![Swastik on gates at Sophia College, Mumbai](http://bp0.blogger.com/_qH72CrWy8MQ/Re6ri4r950I/AAAAAAAAABc/b8W8K3lRoZo/s0-d/swastika.jpg)
What’s more…. perhaps the confusion between the European and the Indian significance of the swastik (which actually originated in India, is a long-established religious emblem of good fortune, and which Hitler stole, for his own movement’s use) might contribute to why, strangely to me, there seems to be an inordinate amount of interest here in Hitler’s philosophy …
I’m not talking about the crass right-wing politicians in India who say rather silly approving things about Hitler – after all, that happens in Europe too, sadly.
No, it's more than just the statements of rather ignorant politicians. For example, in Gujarat, the neighbouring state to this one, the school textbooks referred to Hitler the Hero. (However, as you can imagine, there was eventually some objection to that).
Indeed, even on the shelves of the trendy modern bookshops in this city you can see displayed prominently ‘Mein Kampf’ (Hitler’s autobiography, written by him when he was a young revolutionary, and in which he first outlined his views). To my surprise, I learnt that it is on quite a few local bookshops’ ‘constantly-selling’ list.
In fact, quite a few Indian publishing houses (of which two, Jaico Books – which specialises in New Age works surprisingly! - and Embassy Books, are based in Mumbai) compete to produce in-print versions of Mein Kampf. Interestingly, all the versions I saw use the 1939 edition (Patrick Murphy’s translation) – without any modern preface to give it a post-1945 historical context!
![Pride of place for Mein Kampf in Mumbai bookshop](http://bp1.blogger.com/_qH72CrWy8MQ/Re6qlIr95zI/AAAAAAAAABU/y28PQ7K9vpk/s0-d/m-kampf.jpg)
Soon after this incident, the Times of India (Oct 29 2006, pg 4) quoted a charity worker who was mentioning, approvingly, one of Hitler’s maxims about being independent. The man, who was being feted as a community hero by the paper, went on to say that Mein Kampf was his “favourite book” which he read in Marathi translation. The report added (without any other comment!), “...like Hitler, he too is a vegetarian teetotaller”.
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What on earth does it all add up to? Well, as usual, I’d love any reader’s thoughts on why they think this happens, but I’m beginning to think it’s an interesting example of just how wide the gap between India and Europe really is.
Here are a few guesses on why some ordinary Indians have a soft spot for Hitler.
![Wall-painted advert for the Swastik roofing firm, Mumbai](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFBMXvzCmxqxNJhHtgH53W5O5V0gwxlkZqUtAoBuTT94_XLPRT7FWVSxMm5nBozOl6YW3RDdSRBfV-kEsAynVJo1-FALLTn4NdYE9MPM8AIp7TyOf1xzfnZTpIAone2r_sQg79ZMNAFQs/s320/swastik-advert.jpg)
Incidentally, a recent move by German politicians to try to have the swastika outlawed in the European Union countries was greeted with outrage by … guess who… European Hindus!
The fact that Hitler was a vegetarian, like so many Hindus, only adds to this sense of approval.
*Secondly, though Indians did fight in the Second World War on the side of the Allies (and lost a helluva lot of soldiers incidentally), they were reluctant allies. Indians were part of the British Empire at the time and had to follow Britain into the war, at a time when many Indians actually desperately wanted independence from what they saw as the equally tyrannical regime of the Brits. Perhaps, perhaps, Indians who opposed Britain saw a ‘friend’ in Hitler, who also was fighting the British?
Certainly, he is admired by those same silly Indian politicians I referred to earlier as a Man Who Achieved Things.
*Thirdly, many of the Mumbaikers that I have come across have a fierce sense of Individualism, which is, I suppose, why they make great entrepreneurs.
So, despite the fact that government here is largely paternalistic, many men (and more and more women) sincerely believe they can find success through their own individual strength of will. That attitude is of course echoed in the language of right-wing zealots… such as Hitler.
For example, another hugely popular right-wing book here is Ayn Rand’s 'The Fountainhead', which can be found in every bookshop. Her book (published in 1943) is also a hymn to the power of the Individual who cares nothing for Society as a whole. It’d be interesting to see statistics, but Rand is seen as pretty old-fashioned in Europe, while here, yup, her books are still being bought in numbers, presumably as life-guides.
*Lastly – and I don’t know how many Indians will agree with this – maybe Hitler is a bit of a remote figure to them.
Most Europeans nowadays don’t feel threatened by the figures of Attila The Hun, or indeed Napoleon, even though in their own centuries, they were regarded with horror by anyone who wasn’t on their side. Well, maybe distance, as well as time, softens images. Perhaps Hitler (“general Hitler”) whose appalling activities were carried out largely in Europe is not someone who registers too largely with ordinary Indians?
Indeed, while news of Hitler’s atrocities were trickling out of post-war Europe in 1945-7, India had its own terrible history – when hundreds of thousands were dying and being slaughtered in the mess of Independence and Partition. So maybe Indians had other things to worry about then than Hitler.
And of course, there are also very few Jews today in Bombay to remind Mumbaikers of Hitler’s genocidal actions. Despite the fact that this is a city that has huge public endowments from the Jewish Sassoon family, many of the Jewish inhabitants have left – including the Sassoons themselves – and the two main synagogues have comparatively small congregations.
(As a sidebar on this point, one of the objectors who was quoted as opposing the Hitler’s Cross restaurant said – “even restaurants in Germany do not have such a name” as though it seriously might be possible! It just shows how out of touch with European feelings the man was).
Finally - here’s a question for you…. I don’t feel afraid of any book, nor would I ban one; but what would you think of a Bombay book-club that put ‘Mein Kampf’ on its reading list?
(Please leave a comment. Click on 'comments' below - commenting is open on this site. You don't need to register, and you can even leave your comment anonymously)
Links: Jaico Books and Reuters News Video report – Hitler’s Cross
16 comments:
I was truly surprised at the "horror" of that, of all the persons, of an Englishman. His horror is a reflection of his ignorance about India.
1. Swasatik is the symbol of Lord Ganesha and has been revered from the distant past.
2. Hindu swastika has horizontal and vertical members, not the slanting ones like Nazi symbol.
3. Hindu swastika is drawn in vermilion red or turmeric yellow or saffron colors. Any other other color is NOT USED. Nazi symbol is drawn in black, a color NEVER used in Hindu symbology.
4. It is considered a symbol of prosperity, well being and good health.
Use of Swasatik is all pervasive. Account books, door of the home, vehicles etc is common. It is invariably printed on the invitation cards of Hindus, front page religious books books etc. It is perhaps the most printed symbol in the world.
In short, his horror just horrifies an average Hindu. Any expression of such a horror is likely to be interpreted as horror of Hinduism itself. Swasatik is synonymous with Hinduism.
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Now Hitler hotel.
Such things happen world wide. A Gandhi pub in England, Ganesha image on beer bottles etc. too horrify a Hindu.
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Hitler
An average Indian does not see Hitler as his villain. But Churchill does figure in such a list. WW-II is nor perceived as India's War, but a war among the white tribals, fighting to protect their empires. In this scenario any enemy of Imperial Britain was India's friend, even if remotely.
But still, Hitler does not figure in Indians' list. Not at all. But Hitler did weaken imperialism to the point of making it unviable. Hitler's contribution, even unintentional, cannot be denied. Hence Indian text books neither demonise him nor extol him.
Wide spread belief. Hitler's downfall was due to his perversion of SWASTIKA.
rcscwc@yahoo.co.in
Enigmaticeman is right. The "Aryans", though very few historians use this term now originated in the Iran area. Oddly, the Indo-European languages they spawned actually reached eastern Europe, including the German plain, BEFORE reaching India, which is why the nineteenth century language theorists thought that Germany could be the "homeland" of the culture (see Wikipedia's entry on 'Indo-European Languages') . Like it matters anyway.
Mr Sharma, you are right - I was ignorant of how widespread the swastik is in India. But that is the point I was making; you may well find in England some things that surprise you too...?
And I can assure you that I have no horror of Hinduism. I think you have misread what i wrote.
Your point about the bar/hotel almost explains what my pieces are about. I am saying that our two different cultures do often present surprises to each other!
Thus, I was amazed that anyone could dedicate a bar to a man we in the West see as only a little short of a Devil.
I think your last point is fascinating. The more I look around, I find you are right. There are indeed a few Indians who can and do "overlook" the atrocities committed by Hitler.
....and that is what I find hard to understand.
It's pretty well known that many Indians were, and are, sympathetic to Hitler. Even someone like the Independence hero Bose (who actually criticised much of Nazism) was prepared to do a deal with Adolf.
And remember Savitri Devi? She left india and travelled to Europe after the War and wrote books calling for the unity of German and Hindu peoples, at one time saying Hitler was an avatar of Vishnu ! However I guess you could write her off as crazy...
Maybe the present interest in Hitler is just a hangover from all that stuff?
Fascinating article!
Couple of small points in the comments section...
Enigmaticeman is wrong. She-or-he states in her point 3 that the "swastika is Hindu".
Nope. Hindus do use it, but also Jains use it, Buddhists use it, even medieval Christians used it. It has been found in ancient greek culture, and it is prominent in japan (where it is called manji) even today.
She-or-he also seems to imply that Zoroastrians (today's Parsis) never used it. (Is that what s/he meant?)
But the swastika symbol, according to the sources I read, WAS used by the original Persian Zoarastrians. It would be interesting to know if Parsis use it now. Anybody know?
Anonymous said...
I really don't like the tone you take in your blog. Then again, its not for me to object, and it does live up to its name, an ENGLISHMAN in Mumbai. Your point of view and perspective on things stink of the oh-look-at-the-natives-and-thier-native-ways attitude. Its got this 'Colonial' arrogance and I find it really condescending and belittling, very much like an ENGLISHMAN (if i'm allowed to make the generalistions that you make so easily). Your Hitler post which uses Ayn Rand to show Mumbaikars and Indians as more inclined to being right wing and individualistic and therfore of a fasictic inclination seems to be an attempt to make a stab at trying to connect Hitler and Indians a bad point to make, and a retarded attempt at making it. I could postulate that all Englishmen are Blood thirsty Barbarians and make a better argument of it than you ever could of this.
Prior to writing this article, you knew the swastika has been around for millenia in India. you knew its an indian symbol of prosperity and good fortune, and you know that Hitler subverted symbols from all across the world to design the regalia for his third reich (he was an artist remember?) So why this feigned surprise, absolute ignorance of the facts? Just cause it makes it easier to make your preposterous point.
Enjoy postulating your next ridiculous theory of natives in the Gymkhana over your gin and tonic - god forbid that you get native diseases. Tally ho, what what?
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MARK replies:
Mark replies:
Thanks for your comment.
1 The idea of the blog is to faithfully record (without prejudice or favour I had hoped) my first impressions of the city. Yes, it’s an outsider’s viewpoint, and so it will have all the advantages, but all the flaws, of that.
2 It wasn’t feigned surprise: I think you just don’t understand the fear that symbol produces in Europe, and how it can make a European feel. Try to imagine how an American would feel seeing a something similar to the KKK symbol everywhere, even if it was innocently used in a different place.
Also, sadly, Europeans are not well educated about the sub-continent. Blame my British schooling but I honestly did not think the swastik would be so prevalent – even though now I know.
3 I think when visiting other countries things that are considered “ordinary” there are things that can surprise us: one Indian I know was genuinely disturbed to see the British flag (the Union Jack) used in an irreverent way on things like boxer shorts. In India (as in America) the national flag is always to be treated reverently, and the British attitude to the flag bothered her. Ordinary attitudes toward animal welfare also vary from nation to nation. And so on. As you travel, more and more things surprise one, and one has to humble and listen and learn. Now, after a year in India, I find the swastik a comforting symbol!
4 I am (as an outsider) interested in some Indians’ attitudes to Hitler. This is a touchy subject, but I think it’s one worth raising.
5. I didn’t say Indian people were fascistic, even by implication; that is your thought alone. However, I think I have noticed (what do you think?) that there is an individualist streak, which has a few similarities to Americans’ individualism.
6. Your method of discussion, which is to ridicule your opponent rather than debate their points, makes it difficult for me to know whether you think there is a Hitler phenomenon in Mumbai or not. (I may have misinterpreted what I saw after all). Do you? Do you have any thoughts or explanations for the facts I came up with?
Okay some more evidence for your Hitler thing! There's a publishing house in Delhi called PBD which does cheap versions of the Dead White People type classics. They publish The Best Of stuff - Best of jane Austen, Best Of Shakespeare, Best of Thomas hardy, Best of Emile Zola, Best of Leo Tolstoy etcetc - all Good Literature stuff for school students. Guess which book is in their list, the only book on the list that is not a Classic, and which stands out like a sore thumb? You guessed it first time - Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Weird, just weird.
Well I definitely do think it's two things you mentioned: one, Hitler and the Nazis were enemies of the enemy (the British) and two, we;ve never had to deal with the fallout of Nazism. I often think that if the Nazis had made it into India proper or even the Japanese, then all those people who run around touting Hitler as this great big military hero who nearly taught the nasty Brits a lesson would be singing a different tune.
As for the whole Swastika thing - I wouldn't think that really plays a big role. But anything is possible with folks who have very little idea of the implications of their support.
And that's why I would neither ban Mein Kampf nor find it terrible that a book club put it on its reading list. I think it's important to understand the genesis of an ideology and a person who affected so much of the world as it stands today.
My two paise. I think it is a gross generalization that Indians are "sympathetic" to Hitler thereby implying the same to his ideology. Ignorant is more apt. People by and large are just ignorant about World War 2 in general and the holocaust in particular. It is not uncommon in cases where a strict teacher or principal or in general a short tempered person is given the nick name "Hitler" because that is his image.
Horrors of WW2 and the holocaust are simply unknown.
As pointed out earlier, World War two coincided with our Independence movement and there were two camps: One supporting the Allies (Congress) and the other who wanted to make use of this oppurtunity to wrest freedom. People from both camps are considered heroes of the freedom movement.
Mark,
While the hotel thing was insensitive, you are very wrong about the Swastika.
The symbol has nothing to do with Nazi ideology. Its an ancient Hindu symbol. Its not our fault if Hitler chose to use Swastika as his Nazi party symbol. (Also note that the real swastika symbol has to be vertical/horizontal, unlike Hitlers which was rotated at 45 degrees.)
As regards admiration for Hitler, it seems it is because Hitler waged war against Britain which had enslaved India. Also, it isnt real admiration as such, its just a cultural thing, like jokingly mentioning "Heil Hitler" WRT friends or professors or bosses who tend to dominate. AFAIK, very few praise Hitler as such, knowing what he did, and very few would like such a person to rule India.
And frankly, hardly anyone knows about Hitler in depth. Very few people might have watched the documentaries on History channel.
Now, dont say that our textbooks should have detailed chapters on Hitler, because we hardly know deeply about our own Indian history. We should not be spending too much efforts in German history at school, should we? (I recall the harrowing days ;-) of heavy schoolwork). Lets leave the indepth study of Hitler and his stupid ideology to professors and students of history.
I think the ignorance of WW2 and consequently Hitler stems from the fact that Indian history books are more or less silent on it. While growing up and studying school, I remember WW2, genocide and Hitler were only mentioned as passing references as most of the modern Indian history is dominated by the independence movement. Everything else was pushed to the background.
Before I had traveled to Europe and actually watched the concentration camps, I was more or less unaware of the scale of destruction and death that has gone on. Even now, there is very little references to WW2 genocide in the India mainstream media when comparing similar events. Simply put WW2 is a non starter in India and that's as you rightly pointed out is because of it's unfolding during the independence movement and Gandhi.
Also, it's wise to remember that a large population in India is actually vehemently Hindu right wing. And I have spoken to a lot of this right wing loonies and was shocked to learn that many of them draw parallels between the Jewish community in Germany and minorities in India. One can only guess what their final solution is.
Dipesh (last comment) makes some good points. It's only sad to think that the hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers who died fighting in WW2 and who helped preserve the world against Fascism should now be sidelined. I too now live in Bombay and can only remembering seeing a couple of memorials to those guys.
I've just read some other comments though. Perhaps Indian people see those Indian soldiers who fought on the side of the Allies in WW2 as dupes, or worse as un-Indian? Is that how it is? I'd really like to know about that.
Chris, as far as I know, Parsis dont use the Swastika today.
Rustam (parsi-german)
Aye Mate.. You should be more fearful that Prince Harry dresses up in the Nazi uniform for a lark at one of them 'rich people's parties'. Since you know your history, be more concerned about the neo-Nazi groups still active in Europe that now target their ire at.. the new immigrants from South Asia (ironic innit what with your swastika = fascist sentiment?).
While the Hitler hotel was obviously insensitive, it was a product of a mind not entirely versed with the horrors of Nazism..... Unlike the British elite kids (and possible future influential policy shapers) who like throwing "Hitler" themed parties...
It reminds me of the stupid Che tees that I see everywhere in the US. He was a dictator people.. Not the rebel kid next door.
Like you rightly point out, India was much more busy with issues that directly affected it. Unfortunately, Hitler's atrocities do not register that deeply with the general populace, unless they know their history well.. and that is sad. People should know world history, especially European history. 'Hitler-like' in India is many a times synonymous with a stricit disciplinarian.. which is very unfortunate.
Cultural snafus can and do go both ways. More interaction and an open-minded assimilation is in order here.. from both sides.
By the by.. are there many memorials dedicated to errm say Robert Clive, or Lord Dallhousie or maybe General Dyer in the old Blighty? I would so like to visit them and experience my indignation. Their indirect and direct death toll on India certainly reaches Hitleresque proportions. You think they will be taken down? Just thinking aloud..
Oh by the by, Idi Amin stayed in Scotland in the last years of his life did he not? He did displace an aweful lot of people form Indian-origin. I hear he was quite famous in those parts. Any chance it could be because they weren't directly affected by his doings?
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MARK replies
I think your logic wanders a bit, and your facts are very shaky, but let’s go through your points.
You think I should be more fearful of Prince Harry’s dressing up than of people who hero-worship Hitler? Well, it’s an interesting point of view, but debatable.
(Who knows what Harry was up to? I am as astonished as you. He was rightly condemned for it.)
Re the far-right parties of Europe. I am concerned about any group that targets others on grounds of ethnicity, whether here in India or anywhere else in the world.
Am I more concerned about the Fascists of Europe than Fascists elsewhere? Well, I guess it just bothers me wherever I see it.
I have never heard of “Hitler-themed parties” such as you refer to. Perhaps you’d give us a source on that one.
I think we agree in the opinion that cultures should try to understand each other better, and study each other’s histories.
Your point about Clive et al. It’s interesting, your game of nationalist tit-for-tat – the “your country is worse than my country” game. I notice it a lot – and individual Pakistanis seem to be on the butt-end of this game such a lot, that I feel sorry for them (are they really responsible for all that Musharraf does?).
As for Robert Clive himself, I think it’s pretty well established that, although he was a brilliant soldier, he was also a ruthless and murderous adventurer who pursued his own greed – so much so that he was even pulled up before the British parliament for it! Sadly, in the imperial period of Britain’s history, he was given glorious status, which looks just rather anachronistic now.
The trouble with a nation’s history is that people move very slowly to re-write it. Look at the problems over the discussion of Shivaji’s parentage, or the re-assessments of Aurangzeb’s atrocities! But I agree with your implied point – that it would be better if nations could just be honest about their murky past.
However, even given all that, I still disagree with you. I think Hitler is still far and away the most unpleasant of all history’s anti-heroes; and I think your maths are just plain incorrect when you say Clive or Dyer can be compared to Hitler.
The total death-toll from the Second World War, instigated and pursued by Hitler, is seventy million according to Wikipedia. Clive’s ruthlessness in India doesn’t compare, and the death toll from the Amritsar massacre carried out by Dyer is around 1000 – so to say the deaths caused by them were “of Hitleresque proportions” just, well, doesn’t hold water, and simply undermines what you have to say. (Though I’m happy to change my mind if you can outline the facts I may have missed about them. But, believe me, comparing murderers is unpleasant work.)
Lastly, and I do mean this, you should check facts before speaking.
Idi Amin was never in Scotland as you claim (he called himself “King of Scotland” as a mad delusion). Of the people of Indian origin that he expelled from Uganda, almost half went to Britain, more than went to India.
Regarding Herr Fuhrer, you would have noticed that Mein Kampf is sold alongside another book: Chanakya Kautilya's Arthashastra. You should know who Chanakya / Kautilya is: He is the "Indian Machiavelli".
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kautilya & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastra
This picture on your blog shows the two's books side by side:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_qH72CrWy8MQ/Re6qlIr95zI/AAAAAAAAABU/y28PQ7K9vpk/s200/m-kampf.jpg
Indians have, by and large, always supported Tojo and Hitler and admired them.
When Indian jurists were involved in the Tokyo Trials, they worked overtime to exonerate the Japanese War Criminals. It was a minority of Old Traditionalists Indians who supported England against Hitler and Tojo, and with Independence, they have been swept out of relevance.
India had its own counterpart to Tojo and Hitler: Subash Chandra Bose, whose title is an Indian version of Fuhrer, and that is Netaji. Till today, they look back with nostalgia at this man.
Another man they admire and pine for is "Sardar" Vallabh-Bhai Patel, who harshly suppressed the ancient Indian social and political traditions and their upholders, the native princes of India, who maintained their inherited their spirit of independence and free thought.
The connection between Hinduism and Hitler is also spiritual. It is part of the European New Age Movement. The adoption of the Swastika had something to do with Nietsche, if I have got things right.
Also, look up Savitri Devi Mukerji and Ananda Coomeraswamy, Rene Guenon, Frithjof Schuon and their invented ideology, Perennialism or "Traditionalism".
http://www.savitridevi.org/article-bolton.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savitri_Devi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ananda_Coomaraswamy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_Guenon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frithjof_Schuon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalist_School
Kind regards,
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.
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