Attack on ‘Sanatana Dharma’; Oppn horridly mum

Bloc I.N.D.I.A is upset with the moves of BJP when it hinted about the one nation one election. Every leader screamed, saying democracy in the country was at stake and that the country was moving towards dictatorship. But when the son of Tamil Nadu CM and DMK minister Udayanidhi Stalin equated ‘Santana Dharma’ with “mosquitoes, Dengue, Malaria, fever and Corona” and added that it should be eradicated like these ailments, there has been no single voice from the team I.N.D.I.A group of 28 parties. DMK is part of this group.

No one had the spine to tell Stalin senior and junior Stalin that they had be better careful in what they speak. Every time ignorance cannot be a bliss. Unfortunately, it is these parties which talk of democracy and secularism. It is shocking that Rahul Gandhi whom the Congress projects as the future PM also had no comments. He did not call for press conference and share his Gyan over what is correct and what is wrong. Just imagine what would have been their reaction if there was some comment by BJP or any other leader against any other minority or religion or community. By now all of them would have been on the streets, demanding arrest of that person and would have burnt effigies. Some would have even filed cases in police stations or filed PIL in a court of law.

The 28-member I.N.D.I.A group which wants to rule the country has no concern about such utterances which hurts crores of Indians who really understand the meaning of the word ‘Dharma’. It is matter of shame that no one even bothered to at least find out what Dharma means and did not bother to evaluate whether what Udaynidhi said was right or wrong.

One does not know what made them think that the word ‘Dharma’ is something to do with Hindu religion. Even the 150-year-old party which claims to have several white-haired intellectuals who are apostle of all knowledge and information on the earth does not know what ‘Dharma’ means.

According to mystics and those from different religious sects, ‘Sanatana Dharma’ is a commonly misused word today. Dharma does not mean a religion or moral code. Dharma means ‘law.’ If you want to handle material transactions, there are certain laws. The law may be institutional or otherwise, but if you do not follow those laws, your material transactions will not continue for long. ‘Sanatana Dharma’ are the laws which govern one’s life.

‘Sanatana Dharma’ is not about telling you something that you have to believe or else you are dead. The entire process of the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ is to raise questions in you, not to give you readymade answers – to raise questions, to deepen the questioning in such a way that you will naturally find the source of all this.

Dharma is often translated as “duty,” “religion” or “religious duty” and yet its meaning is more profound. The word itself comes from the Sanskrit root “dhri,” which means “to sustain.” Another related meaning is “that which is integral to something.” For example, the dharma of sugar is to be sweet and the dharma of fire to be hot. Therefore, a person’s dharma consists of duties that sustain him, according to his innate characteristics.

Here is an interesting analogy. Sun is called by different names in different countries. But remains one no matter how widely we travel. Similarly, God is above such designations as “British” or “Indian,” “Christian” or “Hindu.” The soul also transcends such temporary labels. More than Udaynidhi Stalin, it is the so-called octogenarian leaders of team I.N.D.I.A who had headed state governments and are in the race to become PM should understand the real meaning of ‘Dharma’ and apologise to the nation.