The Hullabaloo Over Hindutva

Political Hindutva fails to articulate the rich cultural diversity of India and inevitably distorts its history

- Purushottam Agrawal

ANANTDAS, A VAISHNAVA sadhu, wrote the first biography of Kabir around the turn of the sixteenth century. At one point in the story, he recounts how a delegation of pundits and maulanas of Kashi went to Sikandar Lodhi to complain about the waywardness of Kabir. Being an argumentative Indian, Kabir, the faith leaders complained, refused to believe in the putative divinity of any holy book, and insisted on assessing all propositions and practice against the touchstone of common sense and wisdom derived from everyday life. Naturally, they were upset with him.

Sikandar, who had not heard of Kabir, was perplexed. What possible harm could a humble weaver have inflicted on the high and mighty of the city? Had he seized a piece of land or robbed someone perhaps? But, of course, the complaint against Kabir was not simply material—and perhaps therefore harder to grasp. Kabir had discarded Islamic dogma and practice, and was equally scathing of Hindu customs and beliefs. Instead of following the dictates of holy men, he would insist on using his own intellect and, even worse, encourage others to do so as well. This couldn’t go on, the mighties of the delegation concluded, and Kabir had to be banished from Kashi for “as long as this weaver lives in Kashi/ No one is going to follow us”.