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HARD AS CONCRETE? The main culprit in the ascendancy of the BJP would seem to be H D Deve Gowda's 'concrete' mindset FILE PIC |
Perhaps the most 'concrete' example of such a mind is our former humble leader Shri H D Deve Gowda. His mind is extremely mixed about secularism and he even named his party the Janata Dal-S (S for secularism). But he did not have any qualm in teaming up with the saffron brigade to form a government, as long as his son Kumaraswamy was made chief minister. The rest of his flip flops are too well known to bear repetition.
His ambition is permanently set on one thing a family dynasty like the Karunanidhis, the Thackerays and mainly the Nehru-Gandhis. He prefers to prefix his name with the salutation 'former Prime Minster of India'.
The main culprit in the ascendancy of the BJP would seem to be Deve Gowda's 'concrete' mindset; his refusal to hand over the committed CM seat sharing on the appointed day.
And, of course, Shri Yeddiyurappa came to power with an (almost) majority (with the help of a few floating fishy independents) helped by the sympathy factor.
Who can deny the fruits of people with minds which are permanently set on power and pelf, though totally mixed about their 'convictions'! Jammu v/s Kashmir, attacks on churches in Orissa. And the immediate attacks on churches in Karnataka. Starting with Mangalore, which is one of the most religiously harmonious cities in the state.
But before we go on let me state, without ambiguity, that Christianity is not one religion, or one way of life, any more that Hinduism or Islam. There are Protestants. Catholics, Church of South India, Pentecostals and so on.
And whichever of these sects is responsible for the circulating of derogatory literature about Hindu Gods and Hindu legends belongs to the 'concrete'mindset brigade. It shows their narrow minds, it's none of their business and can serve no purpose. On the other hand there is no call for the Bajrang Dal to vandalise churches, than there would have been for Christian to attack cinema halls which screen The Da Vinci Code.
If you study the religious evolution of Karnataka it is influenced by the mountain and forest ambience in which they lived. So there was animistic worship, bhuta and naga rituals and so on. In course of time it became the home to a very erudite school of Brahminism started by Sri Madhvacharya and Sri Ramanujacharya whose influence got the Hoysala kings to convert (yes, convert!) to Jainism.
If you find this treatise on religious history getting a bit tedious and confusing, then bear that and mind.
Religion is a complex mix of mainstreams and tributaries; not to be solved by stone throwing, statue desecration and mindless hatred.
It is a mixture of races and religions starting with the Bunts, the Arab traders, Byaris; and migrants from the north many of whom had converted to Catholicism while passing through Portuguese Goa. Protestantism came with the Basel mission of Germany. Rev Kittel made the first Kannada dictionary. Mind it.
