Biblical Response to RSS— Hindutva Ideology

(https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/demonetization-secularism-chapters-removed-from-cbse-syllabus-to-reduce-burden-on-students-1698303-2020-07-08)

 The Babel Incident in Genesis 11:19 represented a type of assembly gathered together to build a city for themselves, and a tower with its top in the heavens. Objectively expressed, it was to make a name for themselves (v. 4). With obvious observation this chapter tells us that the whole world had one language, however, in most probability there were many linguistic groups and national identities in the Kingdom. In the previous chapters the book of Genesis mentioned ". . . each with his own language, by their families, in their nations" (10:5). This gathering was an indication of the presence of a certain political authority that had ruled and controlled over different ethnic groups.

Probably, the Babel assembly was an assembly of the majority by the majority, fulfilling desires and wishes of the ruling majority. The minority ethic groups were looked down with negative attitude and had hitherto successfully imposed a single nation and one language. Thus, to get hold of such achievements of imposing one language in their entire empire, there could have been satisfaction to the authority, but as it can be seen it was a disastrous development as it ignored other languages and nations.

A superiority complex might have been a dominant factor that contributed to the ruler's exclusive mentality. This type of assembly was a kind of unity that may be equated to dehumanization, oppression and domination. In the Babel event a unity of inclusive human face was lacking.
The book of genesis further tells that God shattered people's plans, confused this human unity and scattered them into different unintelligible languages. It is to be noted that Babel phenomenon was in many ways reminiscent of today's development that has lent credence to a mono culture and one language and is evolved in the form of introducing a Hindutva ideology, uniform civil code or Hindu rashtra.

 

We need the kind of unity which can be seen from that experience of unity on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) during which humankind looked upward to reach God's seat at the expense of the minorities that did not have any intention to enforce a mono culture on the people. As a matter of fact, the disciples were lonely, poor, and powerless. There was no authority that would recognize their presence or role in the society. They were people of humble origins. This experience was a unity of understanding even in the context of the presence of diverse dialects.