From subsistence to a defensive existence, now brimming into offence, the Hindu identity has devolved with the passage of time. Unlike many other modern religions of the world which relied on conversion and expansion, the Hindu identity was passed on from generation to generation inside a bounded geographical nook of the world, i.e. the Indian subcontinent. Its people followed it, adapted it across generations, geographies, et al. Yet now a certain section of Hindus feel the need to doggedly advertise and thrust their version of Hinduism on the world.

A few months back, the Haryana government decided setting aside a generous cash purse for the ‘Gau Seva Aayog’ and providing ID cards to ‘gau rakshaks’. Vigilante outfits are forcing people to convert to Hinduism in the name of ‘Ghar Wapasi’, destroying film sets and murdering people for ‘disrespecting’ Hindu values; offensive religion specific text and imagery is being circulated on the unregulated social media during every national event of consequence. The recent vandalism in Saharanpur and Fatehpur Sikri police stations, death of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan and moral policing by anti-Romeo squads are disturbing trends where matters personal and domestic are up for moral censorship. The surge in such imprudent incidents is taking away the credibility of the rich history of Hinduism as well as the development initiatives of the BJP governments. It should set the alarm bells ringing amongst not just the so called ‘leftists’ but the restful Hindu world at large. What happens if these moral guardians find fault with the way we pray, celebrate, revere, dress, eat and even the way we conjugate! Pray tell, which Hindu text lays out these guidelines? What belies this sudden stiffness and self promotion? Is it mere insecurity or an identity crisis? What has changed in the past decade?

In today’s world of Whatsapp and virtual reality, lives an overexposed generation OD’ing on hyper-consumerism; it was never a part of a decent revolution. The world is replete with a rising population, shrinking jobs, uncertain markets and unspent emotion. People, all over the world, are looking for something to attach their passions and frustrations to. This phenomenon has led to the resurgent trends of right wing idealism globally; from the rise of the Islamic State to Brexit to Trump’s presidency to the ‘Narendra Modi’ wave in India to the recent Uttar Pradesh elections. People want to separate their black and white, with little room for all things grey. There is a yearning for an informed identity, both at a national as well as religious level, amongst the IBCD’s (Indian Born Confused Desi’s). An increasing number of highly qualified, technologically savvy youth is endorsing this brand of Hindutva, a trend similar to that seen in Islamist extremism during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Also, Indologists like David Frawley and Koenraad Elst, journalist Francois Gautier and Pakistan-born Canadian Tarek Fatah are validating the Hindutva version of nationalism, on matters like cow protection, triple talaq and the Ram Mandir.

The Hindu religion was not born a quantifiable number of years ago and it does not follow a fixed set of rules or teachings. The myriad rituals differ from every region to the next. Next generation Hindus have seldom questioned the previous one about the good or the bad of their religion, be it the diversity or the rigid caste system. For most, it was a way of life to be followed and imbibed, in their own little corner, not an accessory to be advertised. Outside of the subcontinent, there has always been an aura of mysticism and confusion around Hinduism, sometimes aided by blatant misinformation. There is no single book which you can read and learn the Hindu way of life. In the world of media favorite socialists, industry spewing capitalists, retail hyped Christmas and chest thumping Islamic State, the lack of cohesiveness in their religion confuses modern Hindus, who are seeking answers to their collective identity. It is this section which has become soft target, even unwillingly and unwittingly at times, for the misinformed myopic preaching of select self declared guardians of ‘Hindutva’. The Hindu religion still puzzles scholars after having studied infinite volumes of scriptures and the innumerable customs across castes and regions. Alas, vigilantes claim that a religion, as vast and complex as Hinduism, is contained only within a few of their tenets and teachings!

Another trend in the recent past has been the hardened, almost rigid, positioning of the so called ‘liberals’, which is both interesting and disturbing at the same time. Instead of pushing for dialogue and debate, the new set of ‘liberals’ have also adopted all things that irk Hindus as their holy grail. In a society where every win counts, the liberals are looking for their own place in the sun and battling their own insecurities of becoming irrelevant. This has led to the ‘liberal’ section in India becoming almost as rigid, if not more, as the right and the left wings. The more liberal left inclined academia and media has always been uncomfortable with attaching itself to even the slightest symbol of a majority religion, especially in India; the reason of which has probably more to do with the religion’s ‘majority’ tag than the ‘Hindu’ identity. Also, Hinduism being an ancient and complex religion has somehow translated into it being ‘backward’ in the eyes of the educated elite of its own, its rich history notwithstanding.

The lack of even one modern eminent role model, comfortable and confident of one’s religious identity, for the longest time has given birth to long standing awkwardness and frustration amongst the Hindu people. Like seasoned stock brokers timing the stock market correctly, a certain political mileage craving section of Hindus has scored the opportunity to fill this vacuum with their brand of ‘Hindutva’. Like any successful brand, they are manufacturing a need, in this case insecurity in the face of a fabricated existential threat, and then feeding off it.

From taking pride in its pre-civilization beginnings, to literally drawing out swords for cow vigilantism, the modern Hindu is in a deep paradox. The religion has its roots in the worship of mother goddess and nature. There is enough evidence that the Hindus revered the natural life cycle and were natural hunters; a section may have ventured towards vegetarianism as Hinduism assimilated characteristics of regions and religions it came in contact with. With passage of time, we moved from nature worship to idol worship. We moved from nature to class to caste to Arya Samaj. Who decides which version of Hinduism is the correct version, a vigilante outfit or a political party? Why do we have to choose? In absence of baptism or circumcision, do we have to be branded by fake Hindutva vigilantes and political parties to gain our passport to being a legitimate Hindu?