Brahmo Samaj Since.Prathana Samajists were exclusively Maharastrian, in 1861 the Prarthana Samaj opened the very first Arya Samaj for Swami Dayanand to preach to Gujaratis, (also then in Bombay State) at Bombay. In 1872 Swami Dayanand came to Calcutta and was adopted by Adi Brahmo Samaj as their guest for about 10 months. It was decided that he would carry the flame of Vedas into the wild and then uncivilised parts of Punjab and NW India. Pandit Navin Chandra Roy (my grandfather's grandfather) the famous Sanskrit scholar and proponent of Hindi language in Punjab (which policy irritates the Sikh Sabha even today) had already opened the Brahmo Samaj in Lahore in 1863 for people from Bengal, so they jointly opened the 2nd Arya Samaj in Lahore in 1876. Since the people of Punjab were not as well versed in Hinduism in those days and deficient in performance of rituals (this is stated as a historical fact and not as my opini0n to create any dispute) compared to Bengal, UP and Bombay, the Adi Dharma of Brahmo Samaj could not be applied directly because it was too "high-fundoo". So the Arya Samaj and Brahmo Samaj mutually and in very friendly cooperative manner did a "split" -
Brahmos said "Forward from the Vedas" (which books the Brahmos maintain have got corrupted over time) and Aryas saying "Back to the Vedas (as source of all that is good in India)".
Since the aim of the Arya movement then was to reconvert the mainly lower (depressed) castes back to Hindu Vedic Dharma from Christianity, Islam and Sikhism, it was nececssary to write a practical book/manual to explain to the simple people in simple terms the essentials of the Arya religion (and why it was superior to existing Hinduism) and the differences of Aryaism to other the religions. These were considerably translated from secret Bengali writings of Ram Mohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasar who were both masters par excellence of comparative religion. I am very proud to say that Satyarth Prakash was written for the most part by my ancestor along with Swami Dayananda but had to be shown as it was dictated to Swamiji's secretary (my ancestor was senior public servant then) .
The Arya Samaj and to a lesser extent Brahmo Samaj reconverted back so many persons and brought them back into dogma of what is known as Adi-Dharm religion (which also overlaps with Ad-Dharm caste insofar as the Sikh and other Punjab based reconverts are concerned).
So yes, I know the book, and I know it very very well, even if I don't apply it or use it for myself.
You may also be pleased to know that because of the Brahmo Samaj judgment of 1903, the Arya Samji was held to be a religious minority by the Supreme Court.
You may also be pleased to know that it is said most Nehru-Gandhi parivar ever since Indira's marriage to Feroze, are Ad-Dharmi converts of Arya Samaj and get married under the old Arya Samaj law of 1939 which allows them to get married as Hindus and immediately reconvert back to whatever religion they were before they got married.
Sarbajit
On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 11:03 AM, Anita Vijay Mehta <vmehtaudctbby@hotmail.com> wrote:
Dear Sarbajit,
Have you come across "Satyarth Prakash" by Dayand Saraswaty?
I suggest you go through it to better understand Hindu, Brahmin, Brahm Samaj etc. ... and do come back with your valuable insights.
Vijay Mehta.
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 2013 05:55:10 +0530
From: sroy.mb@gmail.com
To: indiaresists@lists.riseup.net
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] Definition of "Hindu"
Dear Mr. Raman
I agree that practice of religion is a personal affair which should not intrude into public space.
However, some persons repeatedly bring religion into the public space to vitiate the discussion and divert the movement.
The Citation of the Judgment as upheld in Appeal in 1903 in the Privy Council is "Rani Bhagwan Koer & Anr versus J.C.Bose & Ors." 30 Cal 11, 31 ILR IA 249
Rani Bhagwan Koer was one of the widows of the famous Sardar Dayal Singh (a Sikh "Brahmin" who was also a founder and trustee of a branch of the Brahmo Samaj) , and J.C.Bose was an Acharya of that branch of the Brahmo Samaj at Lahore in the 1880's
Sardar Dayal had left half his estrate to the Brahmo Samaj which was contested by the widow.
As this Judgment is not easy to understand and there are many half baked interpretations and even judgments with passing references , it must be read in the original and in the context of the law as existing at that time.
As I am from the Brahmo religion, it is pertinent to mention that the West Bengal Govt had claimed a particular sect of Brahmos (running 3 of Calcutta's leading colleges) were Hindus. This contention was repelled by the Calcutta High Court in the 1970's and matter reached Supreme Court and after being heard by 11 judges in the famous T.M.Pai Foundation case was finally decided in 2004 without disturbing the finding of the Calcutta High Court. At about the same time in the same TMA Pai Foundation batch matters the Ramakrishna Mission was found to be Hindu. After 6 years the West Bengal Govt woke up and has filed a Review Petition in the Brahmo matter (State of West Bengal versus Brahmo Education Society) at the instigation of the Ramakrishna Mission (which continues to insist it is not a Hindu body - and by necessary implication Swami Vivekananda is a Christian).
Sarbajit
On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 1:12 AM, J Raman <events@southasianoutlook.com> wrote:
Dear Mr Sarabjit Roy:
Your email makes interesting reading indeed.
Of course, it is absolutely a personal issue as to what religion one practices or does not.
Do you have a link to or transcript of the Legal Judgement of 1899?
If you have it, it will add more emphasis to your points in the email.
Thanks.
J Raman
From: Sarbajit Roy
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 2:37 PM
To: indiaresists
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] URGENT: Important group notice
Dear Mr. S.Kumar
I shall certainly address each and every one of your points with great pleasure if you can prove the following statement:-
"Sarabjiy Roy might be an aetheist or Communist."
Another gentleman Mr Bhagwat Goel has just called me a FUNDAMENTALIST COMMUNIST ??? on another mailing list <ha ha>
So I will save you the trouble and unprove it myself.
FYI, It is compulsory for a Communist to be an atheist, but not every atheist is a Communist. Similarly there are many atheists who are Hindus and many Hindus who are atheists. BTW, an atheist is simply a person who does not believe in existence of God.
Unluckily for both of you I am not an atheist.
I am a Theist. Kindly note the spacing between the "a" and "Theist" This means that I believe in God. In fact I am a firm and devout believer in God, so it means that I an not an atheist and therefore am also not a Communist. So the only thing which is left to prove is if I am a "Hindu" or not.
Luckily again, I am armed with a Legal Judgment of the Chief Court of the (undivided) Punjab of 1899 which is the most ancient modern judgment of India (and further upheld in final appeal in the Privy Council in 1903) on Hinduism which says as follows:-
a) That the term "Hindu" cannot be defined precisely, because Hinduism is a religion of wide elasticity and catholicism to the extent that one can eat beef, kill cows, have 10 wives simultaneously, drink, smoke, not go to temple, be married to a Christian foreigner etc and still be a Hindu. (please note this remarkably liberal judgment was given in 1899)
b) That Sikhs are Hindus and nothing but Hindus no matter how much they deny it.
c) That my religionists "may" or "may not be" Hindus at their discretion. What this judgment means is that if Sarbajit Roy (or my co-religionists) states formally he is a Hindu then everyone else is NOT a Hindu for him. In fact the entire Unform Civil Code which BJP is demanding for past 40 years is only for Sarbajit Roy and his co-religionists and not because of any Shah Bano or Kashmiri Pandits. If we (who reject temples and priests and babas and swamis ..) are Hindus then all their temple trusts revert to the State irrevocably and finally and cause massive problems in Sanatan Dharam.
And Sir, because Dr. Kumar 2786 mentions you are a walking encyclopedia (like me) let me also clarify that even though this is a 1900's judgement it is used even today as the lead judgment to settle in SC who is a Hindu and who is not a Hindu in law. For example the Ramakrishna Mission judgement was based almost fully on this judgment.
Now it is my turn to ask you (because for all I know you may be Chinese) to answer only 2 small questions.
A) Are YOU a Hindu ?
B) If so, what is the name of your God ?
I have no difficulty in answering these 2 questions in 1 word each.
Sarbajit
On Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 7:52 PM, S kumar <kumar_8134@yahoo.com> wrote:
Why should you interfere in the administration and conduct of Hindu Temples only in the Country? Sarabjit Roy has a totally biassed negative opinion about Hindu-s when he says he sees only one temple in his region and religion that too abandoned and in ruins. Do you consider the thousands of temples all over the Country mismanaged and in ruins?
What don't you look all over the Country? Kerala State has Sabarimala Temple having over 200Cr. income per annum, followed by Guruvayur and the State controlled Religious body controls an annual income of over Rs.1500 Cr. which is administered by the Govt. The same happens in Tamilnadu and Andhra esp. Tirupathi Temple the income of which is the highest in India and has been looted by the former CM Samuel Reddy and used for Christian and Muslim purposes. Building and landed properties belonging to the temple were sold off by the Christisn CM, who used to carry sackfuls of currency whenever he visited Sonia Gandhi at Delhi, discontinuation of which cost his son the coveted position and harassment by ED, CBI and CBDT.
Over Rs.50,000Cr. worth of Gold ornaments, crows..etc. donated by King Krishnadevaraya, has been found missing and nobody has taken the inventory in Tirpuathi for several years!!
In Karnataka, CM Krishna openly declared in Assembly that Hindu temple incomes were mostly spent for building Churches and Mosques as well as run Madrassa-s in his State!!
Religion is not the monopoly of aetheistic Communists in WB or Kerala or other States!! While the State Religious board officials are paid Govt. pay scales from temple incomes, the priests and other cadres doing daily chores of Pooja..etc. from 3AM to 11 PM are not given even 50% of the amount paid to Board employees.
In case of the make shift temple at Ayodhya too, the income in Hundi-s are taken away by the Admninistraion- DC and expenses to conduct pooja-s are not even met from these collections, leave alone the salary of the employees.
Why should the Govt. control the Hindu Temples only? What about the millions of $ received by Missionaries every year besides the Saudi/ Iran funding millions for Moques and Dargahs?
Don't Hindu-s have the fundamental rights to observe their faith in temples and manage its affairs?
Sarabjiy Roy might be an aetheist or Communist. But he has no business to denigrate Hindu Trusts running temples. At best Govt. could appoint an executive officer as a trustee to monitor its working and Govt. has no business to take the temple incomes and spend it for Haj travel subsidies or building Churches
From: Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com>
To: indiaresists@lists.riseup.net
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2013 6:19 PM
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] URGENT: Important group notice
Sir
I can say that because I know for a fact that it is not necessary to have temples to have a great religion. I can say this because my own religion had only 1 major "temple" which is abandoned and in ruins, and every time the State Govt approaches us to take it over for them to "renew" as a National monument or give us grants we shoo them away.
Only the mismanaged temples, whose ill-gotten gains acquired over decades of corruption, which trustees had fought and squabbled over, were taken over by the State. It is the foolishness, greed, ego and inter-fighting of Hindus which allowed this to come about - in other words, it is only POLITICS (not religion). See what is happening in the Sikh Gurudwaras which shall also come to the same pass if their squabbling and bickering continues.
Take another example - Lord Rama Janambhoomi Temple at Ayodhya. Who is fooling who ? Where is all the money collected from all over India and abroad over so many decades going ? Who benefits by the Temple not being built, not only in notes but also in votes ?
Sarbajit
On Fri, Mar 22, 2013 at 5:50 PM, Gaur J K <gaurjk@hotmail.com> wrote:
Dear Mr. Roy,
How can you say these are political and not religious issues. Hindu temples and matts are under the control of trusts and the trustees are appointed by the Govt. Donations(offerings) by common people to the deities are not used for propogation of religion but all kinds of non-religious activities. Can you say the same thing for Wakaf and church donations and charities.
Every other day we see media reports describing wealth of Hindu temples. I have not seen report about donations -domestic and foreign-received by other religious institutions.
2. The Govt. is sympthetic to hear the exceasses of upper cast in the distant past on backward classes.
But can you say anything about excesses of the British and Muslim rulers. You are immediately branded as communal.
regds JK
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:25:58 +0530
From: sroy.mb@gmail.com
To: indiaresists@lists.riseup.net
Subject: Re: [IAC#RG] URGENT: Important group noticeDear ShriRam
I hope we can agree that common Hindus, common Muslims, common Indians etc are ORDINARILY least concerned about religion beyond their simple worship and daily devotions.
However, there are the vested interests in all religions, not necessarily only Brahmins and Sayyids etc. which want to communalise issues for their own gain and agitate, inflame and arouse the ordinary people. It is happening in all states of India, whether ruled by Congress or BJP or Communists (actually now there is hardly any Communist ruled State left since hard-core Leftists have essentially turned to extremism) or anyone else.
The need of the hour is a UNIFYING force. which transcends Religion, Caste and Regionalism. That will only come I fear when we must all face a common enemy so powerful which will cause us to set all our petty differences aside before it is too late.
Let me also say some very unpalatable things for Hindus so that we can all move forward from our standard defensive positions to actually solve the problems together.
A) Muslims ARE treated as 2nd class citizens in India, (and as 3rd class citizens in Gujarat).
B) Caste Hindus are terrified by upsurge of empowered dalits and other depressed caste and tribal demographics which is scaring the shit out of them.
C) Hindus are no longer monolithic and are fragmented between Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and so many other splinter groups who no longer identify themselves primarily as Hindus.
D) "Hindus" are desperately trying to keep their flock together by similar scare tactics and false propaganda to project that Hindus are discriminated against. These are all POLITICAL and not religious issues.
E) All parties are openly collaborating with Naxals and Maoists for electoral reasons, but this totally demoralizes the enforcement agencies at the local level. Or Political parties should openly state that Naxals will be accommodated in mainstream politics without their laying down arms (Nepal example is in front of everybody)
F) 2014 (or sooner) national elections will be one of the most bitter and divisive elections fought yet. However, Bharat Bhagya Bhidata has always come to India's aid in some strange and mysterious manner and we all fervently must pray that the Great Being who rules our destiny will not fail his humble servants who sit at his feet to serve him.
Sarbajit
On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 6:23 PM, <ssr.singh@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Sir,
Views expressed here are balanced. However, in one of your mails your comments vis-a-vis Mr Ksheersagar's letter in response to Ms Zaidi's letter, you have tried to brush aside the answer to the question related to demand of Shariayat as someone's personal/Internal matter.
I have no issue with your viewpoint but many a times you do seem to support Ms Zaidi, Seema Mustafa and many of their ilk beyond required limits and hence I wrote to you.
I respect anyone's view if it is rational and based on healthy logic.
Regards.
SR
Regards,
SR
-----Original Message-----
From: Sarbajit Roy <sroy.mb@gmail.com>
Sender: indiaresists-request@lists.riseup.netDate: Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:03:46
To: indiaresists<indiaresists@lists.riseup.net>
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