Shiban Khaibri
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , while being handed over on behalf of the Indian Air Force (IAF) the first of the long awaited 36 Rafale fighter jet aircraft in Paris on October 8 performed ‘Shastra Puja’ ceremony or Indian traditional weapons’ worship at aircraft maker Dassault Aviation facility in Merignac , south-western France . He rightly called it a ‘historic moment’ as Rafale was poised to boost India’s air dominance exponentially to “ensure” peace and stability in the region. It is worth noting that Rafale is not meant to be used for flying passengers from one place to the other but to strike terror and devastation right in the territory of an enemy on being provoked with an act of aggression.
In other words, Rafale is a ‘shastra’ or a weapon and when a new weapon is purchased and that also of the like of Rafale, should it not be emblazoned with a tilak of ‘Om’, the identity of India along with putting some flowers and a coconut ? If not, what else should the Defence Minister have done to please those pseudo secularists and the ones who take pride in deriding great Indian culture ?
At the outset , a word about the sacred Om or AUM. It is the most sacred and revered mantra in Hindu religion and the Tibetan Buddhism . It appears at the beginning and at the end of most of the Sanskrit recitations , prayers , texts, scriptures and the like. It is the most powerful mystic syllable because of A, U and M , sounds of which originate in the pit of the stomach, throat and mouth respectively . It is the sound of the big bang when the cosmos was created hence does not date back to a few centuries only. Aum contains the entire universe , the first sound from the beginning of time and encompasses present and the future . It is the basic or the seed or the ultimate power used as a building block for other mantras. It refers to the self within and the ultimate reality – all powerful – one God or the divine Supreme Spirit.
However, it was the occasion of Vijay Dashmi when Rajnath Singh received the jet fighter or the day of victory of truth over the evil, the conquest and vanquishing of demons and foes of humanity and human values and being a cherished tradition in India for thousands of years . It is all about to worship the ‘Shakti’ or the power which is done by underlining the importance of weapons which is symbol of Shakti. Without Shakti, one was vulnerable to all sorts of perils even threat to one’s right to life . Maryada Parshotam Ram, Whom even staunch Muslim like Allama Iqbal reverentially called the “Imam-e- Hind ” which at that time included the present Pakistan , the PoK and whole of the present India, first performed the pooja of his weapons as a mark of respect to the symbol of ‘Shakti’ before launching an attack on the most powerful Ravana . Since Shree Ram is the epitome of the rich and great Indian civilization , shastra pooja is one of the infinite branches of that great civilization , Defence Minister in deference to that civilization and tradition, performed ‘Pooja’ of the jet and emblazoned it with sacred Om. And why not, India, a secular country is with 82 percent Hindu population and Om is the soul and the identity of India. Again, it is Hindus because of adhering to the immortal greatest philosophy of “Vasudeva Kutumukum” nor the entire universe is one family – agreed to India becoming a secular country forgiving those who demanded and got Pakistan by dividing India on narrow, prejudiced and exclusive despicable mindset. And in remaining India , should anyone dare to oppose writing of Aum on the new jet fighter aircraft?
Some Congress leaders, still not learning from the causes of their being reduced to two digits strength in Parliament, continue to feel ached and suffer from twingeing over emblazoning of the jet with the tilak of Aum. There should be no reasons for going to the extent of convulsing in throes of pseudo secularism while opposing to respecting a tradition followed in India for thousands of years. Is anyone put to any harm, offended or insulted with this hard core Indian tradition , absolutely not. Union Home Minister Amit Shah duly hit back to the criticism by Congress leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge by saying those who used to worship Quattrocchi, Shustra Pooja was a problem for them. Coming heavy on such leaders to term it as “tamasha” ,he said that after repeated defeats , Congress was frustrated and did not know what it was opposing . Opposition Parties had problems with modernisation of Air Force and even Indian customs and traditions. How could writing of the sacred Aum be called as “Tamasha” ?
However, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam castigated the cheap jibe of “Tamasha” by saying ,”Sastra Pooja cannot be called a tamasha as it is thousands of years old tradition of this country, I know Mallikarujan Kharge is an atheist and does not believe in praying but not everyone in the Congress is an atheist. In the entire country only 1% are atheists who should not impose their beliefs on the Party and society, Indian culture , traditions and heritage are far bigger than any party or individual.” Sanjay Nirupam , if a bit late, but understood all what Congress had been doing when it comes to Hindus and Hindu Religion (It is not Hinduism as there is no ISM with it). Again, see the broadmindedness of the majority Hindu population and Organisations in not opposing and calling it a Tamasha when on August 12, 2013 , Madam Antony , wife of the then Defence Minister A. K. Antony landed INS Vikrant by writing a cross on it which was her religious symbol and custom but not of majority of the Indian population. Why at that time, no Congress leader or other pseudo secularist of appeasement groups raised any objection? Was secularism then very secure and not endangered? Why was Sandeep Dixit, Kharge, Rashid Alvi and the like silent then and why on writing OM they should feel ill at ease ?
Ancient glorious Indian civilization, traditions and customs were systematically eclipsed post independence period by protagonists of fake secularism, historians who distorted real history and champions of so called “Gang-Jammuna Tehzeeb” and if at all credence was given to anything , it was when chaddars were offered at Mazaras and at shrines of Muslim ‘Sofi saints’. No problems or qualms about that .When you had to report about Hindus and that too in divided India , you had to be cautious and write only ‘members belonging to a particular community’ or at best to majority community. Some type of faint renaissance of India’s original culture is surfacing in India after a very long time, please do not derail and deride it or try to put spokes in its wheels. It, perhaps, may boomerang.
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