Why I Became Hindu from Atheist/Communist

Note: This blog is based on my experiences, knowledge, and understanding. Your experiences and insights may differ, and you might reach different conclusions. I intend to share my beliefs, not to disrespect anyone. If you are open-minded, please continue reading. If not, this blog may not be for you.

It was morning, and my mother was helping me get ready for school, as she always used to do that. However, this morning was a little different because I had exams in school. Before leaving home, she asked if I had put my pen and all the important stationary items in my bag. I replied with a yes, and then she added,  “Do your math exam well so that you will get good marks.” 

I didn’t say anything and left home because I wasn’t sure about my exam preparation. I didn’t want to get bad marks, so I decided to do the last thing that almost every person does – visit a temple and ask Bhagwan for help. I did just that. 

Instead of going straight to school, I first went to a nearby temple and prayed to Bhagwan, asking for help with my exam and for good marks. I was worried that my parents would be angry if I did not achieve good marks. With little optimism, I went to school.

When I entered the exam hall, I noticed that my seat was at the first desk in the middle row, directly in front of the teacher’s desk. This upset me because it diminished my chances of receiving any help from classmates. 

Then, the exam paper was distributed. After reading the questions, I started thinking that I should have studied that chapter more, practiced those questions more, and revisited certain topics. When the exam ended, I realized that Bhagwan did not help me at all; in fact, it seemed he did exactly the opposite of what I had prayed for. 

This incident was one of the first that I remember which caused my skepticism in God.

Transition from Agnostic to Atheist

There have been many moments and incidents in my life that made me ask, ‘Why me?’ ‘What did I do wrong?’ ‘Why am I unlucky?’ ‘Why is this person blessed?’ ‘Why was I born into this world to suffer?’ ‘Why didn’t he help me when I was in danger?’ and many more questions that led me to doubt the existence of Bhagwan.

Like any teenager, I began to rebel against almost everything, especially authoritative figures and religious matters. I believe this is a typical phase for every teenager, where they challenge their parents’ beliefs and norms. At this point, I wasn’t 100% atheist; instead, I held somewhat agnostic views. With this agnostic perspective and about 10% belief in God, I graduated from college. When I started my master’s degree at another college, there was a significant change in my personality.

Most people there were atheists and somewhat woke, which made me feel awkward. To blend in, I first became vegan. Then, I began saying silly and derogatory things about my own dharma to seem cool and fit in. This happened naturally, influenced by the people, teachers, and content I was exposed to at that time. Because of my views, I became somewhat famous, especially within my friend circle. Gradually, I became more aggressive, trying to convert non-vegetarians to veganism. This vegan, atheist, and anarchist mindset lasted for a year or more until other events changed my views completely.

Things that helped me come back to the Hindu fold

1. The hypocrisy of me and others:

I have been a vegetarian all my life. One day, while reading in the Ratan Tata Library, I came across a quote that deeply resonated with me:

“No animal wants to die or suffer for your food, clothes, or entertainment.”

               

This quote influenced me to embrace the vegan ideology. After this event, I began watching many YouTube videos from groups like PETA. They discussed how animals suffer in industries like dairy, meat, makeup, and clothing. At that very moment, I decided to stop consuming animal products like milk, butter, etc. and tried to convince my friends to do the same because I believed it was the right thing to do. It was ironic that one of my friends in college was a hardcore meat eater. He was so sweet and nice that no one would think he could harm a fly, but when you talked to him about meat, he enthusiastically discussed cooking duck. Unfortunately, my efforts to convert him and others did not succeed.

I was following PETA and sharing their posts on my social media profiles. I started noticing their posts focus solely on Hindu festivals, such as celebrating milk-less Janmashtami, not wasting water or coloring animals during Holi, refraining from bursting firecrackers during Diwali, and avoiding buying milk to waste it on the Shivling during Shivratri.

Then came Bakra Eid, the most controversial festival from an animal welfare perspective. However, this so-called animal rights organization, PETA, and its representatives in India simply posted ‘Happy Eid’ or something similar—not even a descriptive message like the one in the image below, which they posted a few years later. I started questioning myself, ‘Why am I sharing these posts only about Hindu festivals and not others? Am I applying double standards?

I saw Tiger Shroff’s interview where the reporter asked him how he maintained his physique. His response was that he does lots of workouts, eats a good protein-rich diet consisting mostly of protein powder, chicken, fish, and eggs, and gets plenty of rest. I wasn’t impressed by his answer because I was vegan or vegetarian at that time. Around the same time, I also saw a video of Jackie Shroff talking about not flying kites during Makar Sankranti because it can hurt pigeons and other birds. After seeing the video, I thought to myself that his son eats at least two chickens or fish each day, and if we calculate, then in a year he eats 700+ chickens and is directly responsible for their deaths, yet he is talking about this and not giving advice to his own son. #Biddu

Another Bollywood instance involved Priyanka Chopra giving advice on Diwali and pollution. Later, we saw her enjoying the same firecrackers at her wedding because they didn’t make loud noises or cause pollution. She also mentioned having asthma, which she claimed was cured when she started smoking cigarettes. Similarly, many other celebrities and cricketers, like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, shared similar messages on social media during Hindu festivals, but their dispensing of advice and GYAN stopped when other non Hindu festivals came around.

I also noticed that some ‘secular’ people, who call themselves unbiased and good, are not truly unbiased at all. They do this to portray themselves as nice and kind, which they are not in reality. For example, recently, Rohit Sharma’s wife posted a titled ‘All Eyes On Rafah,’ despite having nothing to do with Gaza or Hamas terrorists. After a terrorist attack in Reasi on a bus full of Hindu pilgrims by Jihadis, she and her so-called celebrity friends remained silent. Not only this, platforms like Instagram banned the hashtag #AllEyesOnReasi, which demonstrates who holds power in these companies. Ignorant US and European college students from the LGBTQ community are supporting Gaza without understanding the stance of the average Jihadi on gay people. If they are unaware, they can watch videos still available on YouTube where Jihadis are chasing and throwing gays from the tops of buildings in ISIS-infected areas. 

Sonu Nigam said in an interview, and I’m paraphrasing here, Don’t give out unwanted Gyan, because when you do, you end up becoming a Gyan-Du person in their eyes—and they might just start calling you that too.

In college, on the internet, and TV, Hinduism and its festivals faced heavy criticism. Initially joining in, I later realized that this scrutiny was unevenly applied, with other religions largely exempt. This bias appeared rooted in the belief that criticizing Hinduism was seen as progressive or virtuous, whereas criticism of other religions, particularly Abrahamic ones, was often avoided and considered taboo. 

During this time, I watched a series called ‘Roots’ and discovered the quote by Marcus Garvey: “People without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture are like a tree without roots,” which further influenced my thinking.

I observed that people who engaged in this selective criticism were either naive, selectively nice, useful idiots, or they hated their own culture and identity, believing that doing so made them virtuous and kind. The hypocrisy and double standards I witnessed made me reflect on my beliefs and actions, realizing that I had also been part of that hypocrisy and double standards.

2. Bad Intentions of Certain People and Groups:

I saw a Bollywood movie, Shaurya, a copy of Tom Cruise’s ‘A Few Good Men.’ In it, Kay Kay Menon delivers a monologue saying that enemies not only live outside India but also within its borders, weakening the nation like termites weaken wood.

Their loyalty is not to the nation but to their religion. I was young when I saw this movie, and I did not like it because it was stupid and boring, except for Kay Kay Menon’s monologue, which recently went viral again. I didn’t fall for the propaganda portraying Muslims as innocent and the Indian Army’s soldiers as bad—a whitewashing that Bollywood has been doing since its inception through movies like Mission Kashmir, Roza, Haider, etc.

Incident one 

In college, there was a guy in my friend circle from Ladakh who seemed nice. One day, jokingly, he said, ‘My biggest dream is to come to India on a visa,’ implying he wanted Kashmir, named after the Hindu sage Rishi Kashyap, to be separate from India. I wondered why he would say that and concluded it was due to his religion, not his language or appearance. Some friends laughed at his absurd dream, which made me realize how significantly religion influences a person’s identity. If all Kashmiris were only Hindus or Jains, the Kashmir issue would not have happened or would have resolved itself within a couple of years after independence.

Incident two 

The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai specifically targeted Hindus and Jews. Alia Bhatt’s brother was unknowingly and indirectly involved in these attacks due to his friendship with David Headley, a half-Pakistani who assisted in planning them. It was India’s good fortune that Inspector Tukaram Omble caught Mohammad Kasab alive, as there was a plan to blame Hindus for the attacks. 

Aziz Burney even wrote a book titled ’26/11 RSS ki Saazish’ to propagate this theory, which was endorsed by Congress MPs and figures like Mahesh Bhatt. If Kasab hadn’t been caught alive, the idea that Hindus were responsible for these attacks might have gained more traction, akin to conspiracy theories about 9/11 being an inside job. 

Terrorists wear kalawa (a sacred thread) and embark on suicide missions, so if they had perished, it would have been easier for anti-Hindu political parties and anti-Bharat forces to frame Hindus.

Incident three 

When CDS Bipin Rawat famously said, “India is ready for a two-and-a-half-front war,” he used “half” to refer to the enemies within India—communists, Khalistanis, and Jihadis. When he was killed in a helicopter crash, some said it was an accident, but I suspect it was murder, possibly orchestrated by China or the USA. I have more doubt that China was behind this, especially because the so-called accident happened in Tamil Nadu, a state ruled by the DMK, a party typically seen as anti-India and more loyal to the Chinese CCP than to the Indian central government. The Indian government may not have acknowledged this possibility to avoid showing weakness.

My conspiracy theory could be entirely wrong, but past incidents involving the mysterious deaths of great Indian scientists like Homi Jehangir Bhabha and others from ISRO and DRDO raise doubts. 

Around the same time, then-US President Donald Trump killed Iranian generals, leading to protests by Shia Muslims in India, which I found perplexing. When Bipin Rawat died, many Muslims from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and woke communist people reacted with laughing, heart and smiley emojis on social media posts about his death.

Incident four 

When Pakistan beat India in the 2021 T-20 Cricket World Cup for the first time, I heard fireworks and thought India had won or someone had won a bet. But I was wrong; it was people in Muslim neighborhoods in Delhi celebrating Pakistan’s victory with dance and firecrackers.

This shows their loyalty to their religion or ideology over their country. Not just Muslims, but also communists, Maoists, some Christian radicals, and Khalistanis all share the same common intention: to hurt Hinduism and break India. Because of these people’s hatred towards India and Hinduism, my respect for both has significantly increased. I would say they have made me more Indian and Hindu than any history or Hindu book ever could.

3. Learning more about Indian history:

I do not really remember any history lessons except those related to World Wars, Hitler, the French Revolution, the British, and Gandhi that I read in school. Many Indian history textbooks, especially those used in classrooms, are either written by communists or secularists. Most of these textbooks do not include content that young kids need to understand the true history of India. If they did, it would portray their favorites, the Mongolians (infamously mispronounced as Mughals), in a bad light, which they do not want.

Almost all major Indian or Hindu kings who fought against invaders, whether Islamic or European, are completely missing from these textbooks. If they are mentioned, it is only briefly. In contrast, they portray Akbar as great and a patron of the arts, and Aurangzeb as hardworking. These books depict these invaders or their descendants as Indians who loved India, which is exactly the opposite of the facts.

Maybe this is because our first Education Minister was a Maulana who was the face of the Caliphate movement in India, which later rebranded as the Khilafat movement. It involved violent protests in favor of Turkey and against the British, during which Hindus were killed, as seen in events like Direct Action Day by Jinnah or the Moplah massacre in Kerala where thousands of Hindus were killed, raped, and forcefully converted.

No major textbook explains why there are no grand, old, beautiful temples in Northern India (like the Meenakshi Temple and others in Southern India). This absence is because all the major and oldest temples were systematically destroyed by Islamic invaders, similar to what European Christian invaders did in places like Goa. This pattern is not unique; Islamic and Christian invaders have a long history of such actions wherever they went. Islam’s prophet conquered Mecca and similarly destroyed 360 idols in the Kaaba, a temple of native people, converting it into their holy site where all Muslims now pilgrimage. The same fate befell the Jewish Temple built by King Solomon, first destroyed by non-Islamic invaders and later converted into the Al-Aqsa Mosque during Islamic invasions. A similar transformation occurred with the church in present-day Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, which was originally a church, then converted into a mosque, later a museum, and recently reverted to a mosque again. Almost every major or old mosque and Islamic monument in India was built on Hindu, Jain, or Buddhist temples. For example, the Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam) mosque on the premises of the Qutub Minar, as well as the mosques in Kashi, Mathura, and many other places.

No textbook tells how Indian people became Muslims and Christians. When I read about the facts surrounding the conversion of Hindus to Muslims and Christians, I realized that our ancestors do not receive the respect they truly deserve for not converting to these Middle Eastern religions.

4. Reading of Holy Books of others:

So, I did not become an atheist after reading Hindu books, but after reading the Quran. The more I read, the more I thought that all religions are stupid. After reading the first page of the Quran, I wondered how this could be the word of God. Can a God be so powerless, defensive, divisive, and egomaniacal in nature?

While I can’t claim that the truth is written in Hindu manuscripts and scriptures about gods, I can say one thing for sure: they do not spread hate against others or divisiveness. Almost every Hindu scripture contains timeless lessons and wisdom that were relevant during their time and remain relevant today, anywhere in the world.

The Mahabharata offers timeless lessons that are still relevant today:

1. Consent in Relationships: Always seek a woman’s consent in marriage to ensure mutual respect and happiness.
2. Equitable Distribution: Distribute property and wealth fairly among your children to avoid conflicts after your demise.
3. Dangers of Gambling: Avoid gambling, as it can lead to personal and familial ruin.
4. Perils of Intoxication: Stay away from alcohol, as it can cloud your judgment and lead to destructive behavior.
5. Respect for Women: Respect women at all times, as the epic war of the Mahabharata was ignited by the disrespect shown to a woman.

These simple lessons from the Mahabharata remain profoundly applicable in today’s world. 

5. Wisdom and beauty of Hinduism:

Although I haven’t studied Hindu scriptures extensively, the bits I’ve read have left me impressed with their wisdom. Hinduism teaches principles like Ahimsa, which means minimizing harm to all life on Earth, for survival and living in harmony with nature. It emphasizes respecting non-animate and inanimate things like trees, rivers, mountains, the moon, the sun, stars, and the universe—not as gods, but as vital to our survival.

One aspect of Hinduism that I admire is its respect for objects. For instance, if our feet touch things like money, books, or food, many of us instinctively apologize by touching them and then placing our hand on our forehead or near our heart. Hinduism also teaches respect for animals like cows, ants, and birds. In many households, including mine, we make the first roti for cows and feed crows, ants, and dogs.

The normal greeting gesture Namaste means ‘I bow down to the divine in you,’ which according to Hinduism, means that the divine lives inside all of us.

I’m fascinated by how Hindu traditions include rituals like offering prayers to tools or applying a mark (tilak) to new gadgets like cars, welcoming them into our lives and showing respect for their role in helping us earn our livelihood.

I think that’s enough because if I start talking more about Hindu wisdom, I’d have to write 2-3 volumes of books and do a lot of research.

6. My Duty as a Hindu

In Hinduism, it’s our duty to preserve all the traditions, festivals, and teachings that are good and relevant in today’s context—to preserve Dharma. We also have a responsibility to our ancestors (pitras) to improve our land, Bharat, in every possible way for everyone, including non-living things, and to safeguard our culture as a whole.

To contribute positively to our society, one must believe in Bharat, Hinduism, and other cultures and traditions born in this land, and its history. Learning more about these principles has motivated me to work towards bettering Bharat, though I haven’t yet made a significant impact. However, I hope to do something meaningful in the future.

7. Nexus against Hinduism:

There’s a saying that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” which rings true because a shared dislike can unite people more powerfully than love. Surprisingly, in India and around the world, there seems to be a network of Jihadis, woke activists, communists, missionaries, and atheists working together to reshape Hinduism into something it is not. Although their collaboration may not always be obvious, you can observe their influence in subtle ways.

For instance, pro-Hindu hashtags and videos are often shadow-banned on platforms like YouTube. Hollywood movies frequently depict Indians as barbaric, poor, and uncivilized, as seen in films like “Indiana Jones” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” Additionally, movies like “Mughal-e-Azam” romanticize invaders while portraying Indian heroes as cowards. CAA protests, and farmers’ protests, are another examples of these forces working together to hurt India and Hindus in certain way.

A significant example of such alliances can be seen in the current state of Iran. Iran was once a modern and progressive place, but a nexus of Islamists and communists worked together to overthrow the monarchy in what is known as the Iranian Revolution. Once the Islamists gained power, they discarded the communists.

This alliance often emerges whenever there is an effort to improve India (Bharat), reveal the true intentions of these groups, or support Hindus and their causes.

Story and Metaphor

Maybe you still do not understand what I’m trying to convey, so let me illustrate with a short story.

Once there was a kingdom ruled by a wise king, and his subjects were very happy with him. Whenever they had issues, they would go to the royal court where the king and his ministers would listen to their pleas and settle disputes. One day, a peculiar case came to the court: two women both claimed to be the mother of a young baby boy. At first glance, both women seemed truthful and looked like the real mother. However, from the mannerisms of the woman holding the baby, the king realized she was not the true mother. To the ordinary people in the court, though, both women appeared genuine.

To resolve the matter without bias, the king ordered his soldier to cut the baby in half and give each piece to the women. Upon hearing this, the real mother stopped crying and emotionally pleaded, saying she was not the mother and begged them not to harm the baby. This reaction showed her true maternal love, as a real mother would always prioritize the well-being of her child, regardless of where the child lived.

Similarly, some people consider this land, Bharat, as their mother. Just as a mother cannot see her child suffer, these individuals always wish the best for India/Bharat (Mother) and avoid doing anything that might harm her. However, the people I mentioned in this blog are present in this land also and are willing to harm the nation for their selfish gains. These are the same people who hate Hinduism and Bharat.

Multiculturalism and globalization are good and positive concepts, but loving your country and striving to improve it, no matter how bad its current state is also important. Some people view nationalism or love for one’s country negatively, likely because they prioritize personal gains, politics, or religion over their nation.

For me, the order of importance is Earth first, then India or Bharat, and then my dharma. However, for some other people, this order is different.

What type of Hindu am I Become?

I  see myself as an intellectual Hindu, though I don’t claim to be an intellectual yet, as I’m still learning and evolving in that regard.

The term ‘Intellectual Hindu’ was first used by Subramanian Swamy, and there is another term used by Rajiv Malhotra to describe a Hindu: ‘Intellectual Kshatriya.’ This term refers to someone who may or may not be deeply religious but respects all aspects of Hindu culture—from festivals and books to temples and traditions—and contributes to the Hindu community.

I do not follow any Katha Vachak (religious narrators) or self-proclaimed gurus without wisdom, but I do appreciate and acknowledge genuinely wise teachings from any Hindu guru. I believe Hindus should not react violently to provocations, as seen in some extremist responses. Instead, we should respond thoughtfully and constructively, such as challenging unjust court rulings, supporting those affected, or spreading awareness. For instance, I am writing this blog to educate naive Hindus who might fall for misleading propaganda from certain leftist or extremist groups.

I do not adhere to nonsensical traditions and always speak out against practices that are discriminatory, irrational, or harmful. I also do not believe in following dogmatic rules if they do not make sense or lack deep spiritual meaning. For example, the Ghunghat tradition, which some Hindus believe to be a part of Hindu culture, is not actually a part of Hinduism. It is inspired by Burkha and emerged as a protective measure against Islamic invasions to safeguard Hindu women from abduction, rape, and enslavement.

I am all for the good and positive aspects of Hindu philosophy while not being deeply religious. I go to the temple once in a blue moon, like during festivals or New Year, and I really like the vibe of the temple I visit. Not all temples have that nice vibe, to be brutally honest, because those temples are run by people more interested in money than in true devotion to Bhagwan.

Are you a Hindu?

If you are a Roma, atheist, agnostic, tribal, Muslim, or Christian living in India or abroad, and you do not hate Hinduism or Bharat, and you believe that your ancestors were from this land and not invaders who imposed their Middle Eastern religions on them, and if you want to do something good for your country, your community, and make India proud directly or indirectly, without harming anyone, then you are considered a Hindu by most Hindus who understand what it truly means to be called a Hindu.

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