Citizendia

Sita Ram Goel (Hindi: सीता राम गोयल Sītā Rām Goyal) (1921 – 2003), writer and publisher, influential in late twentieth century Hindu nationalist circles. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Hindu nationalism is a nationalist Ideology that sees the modern State of the Republic of India as a Hindu Polity He had Marxist leanings during the 1940s, but later became an outspoken anti-communist. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be Anti-communism refers to opposition to Communism. Historically the word "communism" has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and In his later career he emerged as a commentator on and strong critic of Christianity, Islam and Indian politics. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Politics of India takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary multi-party representative democratic Republic modelled

Contents

Life

Part of a series on
Hindu politics

Major parties

Bharatiya Janata Party
Shiv Sena
Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha

Defunct parties
Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Ram Rajya Parishad

Ideas

Integral humanism
Hindu nationalism
Hindutva

Major figures

Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar
Keshava Baliram Hedgewar
Syama Prasad Mookerjee
Deendayal Upadhyaya
Bal Thackeray

Related authors

Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
Koenraad Elst · Francois Gautier
Sita Ram Goel · K. S. Lal
Harsh Narain · Yvette Rosser
Arun Shourie · Ram Swarup

Politics
Government of India

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Early life

Sita Ram Goel was born to a non-traditional Hindu family in Haryana, in 1921; though his childhood was spent in Calcutta. Hindu politics refers to the political movements professing to draw inspiration from Hinduism. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political Shiv Sena ( Devanāgarī: शिव सेना Śīv Senā, meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji Bhosle) is a Political party Akhil Bhāratīya Hindū Mahāsabhā (अखिल भारत हिन्दू महासभा All-Indian Hindu Assembly a Hindu nationalist organization was originally The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (abbreviated BJS and often known simply as the Jan Sangh existed from 1951 to 1980 whereupon it was succeeded by the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of Ram Rajya Parishad (Rām Rājya Pariṣad Sanskrit, Forum of Rama's Kingdom was a traditionalist Hindu party in India. Integral humanism is the Political philosophy practised by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the former Bharatiya Jana Sangh of India. Hindu nationalism is a nationalist Ideology that sees the modern State of the Republic of India as a Hindu Polity For Veer Savarkar's book see Hindutva (book. Hindutva (Devanagari हिन्दुत्व "Hinduness" a word coined by Vinayak Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (बाळ गंगाधर टिळक ( July 23 1856 - August 1 1920) was an Indian nationalist Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946 was an Indian politician notable for his role in the freedom struggle and his espousal of Hindu nationalism. Vināyak Dāmodar Sāvarkar (विनायक दामोदर सावरकर (born May 28, 1883 in Bhagur – February 26, Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (माधव सदाशिव गोळवलकर (February 19 1906 - June 5 1973 popularly known as Golwalkar Guruji, was the second Keshava Baliram Hedgewar (केशव बळीराम हेडगेवार ( April 1, 1889 – June 21 1940) was the founder of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee (or Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, শ্যামা প্রসাদ মুখার্জী ( thumb|right|200px|An Indian postage stamp featuring Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (पण्डित दीनदयाल उपाध्याय ( September 25, 1916 - February 11, 1968) along Bal Keshav Thackeray (बाळ केशव ठाकरे (born January 23, 1926) popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray is the founder and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee ( 27 June[[ 838]] - 8 April[[ 894]] (বঙ্কিম চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Bôngkim Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation François Gautier, born 1959 in Paris, is a writer and journalist based in India Kishori Saran Lal (1920 &ndash 2002 was an Indian Historian. He wrote many historical books mainly on medieval India Harsh Narain is an Indian author He has a PhD from Lucknow University and was a professor at Benares Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and Yvette Rosser is an American author and scholar Yvette Rosser was born on January 31 1952. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author Haryana (हरियाणा Punjabi: ਹਰਿਆਣਾ hərɪjaːɳaː is a state in northern India. The family looked upon Sri Garibdas, a nirguna saint comparable to Kabir and Nanak, as its patron saint and his verses, "Granth Saheb", were often recited at their home. Al-Kabir "the Great" is also one of the 99 names of God in Islam Guru Nanak Dev (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ (गुरु नानक گرونانک Gurū Nānak ( 15 april 1469, Nankana Sahib [1]

Goel graduated in History from the University of Delhi in 1944. The University of Delhi (DU is a central university located at Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. As a student, he was a social activist and worked for a Harijan Ashram in his village. Harijan ( son of God) was a term coined by Gandhi for Dalits, which is now considered patronizing His sympathies for the Arya Samaj, the Harijans and the Indian freedom movement, along with his strong support for Mahatma Gandhi, brought him into conflict with many people in his village; [2] Goel also learned to speak and write Sanskrit during these college days. Arya Samaj ( Sanskrit ārya samāja sa आर्य समाज " Noble Society" is a Hindu reform movement founded in India The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical [3]

Direct Action Day

On August 16, 1946, during the Direct Action Day riots in Calcutta that were instigated by the Muslim League shortly before Partition of India, Goel, his wife and their eldest son narrowly escaped with their lives. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Direct Action Day, also known as the Great Calcutta Riot, was on 16 August 1946 —a day of widespread riot and manslaughter in the city of Calcutta The All India Muslim League ( Urdu: آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ Bengali:?????? ??? founded at Dhaka in 1906 was a political party in British The Partition of India was the partition of the British Indian Empire which led to the creation on August 14, 1947 and August 15, In his autobiography, "How I became a Hindu", Goel writes that he "would have been killed by a Muslim mob" but his fluent Urdu and his Western dress saved him. How I Became a Hindu is an autobiography by Sita Ram Goel, which he published in 1982 and enlarged in 1993 under his Voice of India Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised He further relates, that the next evening they "had to vacate that house and scale a wall at the back to escape murderous Muslim mobs advancing with firearms. "[4] He subsequently wrote and circulated a lengthy article on the riots, titled "The Devil Dance In Calcutta", in which he held Hindus and Muslims equally responsible for the tragedy. [5] His friend Ram Swarup, however, criticized him for equating Muslim violence with Hindu violence, claiming that Muslim violence was "aggressive and committed in the furtherance of a very reactionary and retrograde cause, namely the vivisection of India". Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author [5]

Communism to anti-communism

In mid-1940s Goel met members of the CSP (Congress Socialist Party), translated writings by Narendra Deva and Jayaprakash Narayan into English, and was offered a position as an editor of a CSP publication. The Congress Socialist Party was founded in 1934 as a Socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Acharya Narendra Deva (1889-1956 was one of the leading theorists of the Congress Socialist Party in India. Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known But his first editoral for the weekly was deemed to be pro-communist, and he had to stop writing for the weekly. [4]

Sita Ram Goel had developed a strong Marxist leaning during his student days and was on the verge of joining the Communist Party of India in 1948. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Party of India (CPI is a Political party in India. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Communist Party, however, was banned in Bengal on the day he planned to officially become its member. Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang He read Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital, Harold Laski's "Communism", and "came to the conclusion that while Marx stood for a harmonised social system, Sri Aurobindo held the key to a harmonised human personality. Manifesto of the Communist Party ( often referred to as The Communist Manifesto, was first published on February 21, 1848, and is Harold Joseph Laski ( June 30, 1893 &ndash March 24, 1950) was an English Political theorist, Economist, Author Sri Aurobindo (শ্রী অরবিন্দ Sri Ôrobindo) ( August 15, 1872 – December 5, 1950) was an Indian "[3] Later, books by Aldous Huxley, Victor Kravchenko, and Suzanne Labin ("Stalin's Russia") convinced him to abandon communism. Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 &ndash 22 November 1963 was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Victor Andreevich Kravchenko, (Виктор Андреевич Кравченко ( 11 October 1905 Yekaterinoslav - 25 February 1966 Suzanne Labin was a French Socialist writer and Political scientist, known particularly for her anti-communism anti-totalitarianism and pro-democracy [6] Subsequently he wrote many books critical of communism in Calcutta, and worked for the anti-communist "Society for the Defence of Freedom in Asia" (SDFA). [7][8] According to Goel, when he wanted to apply for a passport in 1955, he was told that his case was receiving attention from the Prime Minister himself, and his application was not granted. [9]

'Nehruism' and Censorship

Goel wrote regularly for the "Organiser" weekly, whose editor K. R. Malkani was his friend. K R Malkani was Ex-Lt Governor of Pondicherry and Vice-President of BJP and also an author and journalist In 1961-1962 he used the pseudonym Ekaki (solitary) while writing the series "In Defence of Comrade Krishna Menon", critical of Indian National Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru. Vengalil Krishnan Krishna Menon ( 3 May 1897 - 6 October 1974) was an Indian nationalist and politician Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party [10] Although the series was widely read and praised, he was later admonished by a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for being too focused on Nehru, and the series was discontinued. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ National Volunteers' Organisation) also known as the Sangh or [10][11] The collected series was published in December, 1963 by Vaidya Gurudatta [10] and an updated version released as "Genesis and Growth of Nehruism" thirty years later. However Goel's writings about Nehru in the Organiser cost him his job [12] and disillusioned him of the RSS. [10]

According to Goel, he was kept under surveillance by the Indian government during the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The Sino-Indian War ( Hindi: भारत-चीन युद्ध Bhārat-Chīn Yuddh) also known as the Sino-Indian Border Conflict, was a war between He was however not arrested, even though this was according to him demanded by some government leaders, including future Prime Minister I. K. Gujral. Inder Kumar Gujral (इन्द्र कुमार गुजराल (born 4 December 1919 was the 13th Prime Minister of the Republic of India. [10][13] In November, 1962 he was recruited to participate in a guerilla war against Communist China, but he refused, saying "that so long as Pandit Nehru was the Prime Minister of the country, I could be only a traitor to it. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc A paṇḍit or pundit ( Devanagari: पण्डित is a scholar a teacher particularly one skilled in Sanskrit and Hindu Law, Religion " [10]

During the 1980s Goel worked on a series titled "Muslim Separatism: Causes and Consequences", but some passages from his articles were censored by the Organiser. [10] He discovered that his series was considered too controversial by the RSS leadership who thought that it was alienating Muslims from the party, and Goel had to stop writing for the Organiser after the completion of the series "Perversion of India's Political Parlance". K.R. Malkani, who was the editor for the Organiser for three decades, was sacked because of his support for Goel. K R Malkani was Ex-Lt Governor of Pondicherry and Vice-President of BJP and also an author and journalist [10][14] Goel also noted that on other occasions that some of his articles, e. g. his article on the Vedapuri Iswaran Temple controversy, were suppressed in the Indian media. [15][16]

Publisher and writer

Goel founded the publishing house Biblia Impex India (Aditya Prakashan) in 1963, which published books by authors such as Dharampal, Ram Swarup, K. D. Sethna and K.R. Malkani. Dharampal ( Hindi: धरम पाल (1922 - 2006 was a Gandhian thinker and a Historian from India Kaikhosru Dadhaboy (KD Sethna (born 26 November 1904) is an Indian poet scholar writer philosopher and cultural critic K R Malkani was Ex-Lt Governor of Pondicherry and Vice-President of BJP and also an author and journalist [13] Sita Ram Goel joined the non-profit publishing house Voice of India in 1982. [17] Voice of India was founded in 1982 by Ram Swarup,[18] and published works by Harsh Narain, A. Voice of India is a New Delhi ( India) publishing house supportive of Hindu nationalist sentiment and political ideology Harsh Narain is an Indian author He has a PhD from Lucknow University and was a professor at Benares Hindu University, Aligarh Muslim University and K. Chatterjee, K.S. Lal, Koenraad Elst, Rajendra Singh, Sant R. Kishori Saran Lal (1920 &ndash 2002 was an Indian Historian. He wrote many historical books mainly on medieval India Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation This page is about the winner of the Magsaysay Award. For the fourth Sarsanghchalak of the RSS go here. S. Nirala, and Shrikant Talageri among others . The Rigveda A Historical Analysis is a book by Shrikant G Talageri (b [10]

Early versions of several of Goels books were previously published as a series in periodicals like Hinduism Today, Indian Express or the Organiser. Goel speculates that, a series of article he published in Indian Express in 1989 regarding the destruction of Hindu temples by Muslims, may have contributed to the firing of its editor Arun Shourie the following year. For bi-furicated southern edition see The New Indian Express The Indian Express is an Indian newspaper owned by Ramnath Goenka Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. [10] In August 1990 while releasing two books published by "Voice of India", Bharatiya Janta Party leader L. K. Advani chided Goel for using strong language. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP (भारतीय जनता पार्टी, Translation: Indian People's Party) founded in 1980 is a major Political Lal Krishna Advani (लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi लाल किशनचंद [10]

Goel also worked as a part-time secretary for the All India Panchayat Parishad whose manager was his friend Jayaprakash Narayan. Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known Narayan was impressed by Goel's Hindi book "Samyak Sambuddha" and said to Goel, "If Sanatana Dharma is what you say it is, I am all for it. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. You can count me as a Sanatanist from today. You can say to whomsoever you please that JP has become a Sanatanist. "[10]

Goel was fluent in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, English and Sanskrit, and read Persian. [19]

Opinions

On alleged rewriting of history books

Goel claimed that there was a "systematic distortion" of India's history which the Marxist historians of Aligarh and the JNU had undertaken. [20] In particular, he claims that the history of medieval India and the Islamic invasions is being rewritten. He described it as an "experiment with Untruth" and an exercise in suppressio veri suggestio falsi. [21] According to him, the Ministry of Education has extended this experiment to school-level text-books of history. Goel called it "an insidious attempt at thought-control and brainwashing" and argued that the NCERT guidelines are "recommendations for telling lies to our children, or for not telling to them the truth at all. Brainwashing (also known as Thought reform or as Re-education) consists of any effort aimed at instilling certain attitudes and Beliefs "[21]

On Indian secularism

Goel has also criticized Indian secularism, alleging that "this concept of Secularism is a gross perversion of the concept which arose in the modem West as a revolt against Christianity and which should mean, in the Indian context, a revolt against Islam as well. The preamble of the Constitution of India declares that India is a secular state. "[22]

On Media bias

Goel also claimed that there is a Media bias in India, in particular with regard to criticism of Islam or people like Nehru. Media bias in the United States In 1955 Goel asked one of his friends, who was supportive of Nehru and who had published in many international and national journals, to write an article critical of Nehru's policies. But the Indian publications didn't accept his critical article, and he claims that his standing as a scholar in India suffered thereby. [23]

Goel also described an incident during a seminar on "Hurdles To Secularism" in 1963 which Goel attended, and which was presided over by Jayaprakash Narayan. Jayaprakash Narayan ( Devanāgarī: जयप्रकाश नारायण October 11, 1902 - October 8, 1979) widely known As Goel tells it, most participants in the seminar criticized only "Hindu communalism". But when one Muslim speaker took up the issue of Muslim communalism, he was shouted down by the other Muslims of the seminar, and had to stop talking. [24]

On Indian nationalist organisations

Goel has also criticized Hindu nationalist organizations like the RSS. He claimed that with few exceptions they "shared the Nehruvian consensus on all important issues", and that "the RSS and the BJS stalwarts spent almost all their time and energy in proving that they were not Hindu communalists but honest secularists. " He also claimed that RSS members are worried almost only about the reputation of their organization and their leaders, and are rather ignorant to Hindu causes. [25] When a BJS leader asked him to write a book about the BJS, Goel replied that his book "would be pretty critical on the score of their policies. "[26]

Goel edited the book "Time for Stock-Taking", a collection of papers critical of the RSS. [27] According to Belgian writer Koenraad Elst, Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel wrote in defence of Hinduism, never of "Hindutva". [28]

On Christianity

Goel was outspoken in his criticism of Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Catherine Cornille and others have criticized Goel for his anti-Christian perspective. [29] [30]

In 1995 Goel sent Pat Robertson his book "Jesus Christ: An Artifice for Aggression", and a letter in protest to Robertson's remarks towards the religion of Hinduism. Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22 1930 is a controversial Televangelist from the United States. [31]

On Islam and Muslims

Goel has criticized the history and doctrines of Islam in some of his writings. His works are also cited by critics of Islam like Robert Spencer[32] and Arun Shourie[33]. Robert Bruce Spencer (born 1962 is an American author who writes articles and books relating to Islam and Islamic terrorism. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician.

Despite his criticism of Islam, he said that he is not opposed "to an understanding and reconciliation between the two communities. All I want to say is that no significant synthesis or assimilation took place in the past, and history should not be distorted and falsified to serve the political purposes of a Hindu-baiting herd. "[21] He argues that the Muslims should evaluate the Islamic history and doctrines in terms of rationalism and humanism "without resort to the casuistry marshalled by the mullahs and sufis, or the apologetics propped up by the Aligarh and Stalinist schools of historians", just as the European Christians did centuries earlier with Christianity. In Epistemology and in its broadest sense rationalism is "any view appealing to Reason as a source of knowledge or justification" (Lacey 286 Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal [21]

He believed that the "average Muslim is as good or bad a human being as an average Hindu"[21], and warned:

Some people are prone to confuse Islam with its victims, that is, the Muslims, and condemn the latter at the same time as they come to know the crudities of the former. This is a very serious confusion, which should be avoided by all those who believe in building up a broad-based human brotherhood as opposed to narrow, sectarian, self-centred, and chauvinistic nationalism or communalism. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation [21]

Literary influences

He wrote and published books in English and Hindi. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is He also translated George Orwell's 1984, three Dialogues of Plato, Denis Kincaid's book "The Great Rebel" about Shivaji and other books into Hindi. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950 who used the Pseudonym George Orwell, was an English writer Nineteen Eighty-Four (also titled 1984) by George Orwell (the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair) is a 1949 English Novel Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Shivaji Bhosle, also known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhosle ( Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले (Born February Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is

Goel read many works in Western and Eastern literature, and among his most favorite writers or works were Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare's Hamlet, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Aldous Huxley, Plato, Tagore, Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay, Vaishnava and Baul poets, the Kathamrita written by Mahendranath Gupta (Sri M. Thomas Hardy OM (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 was an English novelist Short story writer and poet of the naturalist movement though he saw William Shakespeare ( baptised Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 Bankim Chandra Chatterjee ( 27 June[[ 838]] - 8 April[[ 894]] (বঙ্কিম চন্দ্র চট্টোপাধ্যায় Bôngkim Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 &ndash 22 November 1963 was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (বিভূতিভূষণ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায় Bibhutibhushon Bôndopaddhae; last name also rendered as Banerjee Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Bauls (বাউল are a group of mystic Minstrels from Bengal, which comprises Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal Mahendranath Gupta (মহেন্দ্রনাথ গুপ্ত ( March 12, 1854 &ndash June 4, 1932) who wrote under the pen name ' ) and Thomas Gray's poem "Elegy"[6]. Thomas Gray ( December 26, 1716 – July 30, 1771) was an English Poet, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge [34] His most favorite book was the Mahabharata, which he read in the original language. [35]

Sita Ram Goel was strongly influenced by Indian writer and philosopher Ram Swarup. Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author He said that his masters have been "Vyasa, Buddha and Sri Aurobindo, as elucidated by Ram Swarup". Vyāsa ( Devanāgarī: व्यास is a central and revered figure in the majority of Hindu traditions Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Sri Aurobindo (শ্রী অরবিন্দ Sri Ôrobindo) ( August 15, 1872 – December 5, 1950) was an Indian [36] He was also influenced by Tilak, Dayananda Sarasvati and Mahatma Gandhi. Tilak redirects here For the Indian nationalist leader see Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This page is about the founder of the Arya Samaj. For others known by the same name please see Swami Dayananda (disambiguation Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January [37]

Banned books

Understanding Islam through Hadis

Further information: Understanding Islam through Hadis

In 1983 Goel reprinted Ram Swarup's "Understanding Islam through Hadis" which sold out fast. Understanding Islam through Hadis is a book by Ram Swarup, first published in 1982 in the USA Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author Understanding Islam through Hadis is a book by Ram Swarup, first published in 1982 in the USA The book was a summary of the Sahih Muslim Hadith, and consisted of extracts from the Hadiths. Sahih Muslim ( Arabic: صحيح مسلم ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, full title "Al-Musnadu Al-Sahihu bi Naklil Adli" is one of the Six major collections In 1987 he again reprinted the book, but the copies of a Hindi translation were seized by the police and Goel was arrested briefly. [38]

In due course, some Muslims and the Jamaat-e-Islami weekly Radiance claimed that the book was offensive. The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is the primarily a religious organisation but it is also an active semi-political organisation that does not contest elections In 1990 the Hindi translation of the book was banned. In March 1991 the English original was banned as well. The criminal case against Goel for printing the book was dismissed after some years on 5 May 1997, but the book still remains banned. [39]

Many Indian intellectuals have protested against the arrest of Goel. [40] Arun Shourie commented on the criminal case:

No one has ever refuted him on facts, but many have sought to smear him and his writing. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. They have thereby transmuted the work from mere scholarship into warning. (. . . )The forfeiture is exactly the sort of thing which had landed us where we are: where intellectual inquiry is shut out; where our traditions are not examined, and reassessed; and where as a consequence there is no dialogue. It is exactly the sort of thing too which foments reaction. (. . . )"Freedom of expression which is legitimate and constitutionally protected," it [the Supreme Court] declared last year, "cannot be held to ransom by an intolerant group or people. " [41]

Hindu View of Christianity and Islam (1993)

In 1993 the MP Syed Shahabuddin, who in 1988 asked for the ban of The Satanic Verses[42], demanded a ban on Ram Swarup's book "Hindu View of Christianity and Islam". The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdie 's fourth Novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Muhammad. [43] Goel and Swarup went into hiding because they feared that they could get arrested. The court accepted a bail, and they could come out of hiding. [44][45] Indian intellectuals like Arun Shourie and K. Arun Shourie (born 1941) is a prominent Indian Journalist, Author, and Politician. S. Lal protested against the ban. [46][47]

Colin Maine's "The Dead Hand of Islam"

In 1986 he reprinted Colin Maine's essay "The Dead Hand of Islam" [7]. Some Muslims filed a criminal case against Goel, alleging that it violated Sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code and similar articles of the Indian Customs Act.

The judge discharged Goel and referred to the earlier court precedent "1983 CrLJ 1446". Speaking of the importance of that precedent, the judge in his discussion said: "If such a contention is accepted a day will come when that part of history which is unpalatable to a particular religion will have to be kept in cold storage on the pretext that the publication of such history would constitute an offence punishable under Sec. 153A of the Penal Code. The scope of S-153A cannot be enlarged to such an extent with a view to thwart history. (. . . ) Otherwise, the position will be very precarious. A nation will have to forget its own history and in due course the nation will have no history at all. (. . . ) If anybody intends to extinguish the history (by prohibiting its publication) of the nation on the pretext of taking action under the above sections, his act will have to be treated as malafide one. "[48]

The Calcutta Quran Petition

Goel published the book The Calcutta Quran Petition with Chandmal Chopra in 1986 and on August 31, 1987 Chandmal Chopra was arrested by the police and kept in police custody until September 8 for publishing with Goel this book on the Calcutta Quran petition. The Calcutta Quran Petition ( कलकत्ता कुरान याचिका) is a book by Sita Ram Goel and Chandmal Chopra and published by Goel under his Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Sita Ram Goel had to abscond to avoid getting arrested. [49]

Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them

There were proposals in November 1990 in Uttar Pradesh to ban Goel's book "Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them". Uttar Pradesh (उत्तर प्रदेश اتر پردیش pronounced, Translation: Northern Province) referred to as '''U Hindu Temples - What Happened to Them is a book in two volumes by Sita Ram Goel, Arun Shourie, Harsh Narain, Jay Dubashi and [50]

Legacy and criticism

Sita Ram Goel has often been described as an "intellectual kshatriya". [51] David Frawley said about Goel that he was "modern India’s greatest intellectual kshatriya", and "one of India’s most important thinkers in the post-independence era". David Frawley (or Vāmadeva Śāstrī वामदेव शास्त्री is an author on Hinduism, Yoga and Ayurveda, and the founder According to Frawley, "Sitaram followed a strong rationalistic point of view that did not compromise the truth even for politeness sake. His intellectual rigor is quite unparalleled in Hindu circles. . . "[52]

Koenraad Elst met Sita Ram Goel in India and wrote about his work: "The importance of Ram Swarup's and Sita Ram Goel's work can hardly be over-estimated. Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation I for one have no doubt that future textbooks on comparative religion as well as those on Indian political and intellectual history will devote crucial chapters to their analysis. " [8] According to Elst, Goel and Swarup gave a first-hand "Pagan" reply to the versions of history and "comparative religion" imposed by the monotheist world-conquerors. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Comparative religion is a field of Religious study that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes myths rituals and concepts among the world's religions For the Celtic Frost album see Monotheist (album In Theology, monotheism (from Greek grc [[wiktμόνος μόνος]] [53]

Meera Nanda wrote on Goel: "In the hands of Hindutva's deep thinkers, notably Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel, dharmic ecology takes an explicitly anti-monotheistic turn, aimed superficially at Christianity. Goel notably, but also many others like N. S. Rajaram and Koenrard Elst hold 'Semitic monotheism' responsible for the crisis of modernity: they take the left's critique of the scientific revolution as disenchanting the world, but blame it on Christianity, rather than on science per se. All the ills of modernity that the left and right both agree upon are pinned on to the monotheistic conception of God who stands outside nature, creating this split between man and nature. "[54]

Political scientist Chetan Bhatt says that Goel has "a highly selective obsession with archaeology and to some extent anthropology" and that he marshalls "the most selective archaeological and historical facts" He also claimed: "Goel’s text uses Islamic sources to ‘prove’ that Mughals were only interested in religious domination of Hindus and nothing more. The historical method used is based almost entirely on highly selective non-contextual quotations from these sources. "[55]

S. Subramaniam criticized Goel's Islamophobia: "Shourie has nothing to say beyond repeating the Islamophobic tirade of his henchman, the monomaniacal Sita Ram Goel who is referred to repeatedly in the text as ‘indefatigable’ and even ‘intrepid’. Goel’s stock in trade has been to reproduce ad nauseam the same extracts from those colonial pillars Elliott and Dowson and that happy neo-colonialist Sir Jadunath Sarkar. "[56]

The Japanese scholar Mitsuhiro Kondô claimed that Golwalkar's views on monotheistic religions "bear a striking resemblance to, and at times are identical to" the views of the Sita Ram Goel. She claimed: "the common structure between these two ideological currents [viz. Golwalkar and Goel/Shourie], separated by several decades as they are, highlights the core of the Hindu nationalist movement: ethnicism or exclusive particularism"[57] Koenraad Elst disagrees with Kondo, and says: "In sharp contrast with the repetitive-nationalistic and Indocentric approach of Golwalkar and the RSS, Goel and Shourie (and Ram Swarup before them) have developed a historical and philosophical critique of Christianity and Islam that has universal validity. It is part of continuum with Western and other foreign critiques of the said religions. [58]

The Belgian scholar Callewaert commented on Goel's book "Jesus Christ: An Artifice for Aggression": It is a well written and well documented book, and without going into detail I can agree with many points you mention. I only take issue with the spirit in which it is written and the conclusions you draw. I worry about the aims you like to achieve, nourishing the feeling you have and that prompted you to write this book. [59] Goel wrote a lengthy reply to Callewaert that is reproduced in his book "History of Hindu-Christian Encounters".

Catherine Cornille has claimed that Goel belongs to a movement that "seeks to return to the pure Vedic religion", which Goel has denied. [60]

Partial Bibliography

Hindi

Translations into Hindi

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 1
  2. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 2
  3. ^ a b Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 3
  4. ^ a b Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 4
  5. ^ a b Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 5
  6. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 6
  7. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 7
  8. ^ Elst, Koenraad, "Ram Swarup (1920-98): outline of a biography" [1]
  9. ^ Sita Ram Goel Genesis and Growth of Nehruism (1993)
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 9
  11. ^ Suzanne Labin said:"I have read your masterpiece, 'In Defense of Comrade Krishna Menon. Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप born Ram Swarup Agarwal ( 1920 - December 26, 1998) was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author Robert Bruce Spencer (born 1962 is an American author who writes articles and books relating to Islam and Islamic terrorism. Ibn Warraq (born 1946 is the Pen name of a Secularist author of Pakistani origin and founder of the Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society Srđa Trifković (also Srdja Trifković; Serbian Cyrillic: Срђа Трифковић and as author Serge Trifkovic) (born July 19 Oriana Fallaci ( 29 June 1929 - 15 September 2006) was an Italian Journalist, Author, and political interviewer Andrew G Bostom, MD MS is an American scholar and Associate Professor of Medicine at Brown University Medical School Swapan Dasgupta ( 3rd October, 1955) is a senior Indian journalist and columnist who was managing editor of India Today weekly till 2003 Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation ' It is profound, well-constructed, well argued, an honest, sound and brilliant study. " On the dust wrapper of "In Defense of Comrade Krishna Menon"
  12. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "How I became a Hindu", Chapter 8
  13. ^ a b Elst, Koenraad, "India's only communalist - A short biography of Sita Ram Goel"
  14. ^ Goel, Sita Ram, "Freedom of expression: Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy"
  15. ^ Goel:How I became a Hindu, History of Hindu-Christian Encounters
  16. ^ Koenraad Elst. Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation BJP vis-a-vis Hindu Resurgence. ch. 17
  17. ^ Goel:Freedom of Expression
  18. ^ Letter by Goel to Hinduism Today, July 1998. Letters [2]
  19. ^ "Koenraad Elst Who is a Hindu? (2001)
  20. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu, ch. See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. 9
  21. ^ a b c d e f Goel, Sita Ram, The Story of Islamic Imperialism
  22. ^ Goel:How I became a Hindu. ch. 9
  23. ^ Goel:How I became a Hindu. ch. 9
  24. ^ Goel:Defence of Hindu Society. ch. 9
  25. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu, ch. 9
  26. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu, ch. 9
  27. ^ Hinduism, Environmentalism and the Nazi Bogey, Koenraad Elst Who is a Hindu? (2001)
  28. ^ Hinduism, Environmentalism and the Nazi Bogey
  29. ^ Preface to Goel's "Catholic Ashrams". See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. 1994.
  30. ^ Catherine Cornille. The Guru in Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity or Opportunity of Inculturation, Louvain, 1990, pp. 192-93.
  31. ^ S. R. Goel:History of Hindu-Christian Encounters, 1996
  32. ^ The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion, Regnery Publishing 2006. The Truth About Muhammad Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion (2006 is a book by Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and Dhimmi The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades), Regnery Publishing, 2005. The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades is a book by best-selling author Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch
  33. ^ Eminent Historians: Their Technology, Their Line, Their Fraud. 1998
  34. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu
  35. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu, ch. 1, 8
  36. ^ Interview in The Observer, February 22, 1997 [3]
  37. ^ Goel: How I became a Hindu
  38. ^ Freedom of expression - Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy (1998, edited by Sita Ram Goel) ISBN 81-85990-55-7
  39. ^ Freedom of expression - Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy (1998, edited by Sita Ram Goel) ISBN 81-85990-55-7
  40. ^ Freedom of expression - Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy (1998, edited by Sita Ram Goel) ISBN 81-85990-55-7
  41. ^ Fomenting Reaction by Arun Shourie. 8 November, 1990. Freedom of expression - Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy (1998, edited by Sita Ram Goel) ISBN 81-85990-55-7
  42. ^ Shahabuddin, Syed. "You did this with satanic forethought, Mr. Rushdie. " Times of India. 13 October 1988.
  43. ^ In Syed Shahabuddin's letter to P. M. Sayeed, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, 20th August 1993. Sita Ram Goel:The Calcutta Quran Petition. , Chapter 1.
  44. ^ S. R. Goel, ed. : Freedom of Expression, 1998
  45. ^ K. Elst: "Banning Hindu Revaluation", Observer of Business and Politics, 1-12-1993
  46. ^ S. R. Goel, ed. : Freedom of Expression, 1998
  47. ^ K. Elst: "Banning Hindu Revaluation", Observer of Business and Politics, 1-12-1993
  48. ^ Freedom of expression - Secular Theocracy Versus Liberal Democracy (1998, edited by Sita Ram Goel) ISBN 81-85990-55-7
  49. ^ Elst 1991
  50. ^ Elst 1991 [4]
  51. ^ e. g. in India’s only communalist: In commemoration of Sita Ram Goel; Edited by Koenraad Elst; Voice of India, New Delhi. (2005)
  52. ^ Frawley, David. How I became a Hindu [5]
  53. ^ Elst, Koenraad, "India's Only Communalist: an Introduction to the Work of Sita Ram Goel. Koenraad Elst (born 7 August 1959) is a Belgian Writer and Orientalist (without institutional affiliation " In "Hinduism and Secularism: After Ayodhya", Arvind Sharma (ed. ) Palgrave 2001
  54. ^ Meera Nanda: "Dharmic ecology and the neo-Pagan international: the dangers of religious environmentalism in India", presented at panel no. 15 at the 18th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, 6-9 July 2004 in Lund, Sweden, Hinduism, Environmentalism and the Nazi Bogey
  55. ^ Chetan Bhatt: Liberation and Purity. Race, New Religious Movements and the Ethics of Post modernity, UCL Press, London 1997
  56. ^ S. Subramaniam "History sheeter. Bullheaded Shourie makes the left-right debate a brawl" India Today, 7-12-1998.
  57. ^ Mitsuhiro Kondô: "Hindu nationalists and their critique of monotheism", in Mushirul Hasan and Nariaki Nakazato: The Unfinished Agenda. Nation Building in South Asia, Manohar, Delhi 2001. Koenraad Elst Who is a Hindu? (2001)
  58. ^ "Koenraad Elst Who is a Hindu? (2001)
  59. ^ S. See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. See also Hindutva Who Is a Hindu? Who is a Hindu? is a book by Koenraad Elst published in 2001 by Voice of India. R. Goel:History of Hindu-Christian Encounters, 1996
  60. ^ Preface to Goel's "Catholic Ashrams". 1994.

References

External links

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