A VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS
By Rich Trzupek
The Hindu Factor
Though they are largely ignored in the struggle against fanaticism and terrorism, the Hindu community deserves the world�s thanks. Their parts of the world are frequently the target of snide jokes in this country and terrorist attacks in their native lands, but Hindus have steadfastly avoided upping the ante into what is�in fact�a global religious conflict.
It would have been easy to do so. The birthplace of Hinduism, India, is still a target of aggression from Muslim fanatics, as recent attacks have emphasized. There is still tension at the border with Muslim Pakistan.
Yet, these problems are little more than a sideshow on the world�s stage, and that speaks volumes for the nature of the people involved. Yes, Pakistan and India have shed blood, Yes, the Muslim minority in India has suffered some injustices. Yet, all things considered�and especially considering the provocation to which they have been subject�the Hindu world has displayed remarkable forbearance.
Some of that must be attributed to the legacy of one of the founders of modern India: Mahatma Ghandi. Though he was not a saint in all things as he is often portrayed, Ghandi did indelibly imprint the principle of non-violence upon his countrymen and, for this gift he should be honored. Some of it should be attached to the peaceful nature of the nation�s dominant religion. The rest of this happy result can surely be tied to the fact that India is the world�s largest democracy.
Anyone who believes that democracy isn�t the best system of government, or that it can not work in a non-western culture, need look no further than the sub-continent. Indian democracy went through its fair share of trials and tribulations over 50+ years of maturity (a time frame that people who scoff at the idea of a Muslim democracy can not comprehend) but, today, India is a thriving, growing example of what popular representation can accomplish.
During his recent visit to the country, President Bush officially welcomed India as a nuclear power. By doing so, he affirmed a fact that should be readily-apparent: India has matured into the sort of responsible, important power in which nuclear capability is an asset, not a threat.
The 20th century was America�s time. By the end of the 21st, as many have observed, the torch will pass to Asia. With India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan in the forefront of the eastern world, that�s not a bad thing. Should China ever find freedom, that nation of promise will only add to the equation.
During the Cold War, India was far from an ally, if not exactly an enemy. The nation was more closely associated with the USSR, although at least some of that alignment could be tied to the political ferment that it was going through. Still, this peace-loving nation was careful. They courted the Soviets, but were careful never to marry them.
Now, with the Cold War a distant memory, India is a steadfast ally in the war against terror. That shouldn�t be a surprise. They have experienced more than their share of fanatic-inspired terrorism, and have navigated those rough waters with dignity and forbearance.
We are often a rough, ill-mannered populace. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Tasteless jokes and blunt talk are part of what makes us Americans. As long as those slings and arrows are equally distributed, without malice, they are part of what gives us character and makes us characters. As a Polish-American, I�ve been known to poke fun at my own heritage, so long as I know that my audience understands the underlying
pride that precedes it.
Many of us make fun of Indian-Americans (or Hindus of any nation). They run the 7-11. They drive cabs and don�t know where they�re going. Amusing, to a point, but such humor applies to every immigrant population as it assimilates itself into American society. Such comments also ignores all of the contributions that the men and women of that culture have made to America, as engineers and doctors and other professionals who make our country stronger for their being a part of it.
The much more important point is: what will this culture add to the melting pot? America includes Irish humor, African-American music and Greek culture (to name a very, very few examples) because we�eventually�incorporated the best of what each heritage has to offer. The same will be true of India and the Hindu world.
In the war against fanatic intolerance, they have served quietly in the front lines for decades. They will be among our strongest allies as the conflict continues, for they know the price of failure better than anyone.
And their weapons of choice, tolerance, measured non-violence and patience, should serve as a lesson to us all. Nirvana, in the Hindu world, is something that one attains in eons, not in a few years. We could learn a lot from them. We should. At the very least we ought to embrace a people who have proven themselves and have pointed the way to a hopeful tomorrow.