Prof. Satish Sharma’s interview with Sanjay Dixit on the deeply disturbing phenomenon of “Rising Hindu Hate” is an extremely informative discussion on the history of anti-Hinduism as well as on some recent highly visible incidents of this hatred.
Prof. Sharma brings the lessons from his lifetime study of Hindu hatred, including its genesis in Colonialism, which he identifies as a mission to conquer, enslave, and control. The discussion explains how the trope of Caste was invented by the colonial power in order to divide and rule Hindus. He also discusses how the English language is designed to make new speakers feel inferior by, for instance, having the same word be pronounced in different ways. Thus, even before a discussion has started, those such as Shashi Tharoor, who can speak flowery English with a British accent, already are at an advantage compared to others who don’t have the flowery language or the accent. This is very different from Indian languages, which are designed for dialogue, debate, and enlightenment. The colonial mindset, arising from the mindset of Abrahamic religions, is to divide the world into us versus “others” who need to be conquered, enslaved, and controlled, a culture of Intolerance. Eastern thinking, on the other hand, is of us and “another” (not “other”), thinking based on acceptance and inclusiveness. Prof. Sharma and Sanjay Dixit apply these concepts to recent anti-Hindu incidents, such as the case of Rashmi Sawant, who was elected President of the Oxford Student Union but hounded into resigning, and to the case of Audrey Truschke, the virulent anti-Hindu faculty member at Rutgers University who glorifies and defends those who have killed tens of thousands of Hindus. An excellent discussion worth listening!
