Something today made me reread-up on the 2002 Gujarat Riots, in which Hindus committed atrocities against Muslims on an epic scale. No, I shan't argue that the unbelievable horrors perpetrated by the Karsevaks and Hindu officials discredit Hinduism for all time, and that the religion of Ram is a despicable cult ...... though much tempted to do so.
All religions have evil people.
What the Hindus did in Gujarat fifteen years ago, Buddhists are doing today in Burma. Outwardly peaceful religions with murderous hearts are not new, and psychopaths frequently act out their depravities with the approval and blessing of priests.
Violent faiths are frequently more successful than others.
Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.
One passage jumped out.
Cite:
The US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report quoted the NHRC as concluding that the attacks had been premeditated, that state government officials were complicit, and that there was evidence of police not acting during the assaults on Muslims. The US State Department also cited how Gujarat's high school textbooks described Hitler's "charismatic personality" and the "achievements of Nazism." US Congressmen John Conyers and Joe Pitts subsequently introduced a resolution in the House condemning the conduct of Modi for inciting religious persecution. They stated that Modi's government had a role in "promoting the attitudes of racial supremacy, racial hatred and the legacy of Nazism through his government's support of school textbooks in which Nazism is glorified."
End cite.
[SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_riots.]
Also significant:
Following the violence Bal Thackeray then leader of the Hindu nationalist group Shiv Sena said "Muslims are a cancer to this country. . . . Cancer is an incurable disease. Its only cure is operation. O Hindus, take weapons in your hands and remove this cancer from your roots." Pravin Togadia, international president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), said "All Hindutva opponents will get the death sentence" and Ashok Singhal, the then president of the VHP, has said that the violence in Gujarat was a "successful experiment" which would be repeated nationwide.
End cite.
Modi is a very polished man.
Bal Thackery, a much admired "politician", was a mob boss. Pravin Togadia is a thug. Ashok Singhal, now dead, was a loathsome bigot.
I doubt that I shall ever visit India. But if I do, I probably won't visit Gujarat.
I've heard the place is filled with Patels.
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