Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said it is ironic and painful that references to Hindu and Sanatan are evoking baffling reactions in the country. Delivering the inaugural address at the 27th International Congress of Vedanta at Convention Centre in Jawaharlal Nehru University, he said, “We are one of the oldest civilizations, in several ways unique and unparalleled. Ironically and painfully, in this country, reference to Sanatan and Hindu evokes baffling reactions beyond comprehension, rather than understanding the depth of these words, the deep meaning, people tend to be in reaction mode at the drop of a hat.
Advertisement “Can ignorance be more in extremity? Can the enormity of their lapse be countenanced. These are souls that have misguided themselves, driven by a dangerous ecosystem that is a threat not only to this society but to themselves.” Advertisement Using very strong words, he said, “Some in our country, some in this land of spirituality, dismiss Vedanta and Sanatani texts as regressive.
And they are doing it without knowing it, not even physically seeing them. Much less go through them. “This dismissal often stems from perverted colonial mindsets, inefficient understanding of our intellectual heritage.
These elements act in a structured manner, in a sinister fashion. Their design is pernicious. They camouflage their destructive thought process by perverting the concept of secularism.
This is very dangerous. Secularism has been used as a shield.