India Today

Being Hindu in a Hindu Rashtra

On the face of it, being Hindu in a 'Hindu rashtra' might sound good to Hindu ears. You might think you are in a rashtra (nation) that is in sync with your faith, values and way of life. However, closer examination and some reflection on the nature of Hinduism as it is lived by hundreds of millions of Hindus will present a very different picture. To put it bluntly, for the sahaj Hindu, being Hindu in a Hindu rashtra is more likely going to be a nightmare. Etymologically, the word sahaj means something one is 'born with'.

In usage, it connotes something done 'with ease', which is to say unburdened by diffidence or false pride, self-deprecation or arrogance. Hinduism, as it has grown organically over the centuries, is not a doctrinaire system. For sahaj Hindus, their faith and world view flow from epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata-in their myriad

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