Wear Your Dharma
Editor's Note: The following piece is presented in the author's own words to honor a young Indian's sincere expression of cultural concerns. These views represent the author's personal perspective. We value providing space for heartfelt community voices on matters of spiritual and cultural importance
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - ALVIN TOFFLER.
If you're a Gen Z, this article is for you. If you're not, ask your kid to read this, or explain it to them. This piece is for all Gen Z geniuses.
It was Diwali when we all friends, 15-16 year old kids, were sitting on the terrace of my society. 'Ram Bhagwan kitne saal pehle aaye thhe, ab fuljadi jalane se kya matlab?' Said one, and naturally, all we idiots laughed. 'Dogs are getting scared, this is so wrong' said the other, and we all agreed.
No it isn't cute, the unison agreement and the disagreement. It was because we weren't taught to think from a Dharma POV, we just agreed. We agreed because we had nothing to offer.
After chatting for a while, there came the topic of Winter breaks…. which Means…? Christmas. We were all so excited, we even planned a party in our building with the help of all the adults. They too were equally excited. Fast-forwarding to December 24th, we wore our red T-shirts, Santa caps, and black pants, then partied and went to the church later that night. We also saw the most beautiful fireworks of our lives.
Oh by the way, there were no Christian residents in my society.
Now let me be clear before someone attacks me:- There is nothing wrong in celebrating Christmas. My point is:- this isn't just about the evening on the terrace or the party. What I want to highlight here is how you talk about your religion, your history. It is about how we are taught to laugh, mock, and eventually forget our Dharma.
We have all been taught in schools how energy is neither created nor destroyed; it only changes its form. And, we love Mayer, Joule and Helmholtz for it. But when Shri Krishna Bhagwan said 'the soul is never created, nor destroyed, it only changes its form' Bhagavad Gita- 2.20/2.21 we complain and say 'oh haan Hindu Mythology its just nonsense'.
I think it's common knowledge now that the distance between the earth and the sun is mentioned in the Hanuman Chalisa. Or it is also common knowledge that because of an Indian man, the west got plastic surgery. We gave the world Art, science, medicine, music and the list is endless.
The question is, why do you not own it? What are you ashamed of?
Fine. I agree you don't have the patience to sit and read an old Hindu text to know what all is ours. Tell me, do you wipe your Tilak when you leave your home? Do you prefer to not wear a Raksha Sutra? Are you comfortable wearing kurtis or sarees at your formal workplace?
I already mentioned in my very first article how the people in the west are claiming yoga, food, even dupattas. And, they will claim it all until you start reclaiming it. Until you start questioning their claims. Until you start wearing it like you own it, because you do own it.
Talking about owning it, let me also mention this. There is a new trend of wearing inappropriate clothes and dancing to vulgar Bollywood songs at Janmashtami, Diwali, or even Kumbh Melas. I have zero problem with anyone's clothing. But ask yourself, is a religious function the place to dance to vulgar songs?
When I say wear your Dharma- Wear it with respect and pride. Stop cheapening your culture.
Coming back, to the ones who read my previous article, know that I studied in an all-girls college. In the first year of my college, right before leaving the classroom, my very intelligent professor said, 'Happy Diwali! do not burst firecrackers, children.'
I was the only one who questioned why. He gave me the usual stuff about the environment. I questioned him about what happens to the environment at Christmas, during wedding celebrations, when India wins some IPL or world cup or when some idiot politician travels around in his convoy after winning elections. Nothing.
They hate Jallikattu, a bull taming competition because 'oh animal cruelty, but they eat biryanis on Bakri Eid. While talking about reclaiming temples in my law college 'Hindu extremists are terrorists' yelled my professor, a year back in my classroom. Don't worry, I responded.
There is still a problem. I was the only one who responded.
What I want to highlight is how there are people who are always ready to attack your Dharma just because you choose to stay silent. Where do you think the gall to stand in front of a temple and preach 'follow Jesus' by christian missionaries comes from? It comes from our silence. It comes from them knowing you won't stand up for your religion. It comes from your refusal to own what is yours.
They don't hate the bulls, or the tilak or the Janeu. They hate the fact that you own it, wear it with pride. They hate how you show that your Dharma is alive and breathing.
My question is, do you have a stomach to protect it? Every man who stood behind Krishna in the Kurukshetra battle fought for righteousness. Young boys, men, sacrificed themselves to keep the fire of Dharma alive.
Forget defending, do you even practice it? Modern day kurukshetra isn't a battlefield. It's your college, your internship, your office, your friend circle, or wherever your Dharma is disrespected.
Here's the truth:- If you don't own your Dharma, the west gladly will, they anyways have nothing.
But another question:- Why do we need to wear Dharma? Someone's stealing it, someone's mocking it all understood, but why do we need to wear our Dharma? 'Jaane do na, who cares?' I know the Hindu inside you is still sleeping. Afterall, our Itihasa also had Kumbhkaran.
When you practice your Dharma in the form of pooja, just behind locked doors, it stays there. It becomes invisible. What becomes invisible becomes publicly irrelevant. Additionally, the answers to these questions lie in your history. Not the Mughal-washed history in NCERT. But your history. How there was so much bloodshed and plunder that Hindus had to go under. The answer lies in the echoing screams of Hindu families in Kashmir, Pakistan, West Bengal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan.
'A country that does not recognise its heroes, its martyrs, and its warriors is doomed to decay.'- Veer Savarkar.
'Oh but that is the past!' fine. Look at what is happening in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, with Hindus. Wait—why cross the borders? What happened to them in Kashmir? What is happening in West Bengal? What makes you think you won't be one of them sooner or later?
'Hindus have survived as a majority in their motherland not because Islam spared any effort to conquer and convert them but because Islamic brutality met more than its equal in Hindu tenacity for freedom.'- Sita Ram Goel.
So here's the final call:- Wear your Dharma. Or watch yourself be erased.
