Thoughts on Pahalgam

[Prashant Parikh]

Silence motivated by political correctness is not on the agenda today. Not today... For those unaware, Hindu tourists visiting Kashmir were ambushed and killed by Islamic terrorists. Men were asked their names (to validate their identity as Hindus vs Muslims) and asked to drop their pants (Muslims circumsize; Hindus do not). Then they were shot in cold blood. The crime? Being Hindus. A newly married couple on their honeymoon met the same fate. The wife was let go - not out of mercy, but to "spread the news", that if you have the misfortune of being a Hindu, you will be killed. 

As I said, silence is not on the agenda any longer. I will share a few personal incidents:

1. I was young. Maybe 8 or 10. We lived in Mumbai and were driving to Lonavala (nearest hill station) for a weekend retreat. There was some road work and we had to detour through an unfamiliar area. We may have missed a turn and landed up in a Muslim dominated muhalla. There were Pakistani flags hanging from every window and doorway, with bearded men staring down at us. We didn't dare stop and ask for directions. My parents' face turned ashen white. Anyone with half a working brain knew this could quickly turn into a misfortune. Dad pressed down on the accelerator and zipped out. Now imagine a neighborhood - any neighborhood - in Pakistan with Indian flying flags all over. Won't happen. Can't happen. The reason is obvious 

2. Another time my father visited some street - maybe Crawford market. Another bearded man with a skullcap purposely bumped into him and accused him of the same. Out of the blue 3-4 of them surrounded by father and forced him to pay up, which he obviously did. Many individuals I know have had similar encounters. 

3. When a word is overused it loses its meaning. Such is the case with 'terrorism', which contains the word terror- a deep fear that strikes at one's heart. A sense of dread where one feels constantly unsafe. As a Muslim living in a Hindu neighborhood. You have nothing to fear. Now imagine a Hindu living in a Muslim neighborhood, and I don't mean in Pakistan or Bangladesh but in India itself. A riot 1,000 miles away is enough for your life to be endangered. You're neighbors are the gasoline. All it takes is a matchstick strike. Your entire world is set on fire.

4. Islamophobia is a red herring. It's a marketing word that has been used to gaslight or guilt victims into not blaming their perpetrators. Do not cower under the pressure of this word and refuse to call a spade a spade. 

5. When Muslims are in a minority in any country, they cry foul, though their existence is never under threat. When they become a majority they strip away other religions of all fundamental rights. The fate of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh is both a historical and presently unfolding tragedy. 

6. Hinduphobia is real. Islam has an integral agenda called Gazwa - E-Hind. It is a promise, an oath, to Islamicize India, and has been an agenda since the Islamic / Mughal invasion and beyond. 

7. I have skimmed through translations of the Quran. Even ones officially sanctioned by Islamic states such as Saudi Arabia. Some 400 odd verses in that book are dedicated to hatred against Kafirs (including Hindus) and the terrible fate Kafirs would suffer. The hatred is not incidental, it is sanctioned. 

8. There are verses that suggest: Use sweet words to convert Kafirs. If sweet words fail, use the sword. 

9. Around 18 of the top 20 terrorist organization in the world are Islamic. If one doesn't see the undeniable correlation, then we have a problem with accepting facts. 

Why am I saying this today? Because rakshasas exist. They take on differently forms and wear different garbs and entertain different beliefs. But they exist - always have, always will. If one still thinks this religion is worth defending or inherently peaceful, let's awaken to reality. Even in India places like Kashmir, parts of Bengal, Kerala etc are gaining notoriety for violence perpetrated against Hindus. 

Understand how exponential functions work and we will see that it's only a matter of time before the minority population explodes to become a majority. District by district, state by state. If we continue business as usual, our children, grandchildren or great grandchildren will face the consequences. 

Some of you may choose to be quit this group hereafter - that is fine, we cannot be ostriches with our heads in the sand, using Vedanta as "spiritual escapism". Arjuna was admonished by Krishna not to run away from his Dharma, when he expressed a desire to escape the battleground and seek alms like a brahmachari. 

Furthermore, the majority of Hindu shastras are oriented towards Dharma. Moksha is only a privilege we can exercise in a society that is well functioning, not a substitute for Dharmika responsibility. Ramayana and Mahabharata teach us well. 

May the fallen Hindus and their families know peace. May their deaths not be in vain. May it awaken the devatas and manushyas. Om Shanti.

[Prashant Parikh]

Imagine this was your sister. Or daughter. She could have remained someone's wife, but the terror of Islam snubbed that life away from her, that too on her honeymoon.

Anger is a legitimate emotion, a most useful emotion. But it must be directed. Anger channeled towards righteous/dharmika causes accomplishes two things
Imagine this was your sister. Or daughter. She could have remained someone's wife, but the terror of Islam snubbed that life away from her, that too on her honeymoon.

Anger is a legitimate emotion, a most useful emotion. But it must be directed. Anger channeled towards righteous/dharmika causes accomplishes two things
1. Makes a real impact
2. Eliminates any sense of helplessness.

Never instigate such a person of Dharma, lest you evoke his righteous anger. Even the devatas will boost him on his warpath. Each one of us can partake in the pain wrought by this tragedy and do a few things.

1. Completely boycott halal products. Money talks. When we take away our business we stifle the engine of growth and productivity that nurtures the jihadist forces. Do not underestimate the power of the free market to shape the world. Each one of us controls one thread through our consumption habits. Have alertness to check the labels before buying anything, and the willpower to boycott it if halal.
2. Stop being afraid to call out Islamic terror for what it is. There is no benefit to denying the correlation any longer. The more we deny it the more we normalize violence against our people without naming the perpetrating community. We are descendants or Rama and Arjuna. Fear must be put aside when duty calls. And the duty now is to be truthful about the threat. Makes a real impact