BELAGAVI: KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi has come under fire from various quarters, including his own party, for calling “Hindu” a “dirty” word. He was trying to interpret the origin of the word ‘Hindu’ while addressing a gathering at a programme organised by Manava Bandutva Vedike at Nipani on Monday.
The ruling BJP, terming Congress as “anti-Hindu”, questioned if his statement is the party’s stand too. “Is Congress trying to consolidate its vote bank by speaking against Hinduism?” BJP tweeted. Besides leaders from various parties, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, also condemned Jarkiholi’s statement in strong terms, saying on Twitter: “The statement attributed to Satish Jarkiholi is deeply unfortunate and deserves to be rejected.”
He posted, “We condemn it unequivocally. Hinduism is a way of life and a civilisation reality. Congress built our nation to respect every religion, belief and faith. This is essence of India (sic).’’ While attempting to hit out at those involved in doing communal politics in the name of Hindu and other religions, Jarkiholi said in Nipani, “Where did the word ‘Hindu’ come from? It is not our word, but originated from Persia, which had earlier spread in Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. How is this region linked to India and how did the word ‘Hindu’ become your word? Check on WhatsApp, Wikipedia…the term is not yours. If you come to know the meaning of it, you will be ashamed. Its meaning is very dirty. The word Hindu is being imposed on us.’’
Satish: It is my personal interpretation
Twitterati came down heavily on Jarkiholi, condemning his statement and accusing him of trying to misinterpret history. Several said Congress leaders should first read the Vedas properly and understand the actual origin of the word ‘Hindu’. Several Twitter users sought an apology from the Congress party for Jarkiholi allegedly insulting the Hindus.
Meanwhile, Jarkiholi issued a clarification via Twitter saying he had spoken about the origin of the word ‘Hindu’ based on write-ups in Wikipedia and articles by various authors. He said it was his personal interpretation (to comment about the origin of the word Hindu). “The actual term ‘Hindu’ first occurs as a Persian geographical term for the people who lived beyond the river Indus (Sanskrit: Sindhu), more specifically in the 6th century BCE inscription of Darius I (550-486 BCE). Source: Wikipedia,” he added on Twitter.