Pakistan and Hinduism

Ray · 11-30-2004, 14:20 PM

Quote:

Obsession with Hinduism

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2004-d...04/oped/o6.htm

Obsession with Hinduism

I Hassan

The writer is a former broadcaster, commentator,

foreign correspondent and a freelance columnist

Cutting edge

Recently the Supreme Court of Pakistan is said to have held (I have not seen any authenticated copy of the order), according to a newspaper report that the marriage customs in this country of "barat" or "mehndi" are Hindu customs and must be discarded.

It would seem that the honourable court has confused cultural practices with religious manifestation. On this earth there are certain vast regions where despite the fact that there are different nation states, languages and religions, a uniform culture prevails. Take Europe. For centuries the states of Europe such as Germany and France fought wars against each other with England joining in on either side for good measure. There were further wars between Protestants and Catholics (religion). And yet, despite the fact the various nations spoke different languages their basic cultural manifestations were the same. For instance, they enjoyed the same music whether composed in Germany, Austria, Poland or France. They ate similar food albeit with variations in the mode of cooking. They ate with the same implements (forks and knives).

Then there is yet another major cultural region — China. The way they dress, eat with chopsticks and cook their food is ostensibly Chinese. It has however no relationship with Buddhism, the main religion. Eating with chopsticks has no relationship with Buddhism which originated in India, the next big cultural region like Europe or China.

One is obliged to use the geographical term "India" to connote the vast region of which the Indian peninsula is the major part. Its cultural pattern is as distinctive as that of China or Europe. For instance whilst people in Europe eat with forks and spoons and the Chinese with chopsticks, in India from time memorial, even before Islam was introduced there, people ate with their fingers. Then there is the type of food which again is a cultural manifestation and has nothing to do with religion. Nowhere is bread eaten as a flat pancake cooked on a flat iron, called chappatti. And it is eaten with "dal" which is not eaten elsewhere. The various types of ‘dal’ are very Indian and eaten by followers of all religions. After all even today there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan and they eat the same food and with their fingers as the others.

Then there are so many customs or modes of doing things that belong to the geographical region called India. Take the way we sweep things. The broom used is of a bunch of straws with a short handle which obliges the sweeper to bend down with one hand placed on the back and go almost crab like sweeping along. Come what may you cannot get the people to use a long handle broom as is done in Europe. Muslims in India are using the same short handle as are the Hindus over there and as indeed are the Muslims in Pakistan.

And one must not forget that the Indian cultural pattern has not been confined to the peninsula. Like China and Europe, Indian cultural imprint extended south into Indonesia, and east as far as the Mekong river which is the dividing line between Chinese culture and Indian. Even today people in Thailand greet each other with folded hands and utter "swadi" which is the equivalent of "namaskkar". In Indonesia to this day stands the magnificent Borobudur temple (Hindu) in Java. Even though the whole of the archipelago converted to Islam in about the eleventh century with the advent of Arab traders, there remain perceptible signs of Indian cultural influence. It is very apparent in names of people. Take the name of the last president of Indonesia — Soekarnoputri — the daughter of Soekarno. Putur we still use in Punjabi for a son and putri is the feminine of putur!

Then India is renowned for its "hot" food which is eaten by all people. Now although chillies are not indigenous to India, having been introduced by the Europeans to India from Mexico, chilli-hot food is considered very Indian. Consequently "curry" is very Indian — eaten by Muslims and Hindus and today more so by the English in England where it has almost become a national dish. It cannot be called a Hindu custom!

Similarly barat and mehndi are customs that have come down from time immemorial. After all a barat is a joyful manifestation of a triumphal process of acquisition. It might interest the people to know that in the village of Guff in Tehsil Kahuta, district Rawalpindi, there is a fossilised wedding procession, (Junje) complete with a palanquin and others accompanying on foot and the bridegroom on a prancing horse. It is quite a large tableau but not full size. In fact it is miniature. The last I saw it was sixty years ago. So, if "barats" existed in antiquity, how is it that they are Hindu? Do Muslims not have weddings? As far as ‘mehndi’ is concerned this custom has gone on from time immemorial and is confined to India where all regardless of religious affiliations embellish themselves with mehndi. Even males colour their beard and hair with mehndi.

We differ from the Hindus in our religious beliefs. Whilst Muslims believe in one God, Hindus have a plethora of gods although at the end of the day they do come down to one called "Bhagwan". Other than that we eat the same food, wear the same clothes, wash our clothes the same way beating them with a mallet. Let us therefore not confuse religion with custom and a way of living because if anything we do is declared to be Hindu then we shall have to give up eating chapattis, having a shower (ashnan!) or wearing a shalwar or speaking the language we do. The result already is disastrous. Having cast away the music we had as being Hindu and replaced it with the "bang, bang" of America, we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. If we throw away all custom and ways of living as Hindu, we shall be bereft of all

Rather interesting.

lulldapull · 11-30-2004, 14:37 PM

What a hilarious article!

So true though!

Ray the jahil paindoo pakistani's that are full of hate in pakistan are those ones who have army or military background! Those are the ones that are taught to hate India and its culture and civilisation, and are told by the jahil mulla that they are Turks or A-raanbs or Iranians, or somehow from Central Asia!!

And are somehow descended from those invading hordes from 1000 years ago!!

Aur shakal par likha hota hae " 2 cent desi Indian ", specially all the Sindhi's/ MQM and Punjabi's!

Only Pushtun/ Baloch are a different race ( Persian)! but I must admit that over the last 50 years even they have become like these desi mouzlum's because of being minorities, and cultural more than racial assimilation!

I hate to announce it publicly, but most pakistani's are North Indian racialy! Whether they like it or not!

And Ray you should come here to Chicago and see these 2 Hindoo mouzlums on Devon!

Aik doosray ko daikh kar murr jaatay hain bhanchod!

Aik doosray key gaand kay under ghuns kar rehtay hain dono maderchod!

Of all the places in the city, they love to live with one another! Saalay gaandoo in denial! I swear Ray if you saw the Indian pakistani community here, you'd have a heart attack man!

Its as if the partition never happened!

Ray · 11-30-2004, 14:47 PM

11-30-2004, 14:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
lulldapull Banished Join Date: 08-06-03 Posts: 1,007	What a hilarious article! So true though! Ray the jahil paindoo pakistani's that are full of hate in pakistan are those ones who have army or military background! Those are the ones that are taught to hate India and its culture and civilisation, and are told by the jahil mulla that they are Turks or A-raanbs or Iranians, or somehow from Central Asia!! And are somehow descended from those invading hordes from 1000 years ago!! Aur shakal par likha hota hae " 2 cent desi Indian ", specially all the Sindhi's/ MQM and Punjabi's! Only Pushtun/ Baloch are a different race ( Persian)! but I must admit that over the last 50 years even they have become like these desi mouzlum's because of being minorities, and cultural more than racial assimilation! I hate to announce it publicly, but most pakistani's are North Indian racialy! Whether they like it or not! And Ray you should come here to Chicago and see these 2 Hindoo mouzlums on Devon! Aik doosray ko daikh kar murr jaatay hain bhanchod! Aik doosray key gaand kay under ghuns kar rehtay hain dono maderchod! Of all the places in the city, they love to live with one another! Saalay gaandoo in denial! I swear Ray if you saw the Indian pakistani community here, you'd have a heart attack man! Its as if the partition never happened! Last edited by lulldapull : 11-30-2004 at 14:43 PM.

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11-30-2004, 14:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
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