The “Hindu Fascism” hoax: A Pretext to Take Away Hindus’ Freedom
Of late, it can be observed that the word “fascism” (or “Nazism”) is bandied about as part of a carefully thought out form of propaganda to defame and denigrate Hindus who dare to express any sort of political opinion. It appears that most of the material defaming Hindu politics originate from propagandists with Indian or Hindu names. These colonized writers propagate the hoax of “Hindu fascism” with the end goal being to demonize Hindus.
In the ideology of western liberals, an accusation of being a fascist is the modern equivalent of someone in medieval Christendom being accused of being a witch. Following this lead, the educated, colonised elites of India try to orchestrate a witch hunt against Hindus using derogatory labels for any expression of Hindu politics. While trying to dissuade Hindus from being politically or culturally active, such malicious propaganda ultimately aims to take away all rights and freedoms of Hindus.
Fascism and Hypocrisy
A booklet written by the former R.S.S. head, M. S. Golwalkar, is often cited by anti-Hindu propagandists as evidence of “Hindu fascism”. Golwalkar is denounced as a fascist based on a few lines he wrote in this booklet, which he himself repudiated later on.[1] It must be understood that many great historical personalities and the international Communist movement itself sympathised with, or collaborated with, fascism and Nazism at some point or other.
Western industrial houses like Ford, GM and IBM continued normal business relationship with the Nazis.[2] U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt also admired Mussolini and his corporatist ideology. They kept correspondence via letters, and Roosevelt stated to a reporter:[3]
“I don’t mind telling you in confidence that I am keeping in fairly close touch with that admirable Italian gentleman”
In the late days of the German Weimar Republic, the Communists, under the leadership of the Stalin-led Comintern, allied with the Nazis to bring down the moderate social democratic government.[4] The German communists came up with the slogan: “After Hitler, our turn”.[5] However, soon after Hitler came to power in 1933, the German Communist Party (KPD) was outlawed, and thousands of communists were arrested.
The Russian communists, led by Stalin, later signed a pact in 1939 with the Nazis to divide up Poland between the Soviet Union and Germany.[6] The pact held for two years, until, in 1941, Hitler shocked Stalin by attacking the Soviet Union as part of Operation Barbarossa.
Leader of the Azad Hind Fauj, Subhash Chandra Bose, tried to ally with the German Nazis who were, at that time in 1941-42, locked in battle with the British
Despite initially allying with the Nazis, following the invasion of the Soviet Union by Hitler, the communists and the left begin to see them as mortal enemies. The Soviets eventually suffered around 26 million casualties on the Eastern Front. In the meantime, on the Western Front, the US-led allies supported resistance movements across Nazi-occupied Europe.[7]
Anti-Nazism and anti-fascism thus gained prestige after World War 2. After the surrender of Germany in 1945, the USSR and western countries divided up the land between themselves. Former countries like the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), Socialist Yugoslavia etc. were consecrated in the name of anti-fascism following World War 2.
Also, as a side note, as history is written by the victors, the horrific war-crimes of the Allied powers such as the Hiroshima-Nagasaki nuclear attacks and the Dresden bombings are often glossed over in contemporary histories of the war. The Soviets and other Allies also committed severe revenge atrocities while occupying Germany.[8]
Fascism Originated in Christian Bigotry
The Bible shows the Jews as being guilty in the crucifixion of Jesus and pronounces a blood curse.[9] As a result, Jews have been victims of antisemitic violence for two thousand years. Fascism and Nazism grew in such a historical context. Especially during the late 19th century, white supremacy and scientific racism became enshrined as being valid and necessary for Western civilisation to prosper. [10] Colonisation and genocide were viewed as being a force for good.
Karl Marx, James Mill, John Stuart Mill and other enlightenment thinkers supported the British colonisation of India. [11] John Locke defended the capture of lands from the Native Americans, who were also subjected to starvation, sterilization and re-education. The genocide of the indigenous peoples of America was accepted widely in American and western societies as being necessary to spread good Christian civilisation.[12] The Nazis took inspiration from all such brutalities.
In the end, millions of Jews, Slavs and Gypsies (or Roma) – former Hindu refugees who fled the medieval Islamic invasions of India – were among the victims of the Nazi racial genocide.
Defaming and Covering up Persecution of Hindus
“Stop Hindu Fascism”: seen on European taxis (source: Twitter)
Hindus have suffered persecution at the hands of Islamic invaders for over a thousand years for being Kafir,[13] which means “non-believer” in Arabic. Jahil is another Arabic term of abuse meaning “ignorant”. It refers to the pre-Islamic, polytheist society of Arabia, which was exterminated following the arrival of the Prophet. Under the influence of Urdu-dominated Bollywood, abusive terms like Jahil[14] have become normalised in the everyday discourse of many Indians. Such terms are casually used among educated, colonised Indians in conjunction with unfounded accusations of “Hindu fascism”.
Goddess Kali depicted in Islamic head dress
Also, Hindu symbols (such as “Om” or Goddess Kali) are often used by educated, colonised Indians in propaganda that spreads Hinduphobia (hatred and fear of Hindus).
Temple vandalised in Phulwari, Bihar, in 2019[15]
From temples being desecrated to priests being killed in India and Bangladesh[16] and Hindu girls routinely facing kidnap and forced conversion in Pakistan,[17] Hindus all over the world face persecution for a myriad of reasons. One of the main reasons for the prevalent Hinduphobia is the fear and hatred generated by the Abrahamic religions towards the pluralist, polytheist, “idol-worshipping” Hindus.
The Ten Commandments from the Bible includes precepts like:[18]
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.”
As a result of such hateful passages from the Bible and other Abrahamic religious texts, Hindus continue to face religious persecution all over the world. Unlike other organised religions, Hindus never had the concept of a uniformly organised congregation of believers. Despite this, it is to stand up to organised persecution that Hindus often find themselves needing to organise as a political group. When terms like “Jahil”[19] or “Hindu fascist”[20] are thrown around casually, it perverts reality and effectively aids to cover up the persecution faced by Hindus all over the world.
Hindu Fascism or Hindu Self-Defence?
An accusation made by those who label all politically active Hindus as fascists is that any Hindu organisation that exists is formed with an intention of oppressing “minorities” (a politically loaded and controversial term[21]). Such claims of “suppressing minorities” are often backed up by endless biased, one-sided media articles that never provide any space for a Hindu perspective or response. Having no room for a Hindu viewpoint, these media articles tend to dehumanise Hindus. For example, the fact that the 2002 Gujarat riots began with the burning of a train of Hindu pilgrims, including women and children,[22] is hardly ever mentioned.
From a historical perspective, as the former Hindu-Buddhist lands of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh stand testimony, Hindus have been under threat of religious and ethnic cleansing for over a thousand years.[23] The Hindu Kush (Persian for Hindu killer) mountains of Afghanistan are also named for this fact. As recently as 1990, half a million Hindus were cleansed from the Kashmir Valley, which was their ancestral homeland for thousands of years.[24] Thus, it is wrong to label acts of self-defence or political organisation by Hindus as “fascism”.
Conclusion
It is evident that those who accuse Hindus of “fascism” are themselves very bigoted and hateful. In the old days, heathen, idolater or kafir were the common terms of abuse for Hindus. In today’s age, fascist seems to have become a preferred anti-Hindu term of abuse.[25]
Further, it is not accurate to portray Hindu nationalism, with its centre-left economic policies and inherent Hindu pluralism, as “fascist” or “right-wing” or “far-right”. It is odd that not all nationalist movements are labelled as right-wing. Irish nationalism for example, is grouped under “left-wing” nationalism.[26] It thus appears that this left-right labelling is often just a tool of political convenience. This false left-right dichotomy does not apply to the unique political configuration of Hindu nationalism.
Despite all the negative mainstream propaganda, it must be recognised that Hindu nationalist movements such as Ram Janmabhoomi[27] energised countless Hindus who were inspired to exercise their will in the fields of politics, culture and religion as Hindus. Coming from a pluralist, polytheist civilisation, Hindus often find themselves in solidarity with indigenous peoples from different parts of the world who seek to revive their ancestral traditions.[28]
This is the age where propaganda is often a form of virtual warfare. Therefore, any attempts to spread canards and defame Hindus must be countered using the ideas in this article as a starting point. At the same time as fighting against slander, Hindus must also get educated in their own dharma and get organised. Having the goal of protecting Hindu lives and propagating the values of Sanatana Hindu Dharma, a real form of Lokasaṅgraha[29] (leading the world to welfare) can be achieved.
[1] Elst, Koenraad. Return of the Swastika: Hate and Hysteria versus Hindu Sanity (2007)
[2] “Hitler’s Willing Executives”
[3] “Chomsky on America’s Ugly History: FDR Was Fascist-Friendly Before WWII”
[4] “How the left enabled fascism”
[7] “Resistance during World War II”
[8] “Rape during the occupation of Germany”
[10] Gray, John. Black Mass. (2007)
[11] Gray, John. Black Mass. (2007)
[12] “When Native Americans Were Slaughtered in the Name of ‘Civilization’”
[13] ““In Kafiron Se Azadi”: Anti-CAA Protesters Raise Hateful Slogans In Odisha”
[14] “Historian Irfan Habib calling Modi a ‘Jahil’”
[15] “Hanuman temple vandalized in Phulwari during Bihar bandh”
[16] “Hindu Priest in Bangladesh Is Hacked to Death”
”Telangana: Priest dies after being allegedly assaulted by Imam over using loudspeaker”
[17] “Pakistan: Hindu woman abducted from wedding, forcibly converted, married off”
[19] “Historian Irfan Habib calling Modi a ‘Jahil’”
[20] “The Weaponization of ‘Hindutva’”
[21] Charan, Jayant. “Who Is The Real Minority In India?” (2019)
[22] “Gujarat Riots: The True Story”
[23] Balakrishna, Sandeep. “The Forgotten Hindu History of Pakistan” (2020)
[24] Bhan, K. L. Paradise Lost: Seven Exoduses of Kashmiri Pandits (2003)
[25] “Tulsi Gabbard Blasts Hinduphobia In US, And Gets Branded ‘Fascist’”
[26] “Ireland’s left-wing nationalist Sinn Fein party surges”
[27] “Dharma, Deva, Desha: Three phases of Ram Janmabhoomi movement”
[28] Elst, Koenraad. The Gatherings of the Elders: The Beginnings of a Pagan International (2013)
[29] Swami Harshananda. “Lokasañgraha”
Featured Image: The Medium
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. IndiaFacts does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article.
