How the issue began. First some one said that Modi can make Hindu Rashtra and all should cooperate with him. Then some one modified saying that India is already Hindu nation and that he is Hindu Christian. He again diverted saying that Hindu is a culture and not mere religion. Some members have opined that Hindu is unlike other religions a way of life.

It would be okay if we were not aware of fascist designs of the saffron brigade. They first make offensive statement and then indulge in some sort of damage control.

Hindu may be a way of life. Islam and christianity are also way of life. There is nothing peculiar about Hindu religion. Let us have a look at history. India was never known as Hindu nation. This was Bharat or Aryavarta. The name 'Hindu' is derived from 'Indus' The outsiders visiting India named our country as 'Land of Hindus' or Hindustan. But our constitution has named the country as India or Bharat.

In present circumstances, 'Hindu' can refer only to religion and not anything else. Practically, when we fill in any form for service, education or any purpose, we mention 'Hindu' in colum 'religion' and 'Indian' in 'Nationality' column. The talk of Hindu Rashtra or Hindu nation is mischieveous idea of the saffron brigade. Whatever be the meaning of Hindu in past, now this is only religion. There is no sense in saying this is way of life or only culture and so on. In fact, the saffron brigade fools all in name of so calld cultural activities.

Historically after King Ashoka it was during Akbar's time that major part of today's India was ruled centrally by one King. Thereafter British rule brought together remaining areas also and gave a geographical meaning to India which partitioned in 1947 to two countries India and Pakistan. Thus from ancient times what constitutes India today was hundreds of kingdoms fighting with each other as was the custom in those times. However all followed the Sanatan Dharma which outsiders started calling Hinduism. Therefore today Hindu refers to those following the Hindu religion, which is Sanatan Dharma of earlier times. It is true that nearly 90% of Non Hindus are converts from Hinduism for a variety of reasons and many of them react violently to protect their identities from time to time. A section of Muslims remember the fact that they ruled large parts of India for hundreds of years and rue their fate today and a section of Christians feel they belong to a superior race and are living in less developed India. A section of Hindus holds them responsible for enslaving India and treating Hindus very badly. They want to settle scores. Thus the population tectonics from time to time shift and cause minor to major earthquakes in Indian society. We have to keep developing and create more opportunities for all. Time and economic development will remove these feelings. The educated can take a balanced view - that will help.

Thank you for making historical analysis of the relgious practice in India. Rightly observed that the late entrants gave India the name 'Hibndustan' that means land of Hindus. But presently, India consists of carious non Hindu communities also and we are a secular nation according to constitution. any attempt to damage the secular fabric either directly or indirecly is dangerous to peace and harmony in India. There are several attempte being made to damage the secular image by vested interests with fascist leanings. Recent is attempt to saffronize education in Gujarat.

Also I wish to remove the misconcption that tribal were Hindus. They were not Hindus and followed their own beliefs. Now many of them have adopted Christianity. This is considered as conversion from Hinduism to Christianity by saffron brigade contary to all logic and facts.

Secularism requires a high level of maturity among citizens of all religions. It also requires morally honest and courageous leaders at the top. Leaders like Gandhi and Nehru and Patel are needed to run a secular country. Since many years now we have pygmy leaders whose only purpose is to either further cause of their families or divide people on every issue to garner votes. Tall leaders of the past are also being divided on narrow interpretations by today's leaders. In such environment where even educated persons are often fundamentalists in their thinking all sort of attempts to impose one's beliefs on others will be made.

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

True Kalyani ! In fact , when the then Pope visited India in 1986, he also visted Mangalore and in his speech he asked the Christians to assimilate themselves into the mainstream since they were afterall part of it - to follow local customs and tradtions , wear Bindis, dress traditionally but follow their chosen religion, which was very wise and enlightening speech...

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

True Kalyani ! In fact , when the then Pope visited India in 1986, he also visted Mangalore and in his speech he asked the Christians to assimilate themselves into the mainstream since they were afterall part of it - to follow local customs and tradtions , wear Bindis, dress traditionally but follow their chosen religion, which was very wise and enlightening speech...

It was a very wise of him to instruct his followers so...I think the greatest and best example of a community at peace and harmony with everyone else would be the Parsi community. They never encroached on others, never allowed others to encroach on their religion, but at the same time mixed very beautifully into the other communities of India. Great role models, thesed people are!

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

True Kalyani ! In fact , when the then Pope visited India in 1986, he also visted Mangalore and in his speech he asked the Christians to assimilate themselves into the mainstream since they were afterall part of it - to follow local customs and tradtions , wear Bindis, dress traditionally but follow their chosen religion, which was very wise and enlightening speech...

It was a very wise of him to instruct his followers so...I think the greatest and best example of a community at peace and harmony with everyone else would be the Parsi community. They never encroached on others, never allowed others to encroach on their religion, but at the same time mixed very beautifully into the other communities of India. Great role models, thesed people are!

However Parsi community mixed so much that now they are such a hopeless minority that are almost extinct and have lost even the status of minority. Most Parsi boys and boys do not get match and so they marry outside thir community. Hence, there is no sizable Parsi community.

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

True Kalyani ! In fact , when the then Pope visited India in 1986, he also visted Mangalore and in his speech he asked the Christians to assimilate themselves into the mainstream since they were afterall part of it - to follow local customs and tradtions , wear Bindis, dress traditionally but follow their chosen religion, which was very wise and enlightening speech...

It was a very wise of him to instruct his followers so...I think the greatest and best example of a community at peace and harmony with everyone else would be the Parsi community. They never encroached on others, never allowed others to encroach on their religion, but at the same time mixed very beautifully into the other communities of India. Great role models, thesed people are!

We are free to discuss and free to speculate as long as it doesn't offend anybody literally.

Moreover, most of the Christians in India were converted to different religions, funny it may sound but Hindu Christian is nothing but means Hindustani Christian. I am saying this because I had classmates/fellow students who were Brahmin as per their surname but were converted to Christianity owing to some issues (financial I believe). Her name was xyz Mohapatra...which is Oriya Brahmin but the religion she followed was Christianity.

It is the same here in Mangalore as well, you have Kamath surnames both among Hindus and Catholics, similarly Pai which is a Hindu surname has been converted to Pais by Catholics and so on...

In fact, I knew one Tamil Christian family who were our neighbours for some time. They had Christian surname but the ladies followed many Hindu rituals. They wore kumkums on forehead, wore thali around their necks and even performed Laxmipoojan during Diwali along with Christmas, Easter etc. They also many times referred to themselves as Hindu Christians. So I feel nothing is wrong about that term. As it is, Christianity, Islamic religion along with others such Jews were all taken up after we the waves of invasions by outsiders and all these people ARE Hindus originally! But the media, like always will just strive to make trivial issues big!

True Kalyani ! In fact , when the then Pope visited India in 1986, he also visted Mangalore and in his speech he asked the Christians to assimilate themselves into the mainstream since they were afterall part of it - to follow local customs and tradtions , wear Bindis, dress traditionally but follow their chosen religion, which was very wise and enlightening speech...

It was a very wise of him to instruct his followers so...I think the greatest and best example of a community at peace and harmony with everyone else would be the Parsi community. They never encroached on others, never allowed others to encroach on their religion, but at the same time mixed very beautifully into the other communities of India. Great role models, thesed people are!

I too admire them a lot because of the way they have contributed in all spheres ...Although they are a very small community their achievements are laudable ...