By Greet C. Sharma Ph.D.

Morrisville, Pa: We all grew up hearing back home that it makes no difference as to who rules us. Apathy among Hindus is one of the most complex and fascinating phenomenons.  Hindus show utter apathy when it comes to actual karma, in spite of constant references to scriptures and exposure to sermons. Hindu tendency is to act individualistically. Apathy becomes even more visible when dealing with people of other religions, missionaries, terrorists, and their agendas resulting in demographic manipulations to change India’s national character, as well as Hindu destiny. As a consequence, Hindus are stereotyped as meek, weak, coward, gullible and never a “force.”

In Guyana when a local criminal needs money he turns around and robs the nearest Indian. In Zambia, average murder of an Indian is one  per week. Locals know that Indians are hard working, entrepreneurial and have money. This “sitting duck”  syndrome is pervasive in most countries where Hindus have settled, whether Jersey City in the USA, Suva in Fiji, Dhaka in Bangladesh, Sindh  in Pakistan, or Aligarh in India.

The sole factor that defines such a dynamics is Hindu apathy. It is unique except it has only one parallel that is,  Jewish passivity in Germany just before the holocaust.

Rev. Martin Niemoller (1937) wrote:

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out as I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

The extremes of apathy are indifference, depression, immobility, paralysis, desperation, abandonment and brain atrophy.  In clinical terms, it is indicative of serious disease revealing mental disorder or brain damage. In mental health, the apathetic individual has no energy, talks inaudible, moves very slowly, is uninvolved, and avoids any interction.  However, the worst character defect of an apathetic person is taking his words as a substitute for action.

Apathy is not stoicism, not spirituality, not freedom from emotions, nor an effective buffer from negative consequences.  It is about living by default, and letting others control your destiny.  It is about living in illusion that one cannot change the ultimate outcome or destiny. Selfish, self-centered, opportunistic orientation, tolerating unfairness and corruption, and patronizing offenders instead of confronting them are character traits, which have become Hindu hallmark. Such mindset is contrary to the Bhagavad-Gita and the cumulative wisdom of  Dharma. It is abandoning everything that should matter, whether motherland, culture, identity, family, or one’s future.  It is allowing others, regardless of their “motives” to make decisions for you.

The collective history of any nation offers a good view of the past to figure out one’s national character. However, it works well only if history is written objectively and not driven by politics.  In the case of Hindus of Bharatvarsha, its history has been written, dictated, edited, and marketed by other than Hindus, whose agenda has always been seeking total control, monopoly and intolerance for differences.

Hindu apathy and passivity have made it possible for one of the most original civilizations to be defined by others, for others, paid by Hindus and sold to the world.  It is the holocaust of the Hindu’s in the making.  The corporate world has taken liberties to commercialize Hindu religious symbols to market sandals, toilet seats, and other offensive items.  Unfortunately, the reaction from Hindus, if any, has been minimal.

Compare Hindu behavior with Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, British, Israelis, and Pakistanis, but only the Hindu apathy wins the distinction. The irony is we do not see the ground realities, Muslims have 56 countries, Christians 7, Jews 1, however, Hindus still have no country to call home.

Psychologically speaking, one behaves according to one’s thinking, which is a combination of concepts, values, and beliefs. A Hindu wakes up praying for the well being of the entire creation, practices non-injury, believes that all religions are the same. They are beautiful ideals for ideals all mankind to pursue. Ironically Abrahamnic religions believe in converting, violence, and Jihad to seek a religious monopoly. Hindus naivety and one-sided idealism leaves them vulnerable incapable to confront reality, adversity, and danger.

Apathy thus unwittingly serves the purpose of keeping induism glued in an imaginary cocoon, even though it’s stagnating in a rigor mortis. Hindu scriptures are rich with inspiration, defining the duty for the nation as well as promoting a pragmatic life. The Hindu pursuit of nirvana, “detachment,” and Bhakti Yoga inherently causes ineffective handling of inter-religious politics. Hindus need leaders and there is an abundance to name a few, Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh Azam, and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. The opposite of apathy is action, resilience, determination, direction, pride and clarity of thinking. Knowing one’s place in the scheme of life, and being an important player in the worldly drama is not a luxury but a necessity.

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