Mr. Yasphal Gupta
"Yash" of Hounslow, London, writes:
Dear Anwar Shaikh Ji,
Can you please explain the Vedic viewpoint in regard to
patriotism. I am told that the Vedas do not concern concepts such as Motherland.
Being a Hindu, who believes in divine perfection of the Vedas, I find it hard to
accept that the Vedas would have ignored such a fundamental issue.
Do Hindus owe loyalty to Bharat Mata? What is the
position of non-Hindus i.e. Muslims, who were born and bred in Bharat. Is India
also their Mother land, and do they owe her allegiance?
Dear Yash Ji,
You always ask penetrating questions of high
importance. Congratulations for your public-mindedness.
I have propounded in this issue of Liberty the Vedic
philosophy of patriotism in relation to Bharat Mata. Most of the Hindu problems
emanate from the fact that the Hindus have forgotten the patriotic philosophy of
the Vedas. It is very strange, indeed, that the Hindus, who are required to
believe in the doctrine of karman, pay only lip-sympathy to the honour of Bharat
Mata. The people who agree to the partition of their Motherland, cannot claim to
be patriots.
Motherland is motherland irrespective of whether one is
Hindu, Muslim or a Christian. However, Muslims of the Indian sub-continent are
misinformed on this subject. My article. "Who is a Kafir," which will
shortly appear in Liberty," should explain the point in question.
- Anwar Shaikh
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