In India, where the entire world is considered one’s family, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” (the world is one family), if the people of a particular religion indulge in a dance of destruction on Christmas Day, the biggest religious festival, then it can only be attributed to the distorted mentality of some people. However, such actions deeply tarnish India’s image globally and call into question India’s ability to become a world leader. The question is that Indian culture has, since ancient times, advocated for the integration of all faiths and religions, and in this country, both theistic and atheistic religions have flourished in parallel. The main reason for this is that Hindu culture is fundamentally guided by compassion and love for all living beings and prays for the welfare of the entire universe.
It is no small feat that Christianity reached India before reaching Europe after the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. The state of Kerala still houses the world’s oldest church. India has been a safe haven for followers of all religions since its inception because Hindu culture allows no discrimination based on religion. It inspires love among all human beings and holds humanity supreme. Hindus consider Sanatana Dharma to be ancient and eternal. When followers of this Sanatana Dharma worship Mahachandi, the destroyer of demonic forces, they pray: “O Goddess, make all people in the world knowledgeable, famous, and wealthy, and grant me wisdom and strength.
Vidyavantam, Yashasvantam, Lakshmivantam Janam Kuru
Rupam Dehi, Jaim Dehi, Yasho Dehi Dwisho Jahi.”
Therefore, how can the followers of Sanatana Dharma, which seeks the development and upliftment of all humanity, display hatred against followers of a single religion, Christianity, and destroy their religious symbols on Christmas Day? Such people don’t even understand the negative impact their actions will have on the lives of Hindus and other Indians living in the world’s 120 Christian and 57 Muslim countries, and the embarrassment India will face on the international stage as a nation. How would Indians feel if the natives of foreign countries adopted a similar attitude towards the festivals of Indians living there and disrupted their festivals like Holi and Diwali? Diwali has been included among the global festivals. This is the 21st century, and no country can survive or progress in isolation.
In the era of a global economy, the development of people in different countries is increasingly dependent on each other’s income sources. A country can progress towards development only by providing the resources it possesses for development to others. An example of this is the Muslim nation of the United Arab Emirates, where the Dubai area is considered secure and investments there are considered safe. Following economic liberalization, India’s development has become dependent on foreign investment, leading the Indian government to open every sector of the economy to foreign investment. This investment will only come when there is social peace and harmony everywhere in India, and an atmosphere of love and brotherhood among the people. However, on Christmas Day, the way some crazy individuals destroyed the traditional decorations and symbols of Santa Claus in some states, especially Chhattisgarh, sent a message to all Christian countries, including the United States, that India lacks social peace and is facing increasing difficulties for the Christian community, despite the religion’s commitment to kindness, compassion, and love. Hindu culture has been operating on this principle for thousands of years, with the utterly materialistic sage Charvaka and the principled Maharaja Manu.
Followers of both live in India. The Indian Constitution advocates equal development for people of all faiths. This inspiration came from India’s Hindu culture. Ultimately, what do some crazy people want to achieve by disrupting social harmony in the country, and what is their intention? Their actions cannot be in the national interest in any way, as they seek to narrow down Indian culture and defile its identity. Just imagine what would happen to those living in Christian countries if someone extinguished the glowing lamps and tampered with the idol of Lord Ganesha on Diwali, the biggest festival of Hindus there. India is the land where a new Sikh religion emerged five and a half centuries ago and its originator Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj considered Hindus, Muslims and Christians equal and said that,
some say Ram-Ram, some say Khudaaye,
some say Sevai Gusaiyan, some say Allahaye,
hence it is very important that we the people of India should not allow any discrepancy to enter our cultural identity and should deal strictly with those who spoil the image of India.
