The internal consistency reliability of the Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism among Hindu Bunts in South India

The Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism was originally developed and tested among Hindu affiliates living in the United Kingdom. In the present study this instrument was completed by 100 Hindu affiliates from the Bunt caste in South India (48 males and 52 females). The data support the internal construct reliability of the scale in this context (α = .91) and commend the instrument for wider application within the Hindu community

Overlooked Danger: The Security and Rights Implications of Hindu Nationalism in India

This Article will examine the rise of Hindu nationalism in India and provide an overview of its already devastating consequences. In February and March 2002, over 2000 people were killed in state-supported violence against Muslims in the western state of Gujarat, led by the Hindu nationalist BJP that also heads a coalition government at the center. The attacks were carried out with impunity by members of the BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (“RSS,” National Volunteer Corps), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (“VHP,” World Hindu Council), and the Bajrang Dal (the militant youth wing of the VHP). Collectively, these groups are known as the sangh parivar, or family of Hindu nationalist organizations. Police and state officials were directly implicated in many of the attacks. The BJP is the political wing of the sangh parivar. Violence and other abuses against marginalized groups in India are part of a concerted campaign of these and related organizations—whose leadership is dominated by upper-caste Hindus—to promote and exploit communal tensions in order to retain political and economic power. Nationwide violence against India\u27s Muslim community in 1992 and 1993 and against India\u27s Christian community since 1998, including in the state of Gujarat, has also stemmed from the violent activities and hate propaganda of these groups. Human rights groups have long warned of the destructive potential of the sangh parivar\u27s agenda—an agenda that exerts considerable influence over the nation\u27s educational, social, defense, and anti-terrorism policies. The Indian government continues to exploit rhetoric surrounding the global war on terror to silence political dissent while the sangh parivar invokes the threat of Islamic terrorism in the aftermath of September 11 to justify the persecution of Muslims. Operating under the guise of patriotism, the proponents of Hindu nationalism are achieving mainstream credibility. This Article also discusses the “communalization” of education by the Hindu right: a battle to shape the minds of today\u27s youth and tomorrow\u27s leaders. The promotion of Hindu nationalism as a legitimate political and cultural force has consequences beyond its impact on the lives of India\u27s lower castes and religious minorities. Attacks on Muslims in India have their corresponding effect on Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Similarly, atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan-supported militancy in Kashmir are often cited as justifications for the persecution of Muslims in India. As the religious right gains significant footholds in electoral politics in Bangladesh and Pakistan, attacks on religious minorities in those countries have also reached alarming proportions

Religion and mental health among Hindu young people in England

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between mental health and attitude toward their religious tradition among a sample of 330 young people attending the Hindu Youth Festival in London. The participants completed the Santosh-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Hinduism together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire which provides measures of neuroticism and psychoticism. The data indicated that a more positive attitude toward Hinduism was associated with lower psychoticism scores but unrelated to neuroticism scores. There is no evidence, therefore, to associate higher levels of religiosity with poorer mental health among young people within the Hindu community

Sustainable Cultural Development: the Fate of Balinese Adat Village Posterior the Enactment of Law Number 6 Year 2014 Concerning Village

Pengakuan keberadaan masyarakat adat sangat tergantung pada kehendak pemerintah yang berkuasa. Pemerintah Desa sebagaimana dirumuskan dalam Undang-Undang Nomor 6 Tahun 2014 tentang Desa serta Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 43 Tahun 2014 tentang Peraturan Pelaksanaan Undang-Undang Nomor 6 Tahun 2014 telah secara alami menjadi hukum birokrasi dan pejabat bahwa desa diatur dalam sistem pemerintah daerah di bawah pengawasan hukum negara. Dalam kasus Bali dan pemerintah daerah Bali, terdapat konsekuensi hukum dengan nasib dan masa depan keberadaan dan kehidupan desa adat/desa pakraman sebagai sistem sosial dan budaya masyarakat Hindu, yaitu hukum berdasarkan dari pakraman pembangunan desa adat/desa tidak akan tetap menjadi awig-awig sebagai hukum adat masyarakat tradisional Bali; filsafat dan esensi, fungsi dan peran desa adat/desa pakraman berubah secara fisik serta mengakhiri dan hilangnya komunitas kehidupan masyarakat Bali; adat tradisional dan sistem pemerintahan harus berubah sesuai dengan sistem pemerintahan desa dinas (Kelurahan); di satu desa sisi adat/desa pakraman harus mengatur urusan administrasi dan birokrasi di bawah struktur pemerintah daerah, dan di sisi lain desa adat adalah pada saat yang sama yang bertanggungjawab untuk mengatur dan bertanggungjawab tentang budaya, tradisi dan ritual adat serta sebagai urusan agama Hindu, pemandangan desa pakraman adat/desa harus benar-benar diabaikan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari desa Bali dan masyarakat.The recognition of indigenous peoples existence is very dependent on the will of the Government. The village government as formulated in Act number 6/2014 of the village, as well as Government Regulation number 43/2014 about Implementation of the Act number 6/2014 has naturally become a bureaucratic and legal officials law, that the village is set in the system of local government under the supervision of State law. In the case of Bali and the local Government of Bali, there is legal consequences with the fate and the future existence and life of indigenous village/pakraman village as a social and cultural system of the Hindu society, it is the law on the development basis of the indigenous village/pakraman village will not remain be ”the awig-awig” as Balinese traditional society customary law; philosophy and the essence, function and role of the indigenous village/pakraman village changed physically as well as community life of Balinese people loss; traditional customs and Government system should be changed in accordance with the system of the village Government; on one side the customs affairs village should organize pakraman village administration and bureaucracy under the structure of local governments, and on the other hand the indigenous village is at the same time responsible to organize and responsible about the culture, traditions, customs and ritual as Hindu affairs, village understanding of pakraman village customs and traditions should be completely ignored in Balinese village daily community life

KEDUDUKAN DAN PERAN PEREMPUAN PADA KOMUNITAS SUKU DAYAK HINDU BUDHA BUMI SEGANDHU INDRAMAYU DALAM SISTEM SOSIAL

Penelitian ini berjudul Kedudukan dan Peran Perempuan pada Komunitas Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu dalam Sistem Sosial. Penelitian berfokus pada perempuan Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu yang didalamnya dibahas mengenai kedudukan perempuan, peran perempuan, aktivitas perempuan, pendidikan perempuan dan nilai perempuan dalam komunitas Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi kedudukan perempuan Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu yang diluhurkan dalam sistem kepercayaan, memperoleh gambaran mengenai peran perempuan Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu yang meliputi fungsinya dalam masyarakat dan keluarga, menganalisis aktivitas perempuan Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu pada pembagian kerja dengan laki-laki dalam bidang ekonomi, menganalisis tinggi dan rendahnya pendidikan perempuan Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu, dan menganaisis kajian gender dengan mengetahui penyebab luhurnya nilai yang dilekatkan pada perempuan dalam Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif analitis dengan pendekatan kualitatif dan menggunakan analisis data etnografi model Spradley. Data dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan teknik observasi, wawancara data, studi dokumentasi, studi literatur dan catatan (field note). Hasil penelitian ini ditemukan luhurnya kedudukan perempuan dalam Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu yang tertanam melalui konsep ngaula ning anak rabi. Konsep ini menjadikan laki-laki dalam Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu harus mengabdikan diri kepada perempuan. Tidak adanya kewajiban bagi perempuan untuk mengerjakan pekerjaan domestik dan kebebasan dalam memilih untuk hanya bekerja di ranah domestik atau di ranah publik merupakan implementasi dari konsep ngaula ning anak rabi. Konsep ini lahir dari kepercayaan bahwa perempuan adalah sumber kehidupan, tidak ada kehidupan jika tidak ada perempuan dan kepercayaan bahwa perempuan adalah lapisan alam. Kata Kunci: Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu, ngaula ning anak rabi This research is titled role and status of woman on social system of the community of Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. It is focused on the existence of woman in Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu which explains about women’s roles and statuses, their activities, education, and the value of woman in the community of Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. The purpose of this research is to identify woman’s status who is treated very special by Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu on their belief system, describing about women’s roles of Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu on society and family, analyzing their activities on the division of labor between man and woman, analyzing how they get educated them selves and examining about gender, the reason why woman is worshiped on Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. The method of this research is analysis descriptive method with qualitative research and using data analyzing ethnography of Spradley’s model. Data is collected by observation, interview, documentation study, literature study, and field note. This research has found that how high woman’s status is on Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu, this belief comes from the concept of ngaula ning anak rabi.This concept teaches men to serve themselves for woman in Suku Dayak Hindu Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu. There is no obligation for woman to choose a job whether in domestic area or public area and they are free to have a job in those two area, that freedom is an implementation of the concept ngaula ning anak rabi. This concept comes from a belief system that woman is the resource of life, no woman means no life and woman is the universe. Keyword : Suku Dayak Hindi Budha Bumi Segandhu Indramayu, ngaula ning anak rabi

The Political Economy of Religion and Politics in India

The paper will examine the dramatic rise of the right-wing Hindu organisations in India, especially since the 1990s. Most prominent among these organisations are RSS, BJP, VHP, Bajang Dal and Shiv Sena. However, they all work together under the philosophy of Hindutva (i.e. Hindu-ness) and are rabidly anti-minority in their stance. They appear to need an ‘enemy’ in the form of a religious minority to unite Hindus and consolidate their support. This study is important because RSS is too politically significant to be ignored. Since the BJP (BhartiyaJanta Party) came to power in May 2014, its ministers and senior party leaders have been coming out in support of Hindutva. Attacks against Muslims have risen sharply. Cultural issues such as cow slaughter and the building of the Ram temple at Ayodhya have been raised again by the RSS as a means of dividing communities and keeping Muslims in a state of constant fear and insecurity. This study argues that the failure of India’s economic development to remove socio-economic constraints leading to slow and uneven development has intensified rivalry between castes and religious communities. Under such conditions, it became possible for extremist Hindu organisations to target people on the basis of religion

Purifying the nation : the Arya Samaj in Gujarat 1895-1930

This article examines the impact of the Arya Samaj in Gujarat from 1895 to 1930. Although the founder of this body, Dayanand Saraswati, was from Gujarat, it proved less popular there initially than in the Punjab. The first important Arya Samajists in Gujarat were Punjabis, brought there by Sayajirao Gaekwad of Baroda to carry out educational work amongst untouchables. The Arya Samaj only became a mass organisation in Gujarat after a wave of conversions to Christianity in central Gujarat by untouchables, with Arya Samajists starting orphanages to ‘save’ orphans from the clutches of the Christian missionaries. The movement then made considerable headway in Gujarat. The main followers were from the urban middle classes, higher farming castes, and gentry of the Koli caste. Each had their own reasons for embracing the organisation, ranging from a desire for higher social status, to religious reform, to building caste unity, and as a means, in the case of the Koli gentry, to ‘reconvert’ Kolis who had adopted Islam in medieval times. The movement lost its momentum after Gandhi arrived on the political scene, and many erstwhile Arya Samajists embraced the Gandhian movement. When the Gandhian movement itself flagged after 1922, there was an upsurge in communal antagonism in Gujarat in which Arya Samajists played a provocative role. A riot in Godhra in 1928 is examined. Over the past decade, Gujarat has come to be seen as a hotbed of communalism, ruled by a state government that has connived at, and even encouraged, murderous attacks on Muslims and Christians. At the time of the notorious pogrom against Muslims of 2002, several observers commented on the irony that this should have occurred in the homeland of Gandhi, the great proponent of non-violence and Hindu-Muslim unity.1 They saw this as violating not only the memory of the Mahatma, but also the very history of this region – one known, it was said, for its spirit of tolerance and regard for the sacredness of all life. As Tridip Suhrud stated in anguish: What has happened to the dialogic space that Gandhi nurtured? What has happened to the Jain ethos, which informed the structure of mercantile capitalism and from which Gandhi drew sustenance?2 Although these are questions that we should certainly ask, they project only one view of Gujarat and its history, for this is not an area that has escaped violence, bigotry and communal strife in the past. Communal tension between Hindus and Muslims, and even violence between the two, has a genealogy that stretches back well over a century; predating Gandhi’s arrival on the political scene in 1915.3 In this article, I shall examine an aspect of this history by focusing on the growth and development of the Arya Samaj in Gujarat between the years 1895 and 1930. It is not suggested that there was an inevitable progress from the doctrines and activities propagated by this body to the Hindu bigotry that dominates the political scene in modern Gujarat, for there were many countervailing forces at both a popular and elite level that might have produced a different trajectory.4 Also, many of the features of the modern manifestation of Hindutva were not present in the early decades of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, a way of thinking about the modern nation state and the place of Hindus and Hinduism within it became a part of the public culture of this region, and this could be deployed in new ways, and to new effect, in changing political circumstances.5 1 For example Panikkar, K. N. ‘The Agony of Gujarat,’ The Hindu, 19 March 2002; Suhrud, T. ‘Gujarat: No Room for Dialogue,’ Economic and Political Weekly, [Hereafter EPW], 37 (11), 16 March 2002, pp. 1011-12. 2 Ibid, p.1011. 3 To take one case, there was a long history of tension between Hindus and Muslims in Somnath in Kathiawad in the later nineteenth century that led to a fracas in 1892, followed by a riot in which several died in 1893. See file on ‘Patan Riot: Hindus and Mussulmans Patan Commission, Part I,’ Oriental and India Office Collection, R/2/721/56; Krishnaswamy, S. ‘A Riot in Bombay, August 11, 1893: A Study in Hindu-Muslim Relations in Western India during the Late Nineteenth Century,’ unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Chicago, 1966, pp. 76-90. 4 As pointed out for India as a whole by Fischer-Tiné, H., ‘Kindly Elders of the Hindu Biradri’: The Arya Samaj’s Struggle for Influence and its Effects on Hindu-Muslim Relations, 1800-1925,’ in Copley, A. (ed.), Gurus and their Followers: New Religious Reform Movements in India, New Delhi, 2000, pp.107-08. 5 In the ways alluded to for Bengal by Sarkar, S. ‘Intimations of Hindutva: Ideologies, Caste, and Class in Post-Swadeshi Bengal,’ in Sarkar, S. Beyond Nationalist Frames: Postmodernism, Hindu Fundamentalism, History, New Delhi, 2002, pp.81-95; and for the United Provinces by Gould, W. Hindu Nationalism and the Language of Politics in Late Colonial India, Cambridge 2004, p. 37

Book Review: \u3cem\u3ePublic Hinduisms\u3c/em\u3e

A review of Public Hinduisms edited by John Zavos, Pralay Kanungo, Deepa S. Reddy, Maya Warrier, and Raymond Brady Williams

ARSITEKTUR RUMAH JAWA PERDESAAN PADA KOMUNITAS HINDU-JAWA DI KAWASAN CANDI CETHO GUNUNG LAWU

Architectural embodiment of the settlement of a community in general is influenced by factors such cultural background, climatic and environmental conditions encountered. Settlement arrangement that formed is the answer community adaptation and adjustment to its environment . This study aimed to describe the architecture of the houses in rural Java with Javanese Hindu cultural settings around the area Cetho Lawu. The research location is a residential community of Hindu-Javanese contained around Cetho located on the eastern slope of Mount Lawu. Administratively research site located in the hamlet Cetho, Gumeng Village, District Jenawi, Karanganyar. Selection of research sample Java house is done by purposive taking into account the typology and age of the house to represent the original character of the settlement. The results obtained show the fabric of space and function Java House Rural communities in the Hindu-Javanese Cetho Lawu Region have formed a specific order from the local knowledge of the community to adapt to the natural conditions of rural mountain Lawu the cultural background of Hindu-Javanese. Keywords: architecture; hinduism: kejawen: javanese: house