CNN’s faux pas on its first segment based on Hinduism may not
be as innocent as it looks, it has the potential to evolve in to structured
discrimination of Hindus. CNN’s Believer’s
first segment on Hinduism reminds one of a dangerous precedent from the past. This
is exactly the type of misrepresentation with partial and selective expositions
that could lead to misunderstandings, which can eventually lead to
discrimination and mistreatment of fellow human beings. In case of Hindus this
had already happened once with regards to Roma (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8136812.stm)
who were considered heathens during the early modern period while subjecting
them to discrimination and mistreatment across Europe, this discrimination only
increased later pushing the Roma into gas chambers during Nazi era. The Roma
are still subjected to continued discrimination across Europe (http://romafacts.uni-graz.at/index.php/history/third-migration-emancipation-process/third-migration).
Roma are the untouchables of Europe, tucked away from public gaze. Roma are not
allowed to live in decent neighborhoods, not hired for jobs, and their children
are constantly subjected to harassment and bullying in society and educational
institutions. Television series like the Believer
aired on CNN last night does nothing to further understanding of spirituality
in Hinduism, but can create and perpetrate similar discriminatory attitudes
towards Hindus across the world. The footage is filled mostly with disgusting
imagery, containing filth, disgusting images, comical drama, that appeared
distasteful, uncultured, and bizarre. Aslan’s explanations of caste, karma, and
sect are all misinformed, amateurish at best. Karma binds soul to the world of maya. How can one understand karma
without understanding maya? This is
exactly the central issue with learning about Hinduism, which is subjected to selective
interpretations to push well-known categories and classification introduced by
colonial administration with a view to control the masses of India. It presents
only half of what the theory karma purports according to Hinduism. I am not
going to discuss caste, maya, and
karma here for lack of space, but part of the problem also rests with the current
system of knowledge, which only offers partial and misleading representations
of Hinduism.
The film is located in Banaras, focusing on understanding the
Aghori tradition from inside out. It involved the author mostly roaming through
Banaras, zooming in and out of shots taken on the banks of Ganges, interspersed
with snippets of interviews with whoever agreed to talk to Aslan. The theatrics
of Aslan’s conversion with Aghoris on the banks of Ganges is beyond
reprehensible. Although Aghori sampradaya
(Saiva monks in Kapalika tradition) known as a tradition beginning five hundred
years ago, much of its history is shrouded in mystery; its media discovery and
fascination is only recent, dating to only the last two decades or so. Although
there were a number of other media expositions on Aghori tradition, none are as
amateurish as this one. Another film on the same subject, National Geographic’s
Taboo, is much more carefully filmed
and contextualized philosophically. Although the series, Believer, is billed as
a documentary, its presentation on Aghoris, is sloppy at best and can be
described as a failed attempt to understand the current state of Hindu faith. As
much as it begins with the faulty assumption that any one can go on a short
trip and learn about any religion by immersing oneself in esoteric rituals for
a short time, its failure is apparent in its format of TV presentation. This
assumption is further exasperated, when such experience is filmed for worldwide
showing, which qualifies as reality TV rather than documentary. To top it off the
whole process is marred by immature presentation and explanations filled with
mistaken notions of Aslan that can lead to dangerous consequences. If there is
anything that came out of this bizarre theatrics on the banks of Ganges, it is
that Aslan emerged as a competent reality TV star.
Even though a first look at the film leaves one horrified, as
most of its footage contains shocking imagery to elicit sensation, even a bit
of disgust, a careful second look of the film confirms only mediocrity and lack
of authentic research on the part of its maker. With such sloppy sensationalist
approaches it is unlikely that it might have any perceptible benefits of
informing the public of religion. It is questionable if he had any goals for
this episode on Hinduism rather than indulge in his comical trip through the
most esoteric sects one could find.
All that is accomplished by Aslan in this episode is confusing
class (varna) with caste (jati). The classification that he showed of the five
castes is a mistaken system of classes adopted from Western understanding of
Hinduism, long debunked by Historians (see
Bernard Cohn, S.N. Balagangadhara, and Michael Wood). I don’t know if it demonstrates
the naiveté or utter lack of knowledge on the part of Aslan that asserts caste
is about purity and pollution, while in reality it is about professional
divisions. Also the pyramid Aslan showed in regard to castes is in fact classes
(varnas) and not castes (jati). Another important feature Aslan ignores is
that, caste is a cultural feature of India common to all religions of India,
and not specifically Hindu in its nature. FYI Aslan, Islam also has castes in
India, and Islamic lower castes are given reservations based on caste system by
the government of India. The current understanding of caste is brought on by colonial
systematization of caste in India while neatly arranging it in a tiered system
akin to that of the medieval social system found in Europe. Showing this tiered
diagram to explain caste is as faulty as explaining feudalism in the medieval
European society with a similar tiered diagram. Caste is dynamic and diverse
across India. Caste is neither uniform across India nor tiered as neatly as
demonstrated by Aslan on the show. I suggest Aslan read social scientists such
as Bernard Cohn (An Anthropologist Among
Historians; Structure and Change in
Indian Society) and Sumit Guha (Beyond
Caste) to understand the nuanced and diverse social structure of caste in India.
More over India has moved away from caste 67 years ago when
it adopted its new constitution in 1950, which provides most sweeping and
generous social program of the world based on caste. The reservation system
mandated in the constitution provides, scheduled castes, tribes and backward
castes with a reserved 50% of seats in all educational institutions for all available
specializations, as well as in all government jobs, and public offices.
Students based on their status of belonging to schedules caste, tribes or
backward castes performing well below average are admitted and educated at no
cost to the families with generous scholarships and provided jobs, and job
related promotions. This is not limited to one generation or first generation
college students, but for all people belonging to the scheduled castes, tribes,
and backward castes. Nowhere in the world is such a generous program of social
benefits ever enacted in the history of mankind. It is one of the bedrocks of
Indian democracy even though it creates a system of privilege for reserved
categories in public office, employment and promotions.
The filth and dirt of the ghats and Ganga River may have been
cleaned by the temples if only they had the resources and wherewithal to do so.
Alas they are prevented from doing so by the government of India, which took
over their resources and management, taking away the donations of Hindu temples,
while at the same time all minority religions of India are allowed to
administer their religious and religiously affiliated institutions
independently with tax free status (https://www.amazon.com/Crimes-Against-India-Tradition-Hinduism/dp/1440111588).
What would be the uproar in the USA if such act were to be passed in the USA in
which government takes over all the Churches and their resources, freely using
their resources to support other minority religions such as Islam and Judaism?
This skewed system of religious
institutions act of India 1951 unfairly treats Hinduism and Hindu temples, rendering
Hindu organizations helpless, fending for themselves on meager resources, while
Hindu temples and sacred spaces are not maintained and face utter negligence
under government administration. State governments monopolize the income from Hindu
temples using it for any purpose they may deem fit, even allocating funds to
other minority religions such as Islam. Endowment boards are corrupt, thus
further in the mismanagement of funds.
Overarching remarks in opposition to Hinduism, such as the
one in which Aslan says,“more and more Hindus are attracted to ideals of
Aghoris,” making it seem like social service and caring for the fellow beings
are the ideals of only Aghoris and not part of Hinduism in general. The ideals
that Aslan so painstakingly characterizes as Aghori ideals are merely Hindu
ideals, which have always guided all Hindus for over 5 thousand years. Hindu
social service is not negated merely because Aslan refuses to acknowledge it in
this film. Does that mean all the social service activities undertaken by all of
the Hindu organizations for thousands of years suddenly come to naught as soon as
he discovered the Aghoris? And that too only one person, an Aghori, reformed (Bhagavan
Ram) at that remains to be the sole representative of Hindu ideals and inspires
others? What about the rest of the billion Hindus? What about Ramanandis,
Srivaishnavas, Chaitanya traditions? What about the present day sadhus, Sri Sri
(founder of Art of Living), Sadhguru (Isha Foundation), Chinna Jeeyaswami, and
many more Hindu sadhus known for their service?
What this show is trying to accomplish, by presenting contradictory
aspects of Aghoris simultaneously, is to drive home unsubstantiated criticism
of Hinduism: On the one hand the show
accurately presented strange practices of Aghoris, depicting it as one of the
most bizarre sects of Hinduism, not commonly an acceptable practice among
Hindus. On the other hand, he inaccurately presented Hinduism as callous
towards the underclass. In addition, Aslan also tried to present Aghori as the
most moral sect of Hinduism, negating all other benevolent practices and ideals
of Hinduism, thus rendering mainstream Hinduism as heartless. Aslan at times took
drastic measures to present Aghori as the most benevolent practice of Hinduism,
while negating all other services and ideals held by Hinduism and numerous Hindu
practitioners and Sadhus with sweeping generalizations. Monastic traditions
across India accept followers and serve without placing any limitations on
caste; several groups also have female orders. His shortsighted presentation
only reveals his utter lack of knowledge and lethargy to consult current
research and subject experts.
Effectively what Aslan is doing in this film is incorrect. It
cannot be considered an inadvertent faux pas committed by Aslan, since he is
experienced with writing and media presentation. It seems that he intentionally
presented Aghori as the option of
Hinduism, successfully adding one more stereotype, in addition to the
stereotypes that already exist in connection with Hinduism. Hence, the blame
rests equally with Aslan as well as the CNN that chose to air the show. It
seems to suggest that as bizarre as it might seem Aghoris may be one of the
best options of Hinduism. He repeatedly and mistakenly characterized Hinduism
as based on caste and hence not caring for its fellow beings. With one sweeping
generalization he negates the 5 millennia of history of Hinduism to push his agenda
of presenting Aghoris as the only acceptable spiritual practice among Hindus.
What does this do for Hindus across the world? It presents them as insolent, apathetic,
given to callous tendency bound by karma. What is the consequence of such far-reaching
conclusion in presenting a strange sectarian group of monks as holding higher
ideals than the whole of Hinduism followed by approximately one billion Hindus?
This faulty presentation outlines mainstream Hindus to be subjected to ridicule
and discrimination.
An immediate and short-term solution for this issue is that Hindus
and Hindu leaders must not shy away from asserting their own practice and
denouncing what is presented on this show. Even better, Hindus must banish CNN,
its falsehoods and misrepresentations. Hindus and friends of Hindus (may they
be Muslim, Christian, Zoroastrian, and Jewish Indians) must boycott CNN-IBN
channel as well as their annual awards as a symbol of their insincere coverage.
The only long term solution for such misrepresentations and
stereotyping is in offering more education on Hinduism. A good beginning would
be to start with reforming educational curriculum in primary and secondary
schools. Hinduism should be taught as the benevolent religion that it is,
rather than a callous faith with rigid caste boundaries.
