Thread by @dikgaj

1) My sensibility stops me from bashing her in time of mourning. Madhav however is not in ashaucha. No statesman shd hv folded hands to what she is saying. And any who does fold hands, is fatal for the nation. Here is why:

https://twitter.com/rammadhav_rss/status/1445716842228580362

2) whatever strand of Hindu one might follow, one way or the other the “spirit” indeed is deemed “na hanyate hanyamane sharire”. But that is not an escape route for as long as human reproduction continues, wherever you lie on the “atheist-theist” spectrum, you hv to accept life.

3) whether it is your theist belief of a purpose for which you had to take birth, or atheist belief of accident, a living society is one which holds on to your unique individual characteristics, through memory and continuity - which in turn grow out of your living and life.

4) the “spirit” of the individual therefore, depending on your particular belief, can only survive uniquely, if it “returns” in a rebirth or new life, or if it is remembered and its cherished values and memory during life is preserved and honoured by future generations of society

5) imagine a society whose members with a particular cultural existence have been killed off, and survivors can no longer or are prevented from practising and honouring their past, and past individuals - either spirit returns in a body that in life denigrates its own past life.

6) or the future society hates and seeks to erase the memory of their past which include the past of their ancestors. Where will the unique “spirit” survive? This line of thought is dangerous as it portrays a belief that somehow death doesn’t matter for survival of the “spirit”.

7) It’s dangerous because its a short step away from trusting in private rituals, prayers, wishes and weakens the resolve to protect a society physically - taking the steps to eliminate threats - in whatever form it comes. It allows genocide by chosen ideologies to be normalised.

8) only a political state form with commitment to protect a culture can protect a culture, and that ideological commitment must translate to physical commitment to be meaningful. It’s a living society that protects culture, and through it individual “spirits”, not a dead one.