Hinduism, The Hanuman Chalisa & Babri demolition-Author Vikram Seth in conversation with Vir Sanghvi

[@tejasousep]

Vikram Seth is one of my favorite Indian writers of English. I look forward to reading the Hanuman Chalisa soon and, before too long, A suitable girl as well! While I have the greatest respect for Vikram as a writer and poet, i am less inclined to consider equally seriously his views on history, current indian society, governance and economics. He (along with many other intellectuals of a liberal secular bend in this country ) wish to see the BJP as nothing less than an aberrant phenomenon in Indian politics, dedicated only to the malevolent distortion of it's history and spending all their political capital in stoking hate against other non Hindu religious groups. But the reality is much more complex than this as we are coming to learn. From all the evidence showing up from the dark and unsettling shadows of our history (being told by a new generation of Indian historians who are free to look at it from a non western perspective) , it looks as if the soothing notion of the famed Ganga - Jamuni Tehzeeb (that we have all been brought up to believe in and uphold from the time of independence) is more of a myth than we care to realise? Well meaning people like Vikram think the past is best left where it is. But the past cannot be wished away through liberal piety and discourse. India is a wounded civilisation carrying historical traumas that continue to simmer in its collective mind. And till these are acknowledged, the likes of the BJP will continue to hold sway over the minds of vast numbers of Indians ; if for better or worse, only time will tell. But it is an inevitable terrain that we will need to traverse both as a country and a civilisational culture ~

[@kumardewedi4158]

Love the series The print Dialogues. Please keep on going even if there aren’t enough views at times. Love this show and content

[@rafia_khan]

The interview such a joy, the comments such a sour patch !

[@gitadasgupta7488]

The interview is indeed a joy, because Vikram Seth is intelligent , tolerant and mature. The interviewer is so patronizing,

[@shantanusapru]

Wonderful!!! Unfortunately, the pro-Hindutva types might take 'offence' at this; while the pseudo-liberal types might label him a 'Sanghi' or 'andh-bhakt'... Sighhhhhh!!!

[@fawaaza.7743]

Haha, as a liberal muslim who has read his biggest work A Suitable Boy, I will go ahead and say that Vikram Seth is most certainly not a ‘Sanghi’. Look at his interview for the 20th anniversary edition: he talks about growing intolerance in the country so well. Him having a true positive relationship with Hinduism and criticism of both Hindutva and fundamentalist Islam in a fair, non-bigoted way is definitely means he’s passed the vibe-check.

[@shantanusapru]

@@fawaaza.7743 👍👍

[@vishleshsingh2376]

20:30 Vikram Seth reads out his translation

[@rvsi-qm5rn]

Sri Lanka, Myanmar today. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia yesterday.

[@pushpendergusain4262]

It is interesting that the English media is discussing the literature linked to Hinduism.

[@baburaomukherjee]

if you had a life you'd know the difference between hinduism and hindutva

[@RAJATKULKARNI07]

​@@baburaomukherjee there is no difference between Hinduism(hindu+ism) and hindutva (hindu+tatva) it's , Hinduism is the English name of hindutva, stop demeaning our religion

[@bonran]

Ironic

[@bonran]

@@baburaomukherjee Explain Bongo....bbuububububbuuuuwoooooooo

[@baburaomukherjee]

@@RAJATKULKARNI07 so u are stupid then, continue being a troll with 0 reading

[@DharmaPAC]

9:15 Vir says that Hinduism is a religion that has never discriminated against people. Has he heard of caste? Has he heard of untouchability? Has he heard of a system of hierarchy where the brahmin's son gets to be the priest, and the toilet cleaner's son is required to be the toilet cleaner, regardless of their intelligence? There are parts of India (Maharashtra, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh) where, even today, one of the first questions a person asks of a stranger is "what is your caste"? I had to leave India because I could no longer handle the caste superstition (among other superstitions... including "the Ganesha statue is drinking milk!" and "Gaumutra is holy medicine").

[@sharad539]

That's his anti-trolling instincts acting up! 😄.. jokes aside, you make a very pertinent point.

[@rkrishad]

Yeah stratification of caste system happened when we went from 23% of worlds GDP to less than 1% in 150 years of looting that happened during the British era. Slowly the old india which is magnanimous and welcoming and inclusive is making a come back.

[@DharmaPAC]

@@rkrishad I too used to believe the fake narrative that Caste was a British invention. Look up Tarikh-al-Hind by Al-Biruni. Written around 1020 CE (11th century). He talks about brahmins and untouchables, and about how when there was a village feast, if a brahmin and untouchable were sitting near each other, a temporary wall made of reeds was placed between them.

[@StudyWithMusic-mo5nl]

there are states in india that doesnt take caste system seriously anymore, especially some of the southern states. So, why did you leave India? You could have just moved to another part of the country. You left india because you wanted the things foreign countries can give. and thats the truth. Just admit that.

[@DharmaPAC]

@@StudyWithMusic-mo5nl please educate me on which Southern state doesn't have caste in India. Because when I was trying to get a flat to rent in Chennai, every prospective landlord asked me my caste (they were usually Brahmins and only wanted to rent to Brahmins).

[@DharmaPAC]

Vikram talks about the Ram Janambhoomi issue as something that was cultural assault. Let's leave Ram Janambhoomi aside. What about the Kashi Vishwanath? Does he have anything to say about *that* cultural assault? What should be done to rectify that cultural assault?

[@prateeksingh10]

Hanuman is not only the top das/bhakt. He is also the foremost kshatriya!

[@sujatachokhawala2734]

Vir Sanghvi, what does going on the otherside mean please?

[@happy..1907]

I feel sorry for the guy, the series just did not do justice to A suitable boy

[@kallachi729]

Hinduism is not a religion in the sense of Abrahamic religion. If you insist, it is the only democratic religion if you want to call it that). one can be a Hindu “believing’ in any deity (even of any Abrahamic religion) or no deity at all; having faith in any God or in no God at all; one can pray any which way one wants to at any time of day or/and night or not pray at all; Culture is a set of values which in the Indian sense is to be respectful, accommodating, open-minded, deeply but not ostensibly spiritual and concerned with the common human welfare offering respect and acceptance to all philosophies / religions. THIS, sir is Hindutva.

[@grapeshott]

there are many panths within Hinduism that have strict rules.

[@kallachi729]

@@grapeshott I as a Hindu am free to pray or not pray...panths are by choice... No mandate... There is a difference...

[@adity126]

Hindutva is the abrahamic version of Hinduism, which essentially starts with a sense of superiority and marches onwards by disregarding and demeaning other religions. And occasionally ends up in lynching and rioting

[@hidgik]

Except if you are a Shudra. Then killing, raping, denying temple entry, everything applies.

[@vanarpalipac]

Bullshit. Hinduism is vast, all-encompassing, syncretic. Hindutva is the narrow-minded, bigoted, political bastardisation of Hinduism, created and propagated by insecure, uneducated idiots. Don't try to conflate Hinduism and Hindutva; they are nothing alike.

[@baburaomukherjee]

the trolls in the comments will remain what they are - trolls...

[@gitadasgupta7488]

Horrible patronizing nobody, that interviewer

[@kironpanuganti6151]

Vikram Seth is a perfect example of a brown sahib. Only Indian by birth but thinks like an Englishman

[@AjitJoshi686]

He will be labelled 2nd gay Sanghi soon after AIM 😂😂😂. Other person who penned it was DevDutt Pattanaik

[@gitadasgupta7488]

You're pathetic. Back off

[@skruti2549]

Such tolerance has lead to demise and in future will lead to it's extinction

[@gilgamesh-rc2pb]

Aren't you glad to see such a tremendous personality whom everyone has been reading so far but seeing is a privilege?

[@grapeshott]

what?

[@skruti2549]

@@gilgamesh-rc2pb what is the criteria to classify that this person falls under the tag of tremendous personality . I don't find his thoughts enlightening .

[@fawaaza.7743]

Is that why it has managed to survive and flourish despite a long muslim presence and and other religions too

[@nv9991]

@@fawaaza.7743 DId it Survive in Afganistan or Pakistan? Looking at many decades trend, will it survive in Bangladesh? Why minorities are the fastest breeding under the Hinduism majority and the fastest depleting under the Islam majority? Same DNA, different outcomes. Why?

[@bonran]

Vikram Seth looks like he is going to get a celestial discharge and meet Hanumanji in the Heavens soon..........

[@mahakaleshwaramahadev]

Mc