Hinduism is the ancient religion on earth. Other religions have got the history of only two thousand-odd years, whereas Hinduism has got its root from the time when Indus Valley civilisation was at its peak. Since the religion is old, some practices, which are being followed, are unacceptable to majority of the Hindus today.

As evidences, ladies jumping into the funeral pyre of husband, child marriages, and exploiting the ladies of weaker sections of society by adopting them for temple services were unresistingly followed.

Illiteracy and fear of blasphemy were the main causes for these ugly practices to have a smooth sail. Later when people attained certain degree of literacy coupled with revolutionary type public awareness made them to throw these practices and completely wipe them from the society.

But still there are some practices, which are followed today, that are against the majority of the Hindus. These practices are posing a threat to the future survival and fear to the present conversion.

In other religions, the devotees are allowed to enter into all places in the place of worship without any resistance by not branding any particular place as the prohibited area.

Moreover, any interested person who wants to become a priest in the worship place can attain that position by acquiring the graduation on completion of religious studies from the Institute of Religion.

These basic rights are not given to majority of the Hindus and as a result they can't go freely into the temple where everyone is equal in front of Almighty and their desires being burnt by not getting a chance to serve as priests. This treatment of inequality forces vexed Hindus to go for conversion in the light of getting respect from others of the same religion.

The majority of the Hindus follow Hinduism just for an identity to get the social status from the society and not really having any affection towards Hinduism. They celebrate Hindu festivals for happiness and family orientation and go to temple for peace.

If any one wants to know the real depth of this theory, just put your hand across your chest and think for a while, certainly you will get the answer. Though we are more than 80 per cent Hindus in India, we couldn't mobilise people remarkably throughout India on Ayodhya issue, then in North, and Shankaracharya issue, now in South.

Now, who is going to save Hinduism? There are people to save Hinduism. The so-called people and organisations calling them as the protectors of Hinduism should come forward to fight out the inequalities and to eradicate other similar practices.

Once they are able to achieve this then they don't have to worry about Hinduism and if any humiliating incident occurs against our religion, the whole nation will rally behind them to make things straight.

This is how we have to save Hinduism, not by making hue and cry for Ayodhya and Shankaracharya. There is an old proverb, which says, "Service to Community is Service to God".

S Sankara Subramanian
Melbourne,
Australia

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