The paradox of Hindu reform is that although both the Hindu reformers and government considered a reform as desirable, they were against the government making the reform. – Prof. Arvind Sharma
This is the paradox of Hindu reform, that although Hindu reformers Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Raja Rammohun Roy and the British government considered an outcome as desirable, they were against the government for doing so.
One prominent feature of modern Hinduism, that is to say, the form of Hinduism which has evolved after around 1800, is its concern with the reformation of Hindu society.
During this period, many deformities in Hindu societies were identified in the form of such rites as Sati, untouchability, caste discrimination, denial of rights to women, child marriage among others. A concerted effort was made, through various religious movements such as the Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Movement, and so on, to rectify them.
One interesting feature of this period, however, seems to have escaped attention, which I would like to identify through the life and deeds of two major figures of this period – Raja Rammohun Roy (1772/4-1833) and Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920).
Raja Rammohun Roy is well-known for his efforts to abolish sati. It is less well-known, however, that when Governor-General William Bentinck consulted him in 1829, on the eve of the promulgation of its abolition by the British government, he advised them not to do so.
This naturally surprised Bentinck, but Roy explained to him that if this was done by the British government, it would be perceived as an interference in the customs of the people, and that he wanted instead for the rite to disappear with the spread of enlightenment among the Hindus. This is the paradox of Hindu reform, that although both the Hindu reformers and government considered an outcome as desirable, they were against the government for doing so.
A similar example is provided by the life of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. When the British proposed to lay down the minimum age of marriage for women and men, Tilak opposed this move.
He is often presented in history books as an orthodox and regressive individual for doing so. What is not equally well-known is that he invited all Hindu leaders, who supported the British government, to join him in a public meeting, where all of them would declare that none of them would marry their daughters before they were 16 years of age. No one joined him.
This move on his part was to expose the hypocrisy of those Hindu leaders, who ostensibly supported the move but were not willing to commit themselves to meeting its condition in their personal lives. The more important reason for opposing it on the part of Tilak, however, was that he claimed reform of the Hindu society was the business of the Hindus, and not the British government.
Therein lies the great paradox of Hindu reform—that Hindus want reform but not when the initiative is taken by non-Hindus, and especially not by an ostensibly secular government. This paradox is of profound significance.
At issue is the question: Who has the right to reform Hinduism? Is it the Hindu community and society, or non-Hindus and the government?
The real question is: Does Hinduism possess the resources to reform itself? The Muslims and Christians do not think so—both feel that Hindus, in order to get rid of their problems, must convert to Islam or Christianity.
The Communists also do not think so—they desire to get rid of religion itself. The secularists do not think so—they want the secular government to intervene.
But, the Hindus, as represented by these reformers, feel that Hinduism, as a plural tradition, which allows room for all kinds of views and possibilities, itself possesses the resources to reform itself. It is a question of confidence, especially self-confidence. – News18, 22 December 2024
› Prof. Arvind Sharma, formerly in the IAS, is the Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he has taught for over 30 years. He has also taught in Australia and the US and at Nalanda University. He has published extensively in the fields of Indian and world religions.
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