Wednesday, April 26, 2017

CNN's Faux Pas on Hinduism is not as Innocent as It Looks

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.


Previously published on MyInd.net 
 https://myind.net/Home/viewArticle/cnn-and-reza-aslans-faux-pas-on-hinduism-is-not-as-innocent-as-it-looks