THE ANTIQUITY OF PANCHANTANTRA

The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose. The surviving work is dated to about 200 BCE, but the fables are likely much more ancient. 

Panchatantra illustration in Nalanda Temple, 7th century CE
(Turtle and the Geese), Panchatantra - Wikipedia

It has been translated in some 50 languages outside of India. One version reached Europe in the 11th century. The Pañchatantra was first published in 1863 in Hungarian.

Story of a tortoise and two geese, Journeys across Karnataka: Stories in stones, Tripurantakesvara Temple (karnatakatravel.blogspot.com), 1070 AD. 

The earliest known translation, into a non-Indian language, is the Pahlavi language of Iran in 550 CE by Borzuya. The book had become popular in Iran, and was translated into Syriac and Arabic whose copies survive as Kalīla wa Dimna. This is considered the first masterpiece of "Arabic literary prose." It is the 8th-century Kalila wa Demna text, that has been the most influential, not only in the Middle East, but also through its translations into Greek, Hebrew and Old Spanish. 

The King of the Crows conferring with his political advisors, 1210 CE,

                               Arabic version of Kalila wa dimna, Panchatantra - Wikipedia

The stories in the Panchatantra deploy metaphors of anthropomorphized animals with human virtues and vices. Its narrative illustrates, for the benefit of three ignorant princes, the central Hindu principles of nīti, or wise conduct of life.  It is also explained that nīti "represents an admirable attempt to answer the insistent question how to win the utmost possible joy from life in the world of men" and that nīti is "the harmonious development of the powers of man, a life in which security, prosperity, resolute action, friendship, and good learning are so combined to produce joy".

Panchatantra is in five parts.. 

Panchatantra - Wikipedia

Panchatantra - Wikipedia

The Panchatantra, tells wonderfully a collection of delightful stories with pithy proverbs, ageless and practical wisdom; one of its appeal and success is that it is a complex book that "does not reduce the complexities of human life, government policy, political strategies, and ethical dilemmas into simple solutions; it can and does speak to different readers at different levels."

Would you deny that we exclude minorities from our lives ?

The signs that we are alienating minorities more and more are all around us.. or that we make little effort to embrace them.. same thing, isn’t it ? 

See this article in yesterday’s paper : Raising a Muslim child in India: A recently published book presents an unsettling narrative.

Christians were alienated some years ago by attacks on churches widely reported to be by Hindu right groups. Now it is Muslims, as well as Dalits..

Ofcourse Tribals and Dalits in rural areas have always been badly exploited in our country, constitutional protections and positive discrimination, notwithstanding..

What we forget is that we are ALL minorities in one context or the other .. North Indians in Maharashtra for instance.. People from any part of India in other countries.. 

The oft-heard poem below comes to mind again.. From Wikipedia : "First they came ..." is a poem written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984). It is about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. 

First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Ofcourse we hear news of how ultra conservative Muslims don’t let others of their community breathe freely either. But we – the majority community, certainly need to do more to have normal relationships with Muslims.

A friend in Chennai shared that earlier they had a festive spirit around Christmas as around other religious festivals.. but now it is felt to be a crime to bring a small tree home to decorate around Christmas.. and her children dared not wear the red santa caps they had bought at a fair..

I am ashamed we have allowed the Hindu right to do this to our people.