"Gen Z protesters lived Sanatan Dharma, not preached it. Courage without hate. Strength without violence" -said Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Wangchuk .... and that followed controversies ::: How ?

Why and how ? -- often does not work well with youngsters and also the Leftists.  

"If anyone has shown what it means for India to be a Vishwaguru, it is our Gen Z. They have lived Sanatan Dharma, not preached it. Courage without hate. Strength without violence. Patriotism without blind obedience," Angmo wrote on July 25 (Saturday).

She also said:

"Unlike many of their counterparts across the world, they have shown that you can stand firmly against injustice without burning your own country down. 

Maybe it's time the Hindu nationalist party learnt a thing or two from these young Indians about Hinduism, nationalism, and what it truly means to be a Vishwaguru".  

But soon, there were controversies.

The backlash against Angmo intensified with critics circulating clips of an interview with her views about secularism and Hindu Rashtra. 

The posts drew responses from Left-wing student organisations and led critics to share clips from an earlier interview of hers.  

People criticised Angmo's July 25 post for linking the Gen Z protests to Sanatan Dharma and "Vishwaguru". Other users accused her of communalising a multi-faith student movement.

The next day, July 26, she followed up: "To all the trollers: Stop confusing religion with spirituality. Religion seeks followers. Spirituality seeks transformation. 

"Religion is an institution that defines identity, authority, and control. Spirituality is a deeply personal awakening that expresses itself through every thought, word, and action. Politics infused with religion divides. 

"Politics guided by spirituality unites and aspires to the ideal of the philosopher-king: one who serves with wisdom, compassion, restraint, and truth."   

She quoted nationalist freedom fighter Aurobindo Ghosh to counter her critics in the post on July 26. "When it is said that India shall rise, it is the Sanatana Dharma that shall rise. India is rising for the sake of the Sanatana Dharma."

Angmo added that Sanatana Dharma is the bedrock of Indian civilisation, was never meant to be a religion in the narrow institutional sense, and cannot be monopolised by any political party.

ANGMO FACED BJP IT CELL ATTACK EARLIER, NOW SEES AISF COUNTER

The posts were met with criticism from sections of social media, including Left student organisation AISF. 

On July 27, the All India Students' Federation (AISF) said, "Invoking Sanatana Dharma while ignoring Dr BR Ambedkar's fundamental critique of caste within Hindu social order presents only part of the picture. 

If the message is about equality and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, why not celebrate the Bhakti saints, Kabir, Ravidas, Tukaram and others, who challenged caste, ritual hierarchy and social exclusion? 

India's civilisational strength lies in its struggles for equality, not in romanticising oppressive structures."

ends