( Dialogue between a poet and a saint is difficult because a poet. before speaking, must hear others. )
The conversion of a culture into a Religion may end with the conversion of a religion into Politics !!
The bitter truth is the more Islamabad talks about Kashmir, the more Pakistan exposes its own burgeoning domestic challenges.
The world in 2025 has no time for Pakistan’s shenanigans on Kashmir.
Notwithstanding the Hindutva bravado around the word 'Badla'; the reality is the Pahalgam terror attack came at a time when Pakistan is "increasingly isolated on the international stage".
Thus, we know it is an act of desperation and hence -- "India must respond to with a cool head", counsels former diplomat Shyam Saran who also served as India's foreign secretary from 2004-06.
Pakistanis themselves have exposed their vulnerabilities.
Gen Asmim Munir, Pak army chief, made some unwarranted statements on two-nation theory. Subsequent to his eloquent observations came the terror attack and the terrorists asked the victims whether they were Hindus.
They also asked some to recite Kalma. Of course the manner of killings in Kashmir suggests that the terror eco-system has been taking its cue (read directives) from the Pakistani army chief.
"We are two nations, we are not one nation,” Gen Munir had said.
The entire army-terror hubs eco-system have their eyes towards bringing back some international attention to the conflict over Kashmir. The timing was also when J D Vance was in India.
But Pakistan these days offer or evoke no much excitement in the US.
Please note during the visit to the US by Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Pakistan did not figure on the footnotes.
Unlike a few decades back, it is Bharat that matters globally and it will have to play a key role in the 'balance of power'. And of course the Americans are the partners.
Nationalism, Democracy ... backdrop of Hindu Civilisation:
“Our forefathers thought we are different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life," said Gen Munir about a week before the deadly attack. This should draw Hindu to face the reality -- will this theory of 'two nation' again haunt Indians?
Now we must develop the argument raising questions about nationalism and trying to study India as a history and as a culture. The idea of Indian culture is also religious - that is based on Hindu rituals and conviction. Like all nationalism; the Hindu version may be is a political one (religion) but the same Hinduism is only a way of life.
Thus rituals or even acts of prayers or worship come second to the system build around values and principles.
Take Ramayana for example -- God Ram believes - "Raghukul riti sada chali ayi; pran jae par bachan na jae".
Veer Savarkar's ideas have been arguably the theoretical source of all Hindu nationalist movements. Importantly for BJP today; they are the heart of the political, religious and even social doctrines.
Savarkar had said --- "To be Hindu means a person who sees this land from the Indus river to the sea ... as his country but also as his Holy land".
Now take the advent and growth of Islam in Indian sub-continent. It is also a fact of life that the Islam never had any renaissance and hence the concept of 'enlightenment' as understood with Christianity or the west has never been there.
Hindus as one group also perhaps did not have any renaissance. But various segments and schools of Hinduism have had their share of both the enlightenment and renaissance.
Islam's only sustained message has been -- one God, one law and even one ruler.
So how authentic is this argument of two-nation theory. Pakistanis may not realise what kind of challenges they have created now for Muslims in India.
If even for argument sake the two-nation theory is authentic; then where do these Indian citizens (Muslims) look for political support ?
The conversion of a culture into a religion ends with the conversion of a religion into Politics -- says a book 'In the Light of India' penned by Octavio Paz, a Mexican scholar and who also served as ambassador to India.
ends
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