Following the signing of the Simla Agreement in the wake of a humbling defeat in 1971, Bhutto conveyed to Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tikka Khan, the inevitability of future conflicts despite fleeting periods of peace. Bhutto's words reflected a deep-seated national confidence, and superiority he said ;

" Neither a few years of arranged peace nor the present situation can possibly permit us to ignore the reality that there must inevitably sooner or later come another war. Xxxxxx. In the remotest of our villages the humblest of our people possesses a self-confidence a ready willingness to march forward into India, a spirit the equivalent of which cannot be found on the other side. xxxxx. All this is not ancient history, it is current history and the Indian masses are just now still struggling against the legacy of superstitions, religious intolerance , caste system, regional animosities, poverty backwardness, ignorance, deceit and the unconquerable habit of submission and servility”.

J.N. Dixit, former Foreign Secretary and Security Advisor of India, echoed similar sentiments in his book "Anatomy of Flawed Inheritance." He highlighted the repeated debunking of the myth of Islamic superiority by Indian military prowess in various conflicts, spanning from 1947 to Kargil.

India's history is marked by five significant conflicts, four with Pakistan and one with China. In each confrontation with Pakistan, India emerged victorious, delivering decisive blows even in the battles where Pakistan army enjoyed considerable advantage ; tactical, equipment and numerical. For instance ; Battle of Assal Uttar, OP Hill, Dograi, HajiPir, Laungewala, etc. Similarly, against China, Indian forces displayed remarkable resilience despite all the challenges and on many occasions fought till the last man last round.

Delving further into history, India's military prowess is evident.

Throughout history, Indian warriors have valiantly defended their land.

Porus gave a tough fight to Alexander who had a comparatively easy run all through ; Egypt and Persia . Alexander’s army in 316 BC, when came against Porus, suffered good amount of casualties and so decided to return. Nehruji in his book “ Discovery of India” while explaining as to why Alexander returned wrote ; “Alexander and his soldiers after having faced a stiff resistance at the hands of the frontier king, felt that if they go further deeper into India the challenge is going to get tougher , when they face kings having bigger kingdoms and so they decided to return”.

Field Marshal Zhukov a famous Russian General of WW II had even remarked ;

“ Alexander did not win against Porus, it is like claiming that just because Napolean had reached Moscow , he had defeated Russians. Yes, Alexander reached the banks of Indus but thereafter was forcibly driven back by Porus, like Russians pushed Napoleon”.

Thereafter Chandrgupt Maurya defeated the Greek army led by Seleucius Nicator in 305 BC.

It is perhaps this reason why Greeks had a high opinion about the Indians. Mountstuart Elphinstone a renowned historian writes in his Book, The History of India “

The Greeks, , have described Indians as tall and active. Their bravery was always spoken of as characteristic; their superiority in war to other Asiatics is repeatedly asserted and appears in more ways than one. They are said to be sober, moderate, peaceable, good soldiers, good farmers, remarkable for simplicity and integrity; so reasonable as never to have recourse to a law suit; and so honest as neither to require locks to their doors nor writings to bind their agreements. Above all no Indian was ever known to tell an untruth”.

How soldierly our ancestors were.

Thereafter, Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Ghori in Battle of Tarain in 1191, Hemu had defeated Mughal army and had captured Agra and Delhi before losing to Akbar after a well fought battle, Rana Sangha and Rana Pratap gave tough fight to invaders and Pratap even regained most of his lost territory defeating Akbar’s forces, thereafter Shivaji, Bajirao Peshwa , and his generals defeated many muslim kings, the Sikhs under Guru Gobind Singh gave a horrifying time to Aurangzeb’s army and Maharaja Ranjit Singh established a Sikh empire right till Afghanistan and had his capital in Lahore, after defeating many muslim kings.

Even the British did not get their empire easily and could not rule in peace as being thought of ; Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali’s army , Yeshwantrao Holkar I , and many others gave British a run for the money. In battle of Bharatpur the British had suffered almost 3000 casualties and at one point had no money to fight Yeshwantrao Holkar I. In 1857 rebellion, it took the British almost a year to bring back normalcy. Thereafter, when we realised that its pointless fighting a super power on its strength, we devised a unique way of Not cooperating and disobeying their diktats, rendering the rulers ineffective, but we did not succumb, as is being depicted, by some.

Contrary to narratives of perpetual victimization, India's resilience shines through. The Roman empire was also destroyed by invaders from North, England was ruled for almost 300 years by Romans, the French were also ruled by Romans, the Chinese were humiliated by the British, the Koreans also were tormented by invading Japanese, the Jews had to leave their land, the Egyptian and Persian civilisation got vanished, leaving just the tombs and statues of their gods and kings, but on the other hand we are still there and thriving.

Conclusion

So, it is intriguing as to how a sense of inferiority persists, Instead of being proud of ourselves, we are being repeatedly told; look you have been subjugated and been suppressed always.

Who are those people who are spreading lies that we have been victimised, rendered helpless and we do not have the ability to fight.

When one probes deeper one finds that those who are spreading these lies are the same kind of people because of whom we lost wars in medieval times and lost our political freedom; They are the same people who drove the society to orthodoxy, conservatism, obscurantism and made us inflexible, unprogressive and stagnated.

Introduction:

Article 51A (h) of the Indian Constitution plays a unique and crucial role, urging citizens to "develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform."

This article was incorporated to encourage questioning and critical thinking, breaking away from historical norms dictated by a select few. The need for such an article arises from a past where societal beliefs were often shaped by a narrow group of individuals, limiting progress and perpetuating unexamined traditions.

Historical Context:

In the 1880s, Mahatma Gandhi faced ostracization from his own community when he chose to pursue studies abroad, reflecting the societal resistance to questioning traditional norms. Laws were framed by those in power, primarily the Brahmin class, who had monopolized education, occupied coveted positions in Kings’ Durbar and influenced the formation of laws. The entire Society was governed by the laws framed by this class and they had a vice like grip on the socio-politico life of the people. This monopoly led to a conformist society, where ancient beliefs were presented as unquestionable truths.

Challenging Ancient Beliefs:

The ancient texts, including the Vedas and Puranas, propagated a few unscientific beliefs such as the cyclical nature of Yugas and cosmogony.

This dogma conflicted with scientific evidence, that lead to the necessity of Article 51A (h) to promote a spirit of inquiry. The discrepancy between religious scriptures and scientific facts, highlights the importance of questioning such narratives.

Even today many of us sing Arti of Laxmiji in which there is a stanza ; " Baanjhan ko putr dev", why should we not do away with it ?

Cosmogony and Manvantara:

The cosmogony described in religious texts often clashes with scientific understanding. The Rig Veda's Purusha Sukta, for instance, outlines a theory of the universe's origin, absolutely conflicting to the scientific evidence. Similarly, the concept of Manvantara, with its cyclical ages lasting billions of years, contradicts established scientific timelines. This stark contrast emphasizes the need for questioning and critical thinking.

For details refer to the pic.

Role of Article 51A (h):

India's leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, recognized the importance of instilling a scientific temper in the population. Nehru coined the term "scientific temper," emphasizing the scientific approach as vital for societal progress. He had once said ; “Science is not about just studying Physics and Chemistry, it is about , how one sees things and questions them.”

In The Discovery Of India, Nehruji wrote,

“The scientific approach, the adventurous and yet critical temper of science, the search for truth and new knowledge, the refusal to accept anything without testing and trial, the capacity to change previous conclusions in the face of new evidence, the reliance on observed fact and not on pre-conceived theory, the hard discipline of the mind, all this is necessary, not merely for the application of science but for life itself and the solution of its many problems."

Nehruji and few other leaders of his time like Dr Ambedkar were keenly aware that India’s development and emancipation from the scourge of blind faith, superstition and caste division would require constitutional strength , persistence and scientific temper.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar emphasized the importance of reason, evidence, and critical inquiry in all aspects of life. He believed that viewing everything with a scientific temperament is essential for the progress of society and advocated for the use of empirical evidences in the understanding social realities.

Article 51A (h) was thus included to empower citizens to question age-old beliefs and embrace a more rational worldview and keep ones faith personal and at home.

Challenges in Contemporary India:

Despite the visionary intent behind Article 51A (h), contemporary India under Mr Modi, faces challenges as certain elements seek to revert to traditional beliefs. The influence of the current government has led to a resurgence of Brahminism, threatening the progress made in fostering a scientific temper. The need for constant vigilance and adherence to the principles of Article 51A (h) is more significant than ever.

Brahminism has got nothing to do with the caste Brahmins as such. It basically implies the emphasis on Rituals, religious customs, traditions, practices.

Conclusion:

Article 51A (h) serves as a beacon for cultivating the scientific temper and fostering an inquisitive mindset. It reminds citizens to question established norms and beliefs, irrespective of religious affiliations. In a rapidly advancing world, the spirit of inquiry is essential for progress, and upholding the principles of Article 51A (h) is crucial for India's continued growth as a modern and enlightened society.

This is applicable to all Religious communities including Muslims and Christians because they also have similar challenges to face.

The outcome of the Path that we are treading today, may be realised in years to come. However, suffice to say today that the Path Pakistan chose in 1947, we are taking it now and we all know where Pakistan has reached in 70 years. In our case the slide down may be faster due to the Social media. If some say that Hindus are not like muslims , then they have to just look within, their behaviour has become like a fundamentalist muslim, implying all Fundamentalists are alike.

There can be many views on the just inaugurated Ram Temple. depending on what is your world view ;

One. We are a resilient race , no matter how much time it took , we undid what Babar did to us.

Two. If they have Mecca, Medina, Vatican then why can n't we have Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Three.. Religion does not bring peace. No amount of temples, mosques, churches will bring peace and prosperity , is there peace in Jerusalem, is Islamic world living in peace, England and france fought 100 years religious war, so how can Ayodhya Mandir will bring peace and harmony.

Four. Running down each others' religion and proving that my religion is the best is not going to help, Faith has no logic and rationale. One can not say ; My Logic is Logic but your logic has no basis. So, Ram temple is justified, we just corrected the wrong.

Five, Even after 500 years we human beings are still the same, we also behaved like BABAR.

My view is ; kindly keep ones faith and religious beliefs at home , it is a personal choice, it does not require to be ADVERTISED and DISPLAYED . Relationship with God is a personal affair, yes we may have our own places of worshipping our Gods, but we do not have to destroy others' Places.

I bet even after this Ram Temple , India will remain as CORRUPT as it was yesterday, our Police, Hospitals and Governance will remain as inefficient as they were Yesterday.

Religion and temples have never energised a Community and lead them to Greatness. Yes they became the cause of deterioration of many civilisations. It is the Science, Scientific temper, Good Administration, Quality Educational Institutions that has lead the Nations and Societies reach greatness.

The Only people who benefit from this pompous display of Religion are Politicians, Businessmen linked to Politicians, Sycophants and the Priestly class, in case of Ayodhya ; Brahmins.

If one doesn't believe these words, open your history books and check who built the temples, who looked after them, who monopolized education, what is the advantage of monopolizing education. And finally what cumulative impact it had on the society as a whole.

In grappling with its complex historical legacy, India is not alone, as nations such as South Africa, Germany, and the USA have also faced similar challenges. Each has had to confront historical wrongs, and the manner in which societies address these issues can offer valuable insights for India's current predicament.

India's historical tapestry is marked by instances of caste-based atrocities, religious conflicts, and cultural clashes -The Brahmins and upper caste people committed numerous atrocities on lower caste people, the Brahmins bullied the Buddhists and the Jains, The muslim invaders imposed all sorts of taxes on hindus and destroyed their places of worship, the Dravids believe that the North Indians , invaded them and they are original natives of the land. 

The societal response to these challenges is critical for fostering unity and preventing potential civil strife. To chart a path forward, India can draw lessons from the reconciliation processes in South Africa and Germany.

In South Africa, the end of apartheid witnessed a transition of power from the white minority to the black majority. Trevor Noah, a prominent South African figure ; comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host, recipient of many awards and named one of the top hundred most influential people in the world by Time magazine suggested two key principles for reconciliation.

Firstly, societies must confront their history transparently, ensuring that the truth is acknowledged and taught to future generations.

Secondly, it is essential to emphasize to students that they are not personally responsible for past wrongs but should learn from them so that same mistakes are not repeated inorder to create a better future.

He further elaborated as to how Germany's post-World War II era provides a model for addressing historical wrongs. The atrocities committed during Hitler's regime have not led to a wholesale eradication of monuments or towns but rather to an acknowledgment of the past. The German approach involves openly acknowledging historical wrongs, teaching an unbiased history, and instilling a commitment to not repeat the mistakes of the past. Germans even changed their National anthem.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad's response to the husband of Queen of England, Prince Philip , the Duke of Edinburgh, underscores a pragmatic perspective. During a visit to Rashtrapati bhawan , the Duke noticed a portrait of Queen of England in one of the corridors, he said ; I thought you would have removed these , Dr Prasad, the then President of India, reportedly, quipped ; Would it have changed the history of the country. His retort, "Would it have changed the history of the country?" highlights the importance of accepting historical facts while focusing on building a shared future. Perhaps, that response came naturally to him because those leaders , having fought for Freedom of the country were striving to rebuild a nation, which had lost its political freedom hundreds of years ago.

Embracing Noah's principles and imbibing Prasad's wisdom can pave the way for a more harmonious Indian society. Open acknowledgment of all historical wrongs and their inclusion in educational curricula can foster a collective understanding of the past. Simultaneously, emphasizing that the present generation is not accountable for historical injustices can promote unity and prevent perpetuating cycles of resentment.

Failure to heed these lessons may perpetuate the cycle of demands for corrective measures such as reservations, the renaming of places and destruction of places of worship. By learning from global experiences and adopting a forward-looking approach, India can create a society that is at peace with its past, fostering unity and understanding for generations to come. Otherwise, this cycle of correcting wrongs would go on ; today some one is on mat and tomorrow it may be someone else's  turn.

The Arya vs Dravid, the Hindus vs Muslims, Christians , Upper caste vs Lower caste will go on, Sikhs will also join in and not only that these conflicts will reach North Eastern States of India and also the foreign shores as well and we shall be washing our dirty linen all over the world.