The office of the Arya Samaj in Kerala are buzzing with activity in the hot Indian summer. From the time of their foundation almost 120 years ago to the modern day they have been at the forefront of the ‘shuddi’ or conversion to Hinduism efforts. The local offices in one of India’s smaller states report at least 15-20 ‘new’ Hindus each month in a simple ceremony lasting about one hour conducted amidst the ancient Vedic hymns and in the presence of the sacred fire.

No doubt, Samuel Huntingdon, the much celebrated political analyst would see the above as part of his tapestry of the ‘clash of civilisations’ provided by the movement of people from one civilisational block to the other.

In India the issue of conversations has been a culturally sensitive one since the eruption of the Arabs and Turks to the subcontinent over a millennia ago. The shock of the initial clashes and subsequent wars left the Hindu community reeling into a defensive mode for survival. The fight for survival saw the Hindu retreat into rigid caste and tribal identities to face the monotheistic onslaught and permitted the Hindus to survive and then prosper where the Buddhist, Zoroastrians, and others had failed. However the same period saw many people, whether by force or otherwise, embrace the Islamic credo and a legacy of bitterness and distrust which is yet to die out.

The Hindu revivalists from the late 1800s onwards have launched a steadily increasing movement to bring people back to the fold of Dharma and the recent past has seen an exponential increase in confidence and spread of Hinduism combined with the proliferation of Hindu thought throughout the world. Today we see tens of millions of people around the world partaking in Hindu practices such as Yoga and Ayurveda to an unprecedented degree, with an increasing number entering into the fold of Hinduism.

However in India a residue of suspicion remains in the to and fro between the Hindu and Muslim community. Recently we saw in the Indian city of Bhopal a high profile marriage between a Hindu girl and Muslim boy, except this was different from the others. Undoing traditional convention the boy from a prominent family in the city decided to convert to Hinduism, thus Umar becoming Umesh. Surprisingly this was met with anger and disbelief by certain Hindu groups belonging to the ‘Sangh Parivar’ expressing on the streets their opposition to the union despite the disowning of Umar/Umesh by his family and the Muslim clergy.

Another case a week later from Gujarat saw a similar scenario. Again the Muslim boy converting via the ‘shuddi’ ceremony to become a Hindu and again finding himself exposed to the opprobrium of some Hindu groups who find it difficult to accept.

The whole situation made me ponder on the crossroads of the Hindu revivalist movement today. A natural reaction would have expressing happiness for the addition to the Hindu community but an outburst of some groups made me realise that for some Hindus the jettisoning of historical baggage has become a necessity of today in order that progress be made.

Some of these activists seem to be mired in the mindset that Hinduism and Indian territorial nationalism is one and the same thing. Such a notion leaves little space for the expanding realm of Hindu dharma which is being espoused by many from non Indian backgrounds. In a modern world which speaks in the language of universalism and commonality, the call of religion based territorial nationalism seems tribalistic gibberish. Accordingly, the call is not being heeded by the majority of the Hindu youth. Increasingly proud and confident of their ‘Hinduness’, Hindu youth whilst sustaining a robust pride in the Indian state, are projecting their dharma beyond the borders of India.

Numerous academics and thinkers such as Ram Swarup, Sita Ram Goel, David Frawely and many others have set the wheels in motion of an effective and realist Hindu outlook to the challenges of the modern world with the ability to reach out to all and sundry to express the universal message of spirituality as taught by the ancient seers. The wisdom of the Vedas, Geeta and beyond are now readily available to the attentive ears of humankind in a manner unheard of in the past

Signs of change are today becoming increasingly abundant. Recently in the Indian city of Amritsar a young man from Turkey, Unsal Ozenen converted to Hindu dharma after having read extensively and accepted the truths contained therein. He is joining a growing number of people from non-Indian backgrounds entering the fold of the most ancient and yet one of the fast-growing faiths in the world today.