- To my mind, Indian Hinduism or Indianism (not restricted to its stricter and narrow meaning or sense of Hinduism that is ascribed to by many people) have evolved greatly over the time immemorial. It is a non convertible fact of the history of this land or the land that Is called India-today, that right through multiple era and despite (a) major multifaceted external influences that resulted even in mass conversions- voluntary or even otherwise- on occasions-  in mass conversions and (b) internal reforms that gave birth to major religions some of which are extensively practices today not only in India but also in other countries- there has continued a distinct thread of way-of-life in the length and breadth of this land reflecting a dynamism for adaptation and adoption of what was considered at the given pointof time more relevant for improvement of human lives .But let me / us dwell on it at somelength to understand the basic phenomena.
- Despite the ‘Pseudo secularity' that got thrust upon India and the Indian mind on political considerations - it still continues to remain a predominantly a Hindu mind- but let me hasten to add Hindu not in terms of RSS, VHP or even BJP‘s wavering philosophies that continue to oscillate in terms of electoral requirements- Hindu mind has broader connotations. That Hindu mind, of course also is not even the left-of-centre-variety of Socialist pattern or thoughts propounded y the party that currently is known as Indian National Congress.
- Hindu Mind encompasses a very broad umbrella -not only its own sub sets of or
sects of Hindus, Jains, Bodhs, and Sikhs, but also those of converts among Muslims Christians etc. but also the direct descendants and mixed races that emanated from Parsees, Armenians, Bahais etc. etc.   Emphasis in the Indianism continues on ts majority remaining well meaning and apolitical – yet / but one that stands firm and resolute in its resolve on broad humane aspects and human considerations. Indianism – in its majority wisdom –treads its path in routine business of life looking at performances of fellow humans objectively –without reference to individual performers' religious /
ethnic belongings. A Raj Kapoor or a Dilip Kumar was adjudged accordingly-for instance. - The Hindu mind or Indian Hinduism or the Indianism to be probably more precise
is an all-and-ever welcome, converging and dynamic synthesis of faith in greater
goodness of whatever, from wherever and whenever feasible. It is not aesthetic
nor even overtly religious- but religious enough to understand, mean and
even to practice "Propakaraya Punyay Papaya Per Peedanam (that is a shloka
or piece of verse from pre historical 18 Purans supposed to comprise the concluding
piece of each of these books composed by Ved Vyas, the sage)-that purports to categorise positive and negative- the both aspects. (1) Do well to/for other is religion-like while (2) what it icon-religious is "to put pains and problems to others". - A faith in remaining active, business like and even playful in enjoying all facets of life but constantly careful to/for goodness and against pains and problems of- other fellow beings (not restricted to humans only). Thus Indianism or Indian Hinduism is neither static- nor confined merely to dutiful activism as taught by the Lord Krishna or as learnt by warrior Arjuna but also to encompass Bhagwan Ram' convictions in caring for greater good of for all other fellow beings.Individuals characterised are not religious but lif-like AVTARS or embodiments of positive as well negative deeds of human being themselves. This is not to score a point about superiority. of thought, behaviour or action
on the part of Hinduism. But an express acknowledgement as to commonalityof ordinary human faith in goodness. - Maqbool Fida Husain (MF) who died in London this week represented a typical Indian. Despite opting towards the end of his life for a Qatar citizenship, and practically having become a world citizen, he cared to also apply for and become an overseas Indian citizen by formal registering as such. Whenever an occasion arose, he emphasized his Indianism or practically the Indian Hinduism wherefrom he amply drew for his livelihood
/has craft / his art / his business and even probably his life. Admittedly-with his deprived childhood andearly life, he lacked the education and probably also the proficiency of
articulated responses. Yet the same were compensated much more with his rich experience. That experience he cultivated through his 'painting-live' of film posters initially and that he fabulously expanded and extended through production of voluminous paintings of art, into marketing of works and volumes of that art that became renowned, accumulating wealth that was accompanied also by the enjoying sheer pleasures of life - including acquiring a collection of and driving on costliest sporty cars - all this spread over a substantial part of his fairly long, generally healthy and quite an active life. - When asked whether he wished to apologize for the controversies that he
created, MF did reply that he acted out of faith and conviction. If in that process, he hurt someone, he was sorry for it. Sadly however a lot of people who even when they meant to be for him – were not content with that statement and continued to remain vociferously critical. - Sri Sri Ravi Shanker (an Indian himself in senses more than one including in the context of this article) did once pronounce MF to be insensitive to Hindu feelings- particularly in the context of painting Hindu Goddesses in the nude. The swami felt and expressed that such an act was unacceptable and challenged Husain to show the same proclivity for Islam. The Swami might have been right- he was probably giving vent to what can be termed as a feeling for ‘majority rights'.  But he missed the two a point or two -  of the Indianism. One that Islam specifically prohibits visual depiction of its Gods. Second, Swamiji, did not see and appreciate a "Muslim with a great interest in Hinduism'- in Hindu mythology, its relevant-to-life story telling and its perception and synthesis of negative and positive aspects of human minds. Sri Sri thus reduced the art to a question of political correctness and table manners rather than as a matter of depiction of
divergent human aspects. - One reason- why despite of their being totally commercial, Indian film industry is known for producing and displaying movies that depict simultaneous interplays of good and evil, and eventually conclude with (even if stereotyped) a good-ending. These films are popular across the religions / regions /sectors in India and even abroad. Mind it- the run of-mill films may and often od lack in techniques/ technology /intelligence and wisdom of presentation. Yet these are more often than not, a matter of celebration by masses , the families in their ordinary life. These films have admittedly been instrumental in promoting Indianism. Looking at it, for moment in a narrower perspective, these are manned in proportionately larger terms by Muslims-in India who begin their life with a closer
exposure to broader Indianism in contrast to persons or people with a comparatively higher educational / family backgrounds - that on many occasions acquire a tendency to break into a narrow political arena caring for sector oriented considerations.Compare the phenomena with Guru Dev Tagore- a person who also rose to become a great artist- without any formal education and desired us/ his fellow countrymen to wake up and be awake in a world that was not fragmented by narrow walls. - As Shiv Visvanathan, a sociologist and currently a Professor at Dhirubhai Institute of Information and Communication Technology, has rightly put it, Indian democracy and Hinduism are open works and Husain was a celebration of it. He was a Muslim who appreciated and loved Hinduism, its myths, its openness, its sense of playfulness. The controversy around Goddess was obtuse- it lacked a swift perception of underlings. Hussain's art was has been a celebrated Hinduism. Drawing of the goddess, drew ire not only from Hindu fundamentaists, but even provoked a lot of non-fundamental Hindus
including Sri Sri. Ravi Shanker. Explanation from Hussain himself was also not that adequate nor articulated. MFclaimed that he was doing what was always done, and that he was a part of ndian tradition. Probably he pointed to the depiction of nude idols  in Hindu temples. That however reduced the debate merely to a battle of fundamentalism and progressivism- leaving the base question unanswered -and without a deeper analysis, and a scrutiny that were warranted. The debate also remained without a conclusion- that of course was and has not been an expectation. To expect the life to be always ‘white' or 'black' is to ignore the – "grey" – the category wherein many feelings should  be rightly classified. What MF probably purported to explain as a layman was - "we Indians traditionally have been depicting Hindu gods but we at the same time traditionally have not been depicting Islamic gods". - The life made MF to understand various aspects of life. The loss of his mother in early childhood, pursuit for a living in Mumbai (known to be city hash enough to incoming outsiders and more so initially) and its film industry of relevant times, painting posters depicting life, pleasure of getting paid what he considered himself worth for, plenty of praise for one's understanding and wisdom even when not supported by or having a nexus to a family /education/socio economic background, official recognition of one's
talent in terms of awards - Both his detractors as also his defenders mostly sounded to being patriotic. He
himself also on occasions. appeared to be like them (read his interview with Barkha Dutt wherein he dismissed the idea of his leaving India and for living in Dubai in an exile– imposed by himself or by others He insisted that as an art manufacturing business man who had taken three large projects in hand in /around 2005 that needed his attentive
concentration into the serious business of "Works of Art' andconsequent need to avoid the distraction of court cases. To prevent himself from being declared a fugitive by legal agencies and court of his 'home country'- he said he continued to spend around 50 to 60 thousand rupees per month as fees to the lawyersfor making representation on his behalf to various dates as those continued to crop up routinely. - To dwarf the concept of patriotism (or even to reduce tits importance as such) and to ignore it , is not the intent of this article. Fact however prevails and a definitely discernible preposition remains that Indianism or Indian Hindusim prevents a large proportion of (a) Indian Hindus generally (b) as well Indian Muslims (ignoring the lure and greed of minority benefits / vote-bank formations)- from becoming fundamentalists (in terms of the current import of that word in polity) or getting converted into a starkly
religion-orientation. - Indianism doee have an appeal of / for it. It has survived many and major onslaughts.
The concept, seeded and sprouted in Indian psyche and minds over the centuries of synthesis of business-like playfulness of human life and activism –however needs further and careful cultivation to reach its prospected growth – towering enough to sublimate playful business, in human activity aimed at doing good-for-all and to achieve a height long enough to rise above the narrower concerns, sector politics and dubious power play. Life should be lived as it needs to be- simultaneously for doing well for oneself as also for the other fellow beings.
.