Peter Fernandes
A child’s birth announces to human society the arrival of its newest member. Every child is born with human nature, that is, body and soul. Each new arrival comes with wonder, hope, dreams and endless possibilities, which human society should nurture and facilitate so that each child can live up to its potential. Evidence for this importance of society’s role can be found in anthropology, a science that explores various aspects of humans in past and present societies. The first sign a child shows about his endless potential is the cry of the unknown at his birth. No one has the power or the authority to determine somebody else’s destiny, for all share the same human nature, which enables them to find their place and final goal by employing their reason and freewill. It is inhumane travesty when a society dictates a child’s place in society. Why does a society engage in such practices? Is it due to fear? Most of the time, such customs are presented with goodwill, but underneath the reasoning is fear of the endless potential with which a child born with.
While debating with Asaduddin Owaisi, on patriotism at India Today Mind Rocks, Dr. Subramanian Swami asserted that he would only concede to Owaisi’s claim of freedom, that is, to say or not to say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” on one condition, which Owaisi should accept. The condition he describes is that the DNA of all Indian matches, and that proves that all Indian were Hindu before some changed their religion. He said if Owaisi would accept this fact, Subramanian would then accept Owaisi’s freedom to say or not to say “Bharat Mata ki Jai.” This condition is mind blowing. Dr. Subramanian assertion has several assumptions underlying it, and they ought to be dissected if a proper assessment is to be made of the current socio-political atmosphere in India. Unless a mindset like Subramanian’s is not corrected, and people are directed to seek truth, the current discourse will destroy the socio-political fabric of this nation. It is not surprising that the DNA of Indians is matching. It tells us that we all share the same human nature in a particular environment. That statement is not a new revelation, but perhaps because this has been proved by scientists, it has become newsworthy.
Now, a follow-up question: Can Science prove there is specifically Hindu DNA? What is a Hindu DNA? Subramanian’s claim discredits the work and progress of science, which thrives on unbiased investigation that reveals universal principles. Should we grant that all Indian share Hindu DNA, the next question to ask is how Hindu DNA explains the existence of the caste system, given that all share the same DNA? Hinduism is based on caste-system (a child is born into a caste without rhyme or reason and cannot change but have to die in that same caste). Can Subramanian explain how the creator had the caste-system in mind, but forget to apply it to Indian’s shared DNA? Or could it be that the caste-system is manmade? The misconception of Hinduism and false propagation of the same is glaring. This thought resonates with the “choose between ‘Ramzadon and haramzadom’ slogan Union Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti verbalized during BJP’s campaign in Delhi. In fact, most of the BJP leaders and RSS spokespersons were clueless when the question was posed to them regarding “Ghar Wapsi”. The question was simple. To what caste do the people who have left Hinduism return? Here DNA cannot rescue Hinduism. And Hinduism is not ready to disavow the caste-system.
In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court once again reiterated that an individual is his own person and has a fundamental right to privacy. Society ought to respect this fundamental right, because we share the same human nature – common DNA and not Hindu DNA – the court was able to pass this judgement. But had the court perceived the petition for privacy through the Hindu prism, that is, an outlook that says we don’t all share the same human nature, it would not have been able to speak about fundamental right for all. The present dispensation reluctantly says that it has always respected the right to privacy as a fundamental right, its hypocrisy is glaring on several counts. For example, on what grounds does government take away an individual’s right to choose his or her faith or religion? Several states have passed anti-conversion laws, and Jharkhand was the latest to do. Laws that prevent people from the free choice of religion, eating habits, marrying for love or dressing as they like violates the fundamental rights of the individual. Human DNA should indicate that all humans share the same nature, are entitle to the same fundamental rights, and should be free to pursue truth and happiness. Hindu ideology as propagated by RSS and executed by BJP is not compatible with human DNA nor with the democracy embraced by India.
Man is not made to serve law; laws exist to serve man. John F. Kennedy once said, “The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” A nation comes into existence because of human beings, and rational beings ought to define the cantos of a nation always keeping in mind the proper growth of a person. If a nation takes precedence over its people, then that nation has lost its vitality. Nelson Mandela had this to say; “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”India as a nation cannot be defined as a Hindu nation by DNA or anything but the definition found in the constitution, which is that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic. That definition means that the human beings living in this nation called India are free to pursue their true potential as they choose unbound by the false ideology of Hindutva propagated by RSS and enforced by BJP. Dr. Subramanian and RSS and BJP leaders and other affiliated fringe groups should understand first the nature of a person and this nation before they decide who gets a patriotic certificate. Franklin Roosevelt’s message that “Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept can be no end save victory” should resonate in India to restore sanity and vitality.
