Culture and Religion PDF

Culture and Religion Author(s): P. R. Ram Source: Economic and Political Weekly , Feb. 15-21, 1997, Vol. 32, No. 7 (Feb. 15-21, 1997), p. 310 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4405077 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, research...

Culture and Religion Author(s): P. R. Ram Source: Economic and Political Weekly , Feb. 15-21, 1997, Vol. 32, No. 7 (Feb. 15-21, 1997), p. 310 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4405077 JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Economic and Political Weekly is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Economic and Political Weekly This content downloaded from 136.176.200.19 on Fri, 07 Apr 2023 17:37:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms LETTERS TO EDITOR Culture and Religion the sword. It was to gain their liberty from there is a place called Haji Ali and close to zamindars and priests..." Mumbai there is Haji Malang Dargah where THIS is in response to Ashok Chowgule's Like the Hindu community, the Muslim thousands of Muslims and Hindus throng, letter (November 2, 1996). Chowgule writes: community is also heterogeneous and the unmindful of the communal interpretation "What are the distinctive features which bulk of both from last many centuries has being given to their roots by the votaries of separate them [Muslims] from Hindus...in originated from here only. The 'import of the Hindu right. this country? Obviously the main culture' from outside geographical borders, As Chowgule seems to be taking Ambedkar characteristic is their belief in Allah...which which is a serious concern of Chowgule, has seriously, one may suggest to him a serious is the central feature of Islam." But since the affected all the communities in equal reading of Ambedkar's 'Riddles of Rama culture of Indian Muslims is different from measures. The intensification changes in and Krishna' before he passes the fatwa that of Muslims of other countries, "the transport, communication and media affect about their 'role' in our life. cultural roots of Muslim citizens of India are all of us and the culture of a 'Hindu' today Mahatma Gandhi's 'Hindu-Muslim bhai- outside geographical borders". is not the same as it was a century or a decade bhai' has all the more meaning today when, Cossman and Kapur (September 21, 1996) ago, it has definitely been influenced by life being bashed by the onslaught of Hindutva are making the point that in India, Muslims outside 'our' geographical border. Barring forces, the disadvantaged sections of society are "a historically disadvantaged and this fact which affects all of us, if Chowgule are writhing in pain and suffering. The price culturally distinctive group". To draw from is hinting at Arab 'roots' of Muslim culture of the politics of the elite is always paid by this the conclusion that the cultural roots of he is grossly mistaken as roots of majority the disadvantaged of the community. I wish Muslim citizens of India are outside the of Muslims lie in the culture of our own Chowgule heeds the advice of Swami Viveka- geographical borders of India is nothing but untouchables of )'esteryears. nand "for our own motherland, a fusion of importing one's preconceived notion on a By implication, as per Chowgule, Rama the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam simple statement which sums up the and Krishna and not Babar and Aurangazeb -a Vedantic brain and Islam body is the only multiplicity of Indian culture. For that matter, have to have a role in 'our' national life and hope" (Collected Works, Vol VI, p416) and religion is not the only determinantof culture.they should be our heroes. Neither were instead of using distorted logic while reading It is one of the multiple factors which deter- Rama and Krishna heroes of all Hindus, nor Cossman and Kapur, thinks of the composite, mine the growth of culture of a community. do all Muslims identify with Babar or syncretic cultural ethos which is our heritage. Though some aspects may be common in the Aurangazeb. There is a huge spectrum of Rather than impose Ram and Krishna on culture of Malayalee and Bengali Muslims, Hindu sects who revere multiple gods, everybody, let us respect people's faith and there is a vast difference between the two. multiple goddesses and even some of them belief systems which necessarily are native, For that matter a Malayalee Muslim may do not believe in any of them preferring to changing and constantly interacting with one have more in common with a fellow Hindu be atheists. It is only during the last decade another. The time has come, after a whole Malayalee than a UP Muslim. Again, within that Rama is being imposed on all Hindus decade of aggression in the name of Rama co-religionists of the same region also culture unmindful of their preferences of worship. and Krishna and humiliating minorities by of the rich elite and the poor is not the same. It is only during the last decade or so that attributing to them the sins of Babar and The culture of a UP Julaha will have very Babar and Aurangazeb are being projected Aurangazeb, that we try to understand the little in common with culture of a UP Ashraf as the heroes of 'all Muslims'. Let Chowgule needs of the disadvantaged sections of our or a Muslim Rajput. go to the slums of Mumbai or villages of society (minorities included), which is not Cossman and Kapur's sentence which Kerala to find out how many Muslims identify just the 'worship of national heroes' as defined Chowgule quotes is incomplete without its with Babar and Aurangazeb. The majority by Chowgule, but the problems of daily life, previous half-"a historically disadvantaged" of the minority community has its peers, sufi housing,employment, freedom from hunger, group. Culture is not a static category to be saints scattered all over the country, some- illiteracy and disease. brought or imported and lived on for all the thing which I am sure Chowgule is aware P R RAM times to come. The interaction of social of but prefers to ignore. Right in his Mumbai Mumbai groups and changing socio-political scenario keep it constantly on the move. The Indian Subscription Rates Muslim community has cultural roots in this Inland region only. But to understand this one has (including Nepal and Bhutan) to understand the spread of Islam. The (in rupees) majority of Muslims in Indiahavetheirorigin Six months One year Two years Three years in the Indian soil only. It is only a handful Institutions - 600 1125 1650 of those who might have come from the lands Individuals 250 475 875 1275 to which Chowgule is referring. Islam spread Concessional Rates Teachers/Researchers - 325 - 900 first in the south due to interaction with Arab Students - 225 - - traders. Later with different Mughal invasions Concessional rates are available only in India. To avail of concessional rates, certificate from many aristocratic families changed over to relevant institution is essential. Islam out of fear or anticipation of reward. Remittance by money order/bank draft/postal order requested. Please add Rs 14 to outstation Some of the converts to Islam were also due cheques towards bank collection charges. Foreign (in US $) to the impact of sufi saints but the bulk of Air Mail Surface Mail conversions were from our own shudras and Institutions Individuals Institutions Individuals poor peasants, which made Swami Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka 80 50 65 30 Vivekanand (Collected Works, Vol VIII, USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, p 330) remark, "Why amongst the poor of New Zealand, Australia & Russia 150 100 90 65 All other countries 100 70 70 50 India so many are Mohammadens? It is All remittances to Economic and Political Weekly nonsense to say that they were converted by 310 Economic and Political Weekly February 15, 1997 This content downloaded from 136.176.200.19 on Fri, 07 Apr 2023 17:37:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms