When the victorious rulers eulogized their victory and wrote their history of conquests, they painted their enemies in morbid colours. The conquered were described as cannibals, demons, beastly, and their murders were celebrated as festivals. Today, if we so much as question such celebrations of “murders”, we are instantly branded as anti-national. Their sentiments are hurt. But sentiments of the other group are also being offended. What about their feelings? Indeed, those in power acknowledge their own sentiments but what about the sentiments of those who are not in power? Does it make any sense? Let’s take the example of the Holi festival. Is it wrong to say that this festival celebrates the memory of a woman being burnt alive? The only change that has come about is that those who flashed lathis (sticks) earlier wield sugarcane sticks now. After all, Holika was a woman (a human being), who is burnt alive year after year, albeit symbolically. Hiranyakashyap was thrown before a hungry tiger. Anything can be concocted as a story. This story tells us that Hiranyakashyap was opposed to the Vedas and Yagyas. He followed a different culture and his world view was at variance with that of the Brahmins. According to the Rig Veda, the Aryans requested Indra, “O Lord, please kill these people. They don’t perform yagyas. They follow an alien culture and they aren’t like us. Destroy them and protect our culture.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Why self-proclaimed nationalists hate Christians and Muslims
