Need Hindu Holocaust Memorials, Museums and Academic Study Centers

 Holocaust is More Than a Simple Destruction

The Greek words Holos (Complete) and Kaustos (Burned) made the original Greek word “Holokauston” and meant “Completely Burned”. In the English language that word transformed into “Holocaust” and although it essentially means “total annihilation beyond recognition”, it is mostly used to describe genocide of a race or a group of population along with their history and culture, not because of any crime but just for being a member of a race or a group.

Most of us have known the genocide of Jews in Germany, German occupied European territories and Countries like Italy who were allies of Germany during the World War II. It is estimated that 6,000,000 (6 million) jews were systematically exterminated between 1933-1945 by Germany’s NAZI rulers led by Adolf Hitler and his ally, the Italian Fascist regime under Benito Mussolini. Some of us have also known of the Genocide of about 500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand) Gypsies, Sintis and Handicapped population of Europe by the same set of rulers who wanted to “cleanse” their “Pure Aryan” country from the pollution of “inferior races and peoples”. Hitler had imagined the pure Aryan race to be white, blonde and blue-eyed. The rest of the people and Jews had to be eliminated employing so-called, the “Final Solution” and what we call today as “The Holocaust". 

I have had the chance to visit Jew Holocaust memorials during my various trips to Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg. These cities each have more than one memorial where they have kept alive the memories of slain ancestors. They contain a lot of photographs, documents, books, remains of things that were recovered from detention centers, gas chambers. It was not only painful but a deeply moving experience. Having visited even once, you can never forget the heinous monstrosity of NAZI regime. These monuments inspire Jews never to forget those who suffered, to never again submit to dictators, to remain tenacious, fight and stand together against injustice and barbarism. Their holy book, Talmud, teaches in no uncertain terms, "If someone comes to kill you, rise up and kill him first". The memorials provide opportunities to the perpetrators of holocaust to reflect upon their evil deeds, to repent, to never again inflict injustice on innocent civilians.

Most people, however are not aware that Hindus too have suffered a much larger genocide over millenia. 

Hindu Holocaust

In “The Story of Civilization”, a book by the American author Will Durant, he has characterized the Islamic conquest of India as "probably the bloodiest story in history". Hindu genocide began in 713 CE and lasted till very recently. The invaders wished to cleanse the territories won by them to be free of the “Buut Parast” (Idol worshippers) or “Kafirs” (Disbeliever in Allah or one who rejects Islam). The last known major Hindu massacre was in East Pakistan, now known as Bangladesh in the year 1971 and in 1992 in Kashmir of India. If one collates the Hindu massacre estimates from various historians, eminent writers, archeologists and the thinkers of the world, one arrives at a mind boggling figure of 100,000,000 (100 Million) Hindus killed in the Indian Subcontinent by the invading Islamic marauders, Islamic rulers and European colonizers. This figure does not include several millions abducted, sold as slaves or died on the Hindu Kush Mountains. (The name “Hindu Kush” literally means “Hindu Killer” because thousands of Hindus had lost their lives when they were abducted, chained and made to walk the harsh terrain of mountainous north west of India to be taken away as slaves and to sell them off like cattle in the bazaars of Samarkand and Bukhara.)

The story of massacres of native population by foreign invaders and rulers is not unique to India because these same set of invaders, sailors and rulers have done the more or less same thing in Africa, Americas, Europe and Australia but the extent is truly mind numbing in case of the Hindus.

Holocaust Memorials of Several Communities Do Exist But None for Hindus:

It has been acknowledged by the world powers who defeated the Germans that the Jews, Gypsies, Sintas and even white Europeans (who were handicapped or had birth defects) were systematically gathered and mercilessly killed in gas chambers, shot in head, either buried or incinerated in the industrial furnaces to leave no trace. Even though, they acknowledged,no one really cared enough to honour those innocent victims who had lost their lives. For them, it was politics, more to villainise the Hitler than sympathy for victims. However, ultimately the Jews of the world took a stand and pushed hard to pressurise the new governments of concerned European nations to ensure that suitable memorials are erected to remember the massacres of innocent civilian victims. Although the war was won in 1945, Jews got their first holocaust memorial as late as in 1965. Ofcourse, now they have many monuments, holocaust memorial walls, library and study several towns and countries where the tragedy had taken place.

“Partition Horrors Day” (Hindi- विभाजन विभीषिका स्‍मृति दिवस, transliterated in English- “Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas”- VVSD)

Hindus in India attained their Independence in 1947. However none thought of building any memorials for slain millions of Hindus who were killed during the past 1,500 years. 

Unlike the acknowledgement of genocide that the Jews received from the world community, strangely, Hindus received none. Even the successive governments of Independent India and her political elites attempted to deliberately overlook and diabolically were actively engaged in denying the Hindu genocide. They seemed to succeed in their attempt, until recently. 

History has a habit of rising even from the deepest grave at some or the other time. The fact that Hindu massacre had happened and still that is not even acknowledged has hurt Hindus no end. Especially, the recent history of Hindu massacres is still fresh in the minds of people. There are some people, though very old, who are still alive who had witnessed the train full of dead bleeding bodies of slain Hindus coming from Pakistan every day post independence in 1947. Estimated one million Hindus had lost their lives in that brief period of a few months. Also, many of the currently living population of Hindus have seen the 1971 Bangladesh and 1992 Kashmir genocide of Hindus.

In the year 2012, a sliver of hope had dawned in the minds of Hindus seeking the government's acknowledgement of Hindu massacre when the government of the day  declared that 14th August every year be observed as “Partition Horrors day” (Hindi- विभाजन विभीषिका स्‍मृति दिवस, transliterated in English: “Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas”). It was a decision half a century too late, however, better late than never. 

In the pursuit of justice to the Hindus who had lost their lives, recently, on 15th March, 2026 they observed "Jauhar- Remeberance and Homage Paying Programme” (Hindi- “जौहर श्रद्धांजलि समारोह”, transliterated  in English- "Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh") at Chittorgarh Fort (near Udaipur in Rajasthan), to commemorate burning alive about 14,000 Hindu women in the year 1568. (Jauhar is an act of mass suicide by jumping in the big fire-pit) These brave women had thrown themselves in fire to save from being raped, enslaved and killed by the Moghul king Akbar’s army that had surrounded them with no chance of rescue or escape. 

Apparently, of late, the Hindus have become conscious of the deliberate and diabolic attempt to make them forget what all atrocities they were made to suffer and therefore the crying need to have forums or institutions to commemorate and remember those victims. While the  VVSD remembrance day and the "Jauhar Shraddhanjali Samaroh" has provided relief to an extent, the 99% Hindus who had perished post first massacre in the year 713 CE have not been addressed.

  

VVSDivas and JSSamaroh Are Not Enough Justice to Hindus, They Need More Comprehensive Recognition. They Need Full Recognition of 100 Million Plus Hindus Slain Over Last More Than a Millennium

VVSDivas and JSSamaroh was but a tiny beginning in the direction of remembering Hindu victims. However the Hindus need more comprehensive remembrance in the form of holocaust memorials, museums and academic study centers for all the butchered 100 million-plus Hindus over a period of more than a millennium. Their only crime was that they resisted conversion into alien faiths. 

The Jews and the Gypsies have created not just one or two holocaust memorials to acknowledge and to pay homage to their slain co-religionists but have made a number of them to mark every place where mass slayings of their ancestors had occurred. In India, Hindus too need to establish several holocaust memorials in every place that has a history of Hindu massacres, where they can perform ‘Shraddha’ (Remembrance event) of the unknown ancestors who had perished there.

Shraddha Tradition of Hindus is Ancestor-Remembrance Event

Remembering ancestors with veneration is more or less a common practice in most religions and traditions of the world. Hinduism in particular considers remembering their ancestors an important responsibility, an obligation. Therefore Hinduism has a well entrenched, structured and formalized remembrance or “Shraddha” ritual, a ‘must do’ event. They have, from the time immemorial, reserved exactly 15 days every year in their calendar from a full-moon day to no-moon day and named that period as the “Pitru Paksha”, the ancestor remembrance period. (or 16 days depending upon astronomical calculations).

“Shraddha” (in Hindi-श्राद्ध) is “to remember ancestors with “Shraddhaa” (in Hindi- श्रद्धा) is “to pay sincere homage by remembering ancestors with heart, mind, action and a firm sacred trust”). On the “shraddha” day Hindus cook a special ”Shraddha meal” observing total cleanliness and ‘feed’ the ancestor via a dedicated ‘courier’, the crows, who are considered carriers of the food and messages to the dead ancestors. 

The Holocaust remembrance memorials will help present and future generations of Hindus not to forget their ancestors and to show gratitude for their sacrifices and learn to remain steadfast in following, protecting and strengthening wisdom contained in Vedas, Upanishads, Purans, Itihas and other scriptures. In addition, it can also form a part of “must see monument” in the tourist guidebooks and tourism circuits, just as what holocaust museums in Europe are doing. Beyond the remembrance and tourism, these memorials and museums can also work as research centers. Today Europe hosts numerous major Holocaust research centers where researchers can study from original documents securely stored there. 

In India, we do have a lot of historical material on Hindu Genocide but is scattered in various places. Old crucial archives, relevant historical books, court records of past rulers, their laws, receipts of Jazia tax, records of temple loot and its distribution of looted wealth, records of tax money and gold sent to Islamic centers of West Asia, such as Baghdad, Mecca, Madina etc, survivor testimonies, inquisition records, tools of torture such as garrots, iron collars, chains and other artifacts, pictures, academic research papers and records etc need to be researched and securely stored. The Holocaust Research Centers, libraries and memorials can house these historical materials to serve not only to the general public but to the students and academic researchers for producing high quality authentic research papers on the Hindu genocides. 

I hope India begins erecting Hindu Holocaust Memoriums and wonder if it could happen well in time to be opened on or before the beginning of “Pitru Paksha” that starts on 26th October this year, 2026.

150th Anniversary of The Indian National Song The “Vande Mataram”

 150th Anniversary of The Indian National Song The “Vande Mataram”

A song most feared by the British rulers during the freedom struggle of India

Far from being a fearsome song, “Vande Mataram” is a strikingly beautiful poem and a literary masterpiece. The song does not even hint of being against anyone. It has only love and appreciation for the bounties of nature bestowed to a motherland, a motherland that gives these bounties to her children like a benevolent goddess who grants boons and saves her children from getting harmed. However it irked British rulers no end and made them fearful at a mere mention of the word-pair the “Vande Mataram”. 

Yes, Britain had indeed some good reasons to be scared. Therefore, uttering just those two words, invited penal action under Section 124A (Sedition) of Colonial British law on Indians in force until India secured her independence.

Reason, why “Vande Mataram” was selected as the “National Song”

The song had successfully mobilised millions of freedom fighters against the colonial rulers.

No wonder, therefore, that the song was recognized as eminently suitable to be adopted as the “National Song” of Independent India. As an added qualification the song was a literary masterpiece and could be sung in a very elegant and solemn tune. Recognizing these attributes, the sovereign Independent government of India declared this iconic song as a “National Song” in the year 1950. Maybe I should have written about it then. Sadly, I was not even born then. However, now an occasion has presented itself to justify my writing about it now - the occasion is its 150th anniversary and recent promulgation of new singing protocols. Also further declaration that the entire year 2025-2026 be celebrated as “The Year of Vande Mataram”. 

This celebration brings alive many memories, including the predicament of my own mother when she was repeatedly caught red-handed, shouting “vande Mataram” in her student days. She felt a sense of duty to resist colonizers in whatever way she could. Shouting “Vande Mataram” in and around her school seemed a doable way to express rebellion. She was hardly 12. The thrill of adventure and blatant defiance of the colonial masters was immensely satisfying even if it was invariably followed by scoldings and threats. At last the school authorities decided to depute a teacher to meet the parents. That teacher also doubled as a nun in the local church. One fine day she visited home (my grandfather’s home) for a more effective persuasion to desist her from repeating the offence. The nun-cum-teacher taught sewing and making stuffed toys in the school and my mom was her favorite student. Normally a loving woman, on that occasion she appeared very stern. With all the elders sitting in front of her, in a harsh tone, explained, how damaging would it be for the dad and the grand dad (who were employed by the British Government as Doctors) if they were to lose their jobs because of their daughter's impertinence, even if the expression “Vande Mataram” simply means that “Mother, I bow to thee” and nothing really offensive.

What is this song, “Vande Mataram” and from where is it sourced?

“Vande Mataram” is a prayer song dedicated to the motherland. It evokes patriotism. It is written by a Bengali writer, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, also known by his anglicised name as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The song is a part of his seminal historic novel, the “Anand Math”. Although the song forms a very tiny part of the whole novel, it is an important and integral part of that literary work, the “Anand Math”. Before bringing it out as a book, initially, the story was published in a 7th November 1875 issue of a Bengali literary magazine “Banga Darshan”. The novel has exquisitive verbal imagery and its language is rich and evocative. Although it was first published in 1875, the song actually became a rage in 1905 and thereafter when the British government had decided to split the original Bengal state in two parts. The “East Bengal” and the “West Bengal”. The song had electrified Indian masses and had mobilized them to come out on the streets to protest against the British. Leave alone the full 6-stanza song, mere two words, “Vande Mataram”, were enough to offend the British, invite police action and prosecution. Many Indians had lost their lives, faced imprisonment, and been subjected to a lot of direct and indirect punishments.

In its early days of adoption as “National Song” only the first two stanzas were traditionally sung by most. Only some very patriotic citizens used to sing all six. However, with the new notification, the singing protocol is now standardized to the singing of all six stanzas just as its creator Bankin Chandra had meant. The novel “Anand Math” was so captivating that it was brought to the screen in the year 1952, shortly after India’s independence, under its original title.

Content of Historic Fiction Novel “Anand Math”

Far away from the maddening crowds, a monastery existed in the seclusion of a forest in Bengal. That monastery was known as “Anand Math” where renunciate Hindu monks spent time in silent contemplation and prayers and devoted themselves in study. However certain heartless British actions against villagers living in a nearby village stirred them up to core. Empathic monks rebelled against the British for the rights of innocent villagers. It was this selfless act of the monks that culminated into a “monks’ rebellion”. The story of “Anand Math” is a story of righteous rebels.  

Why India is celebrating the year 2025-2026 as “The Year of Vande Mataram”

The year  2025-2026 marks the 150th year since the first ever publication of the song “Vande Mataram”. The celebration began on 7th November 2025 and will last till 7th November 2026.

What spooked the colonial rulers? What made Britishers to fear from “Vande Mataram”

It was neither the words, nor the message conveyed through the song “Vande Mataram”. But it was the context in which the song was played that made Britain very fearful. The song “Vande Mataram" is shown in the novel “Anand Math”, as a prayer to the Mother land and was recited by revolutionaries every time they came out of hiding for attacking the British icons of power. The song became a rallying cry that galvanized the freedom struggle, electrified freedom fighters and inspired every Indian, young and old, to defy colonial power even at the cost of personal sacrifice, even life. Freedom fighters who were sentenced to death went to gallows shouting “Vande Mataram”. 

The song “Vande Mataram” contained in the novel “Anand Math” represented revolt against British hegemonic colonial power. They found the song to be too dangerous and feared consequent unrest and serious rise of rebelliousness among the Indian population would make governance difficult. Obviously, the book “Anand Math” and the song “Vande Mataram” were both strictly forbidden during British rule.

And their fear did come true and eventually on 15th August 1947, they had to give up India, they lost what they had proudly described as “The Jewel in the Crown”.

Can a literary masterpiece ever become an instrument of revolution and a successful freedom struggle?

Many literary masterpieces have inspired people to seek reformations in society. The books like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, “1984”, “Animal Farm”, etc did inspire political movements, but none have culminated in a fierce independence movement that dethroned world’s leading power, as powerful as the British Empire, that boasted the “sun never sets on the Empire”. The Novel “Anand Math” turned out to be one such book. Apparently there was a substantial number of people who could read and write and enjoy good quality literature in India before the British gained full control over India and willfully destroyed India’s Education system. What else can explain a piece of literature becoming a catalyst of freedom from a mighty empire? The British had created a myth of “poor uneducated Indians”. But the fact remains that many Indians read and were inspired to revolt against colonizers. Besides the elite leaders, the simple villagers, farmers and penniless sadhus had brought about freedom. They were all volunteers. “Anand Math” is a story of those people.

The new education system introduced by the British officer Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859) and banning of indigenous Indian education system is considered to be primarily responsible for the total annihilation of indigenous system. British rule brought down literacy rate from nearly 100% to mere 12% at the end of British rule.

The song “Vande Mataram” remained a most popular expression of Patriotism for Indians from the days of freedom struggle and still remains to this day.

What is the content of the song “Vande Mataram”? Is it seditious?

The song “Vande Mataram” has intrinsically nothing seditious, provocative, incendiary or hateful towards anyone, leave alone British. On the contrary, lyrics describe Mother Land (India) as a beautiful land of plenty and a bestower of bounty to her children. However, because the song was sung in a novel in the backdrop of revolt against the oppressive and dishonest British rule it began to look threatening and potentially seditious to the colonizing power. 

Universal acceptability of “Vande Mataram” song

As the Indian culture has, since ancient times, seen the world as one family, her literature has a unique quality of creating anything and everything with everyone in this world as opposed to limiting it to narrow interest of a particular country, race or creed. It does not profess wealth for India alone or health for India alone but her prayer is always meant for everyone in the world. The song “Vande Mataram” is also written in the same spirit, country neutral-meant for everyone in the world. This masterpiece song can be adopted by any country without modification or customization. The song is likeable to anyone and truly suitable to be applicable to any country that wishes to adopt it as their own because it does not demonise anyone or any country, just expresses lavish praise for one’s own country. In other words, if an American or a Frenchman or an Englishman was to visualize their respective countries as mother land through the lens of “Vande Mataram” imagery, they too would feel included and would want to own up the song for their country. Even the mention of Goddesses Saraswati, Laxmi and Durga therein the song is used in the sense of holding the motherland in the highest esteem - almost godly reverence - to the motherland. Indians place Motherland at a higher pedestal, above even heaven.

Free and boisterous sloganeering of “Vande Mataram” on the first independence day. Extract from my mom’s diary of 15th August 1947

The freedom fighters had a field day shouting “Vande Mataram” on the streets the moment Independence was declared on 15th August 1947. My mom noted in her diary that on that day, she was in Akola town (in the current state of Maharashtra). The people were ecstatic with the declaration of independence, they roamed the streets of cities tirelessly shouting “Vande Mataram”. It was a rainy and stormy night with lightning and thunder and yet it was as if no one took any notice of the storm. Everyone was on the streets and no one wanted to go home. There was no night on the night of Independence day. She and her friends did not want to end the celebration.That was the excitement on 15th August 1947. “Vande Mataram” slogans kept ringing all night.

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