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What's the definition of 'Hindu'? Home ministry clueless

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V.Balasubramani

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Hindu - n. person - esp. of N. INDIA, WHOSE RELIGION IS HINDUISM.

HINDUISM- n. polytheistic religion of the Hindus.

polytheistic- n.belief in worship of more than one God.Source:- The Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English - by A.S. HORNBY, E.V. GATENBY & H.WAKEFIELD - - second edition - The English Language Book Society and Oxford University Press- fifteenth impression 1971 - London.
 
Hindu - person WHOSE RELIGION IS HINDUISM.

HINDUISM- religion of the Hindus.

Good example of circular logic, I think!
 
The word "Hindu" has been used in territorial context, than religious. The word itself has been coined by Persians to define people living " by the side of Sindhu". In Persian-Avesta language "Sindhu" is pronounced as "Hindu". When the Persian Emperer Darious-I extended his reign over parts of sub-continent across the river Sindhu,the people living in that portion were called "Hindus". The Greeks who followed later under the Macedonian king Alexander mispronounced river Sindhu as Indus and the Bristish called the territory as India and gave religious connotation in their writings only in 1830, and mentioned the religious practices of the people as "Hinduism". Thus the word "Hindu" has been used more of territorial context, than religious. Pundit Nehru mentions in Discovery of India the word Hindu is found in a Tantric text of 8 centurey only. Maharishi Dayananda Saraswathi founder of Arya Samaj, says that the word Hindu is not found in any Vedic literature, neither the followers identified themselves as Hindus.

The reply given by the Home Ministry is honest one. There is no legal definition given any of the enactments for the word "Hindu".

Brahmanyan,
Bangalore
 
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Hindu - person WHOSE RELIGION IS HINDUISM.

HINDUISM- religion of the Hindus.

Good example of circular logic, I think!
Your circle is small, natural because of the mindset. SC is more direct and simple. Anyone who calls himself a Hindu is a Hindu. That is why Christians and Muslims are he'll bent on destroying our dharma lest majority in the world will convert to a way of life rich in theory, practice, rituals - a big kajana and knowledge source. No need to evangelise. People will be drawn as bees to fragrant lot uses.
 
Bad days for hindu bashes. A 5000 year old Vishnu murty has been recovered from malaysian sea. Vedic period is now pushed back by another 2000 years. Still a long way to go to match with chatur yuga time frame.
 
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