The West, through their media and various religious commissions, tends to advise us on inclusivity, and diversity with many democratic ideas backing it up. But if you really look at it, in Hinduism/Sanatana, we invoke Ishvara or Bhagavan in multiple ways. We don't tell each other that there is only one way to invoke the Lord. We don't want to convert each other to our ways of thinking. My neighbour may invoke God in one manner, I may invoke in another, and we are comfortable with each other.

Walk into a typical puja room and one will find many murtis of deities in different forms. Even in a given family, the husband and wife may invoke Ishvara in different forms. Parents and children may invoke in different forms, and we are all comfortable with each other. Conversion is not in our agenda, either in religious beliefs or any other manner.

At the same time all Western/Abrahamic religions believe in conversion. They believe theirs is the only right religion, that their form of worship is the only right one, and want to convert the whole world to their way of thinking.

So really, who is inclusive? Who is comfortable with diversity? In any corporate office one will find people from different states and religions, all comfortably working together. Address any audience in any city or Walk down any road with many apartments and in each, you will find people from different states and religions, all staying together. Of course, there are some exclusive pockets built, like the Parsi community building on their own land which are exceptions. In certain towns, one finds certain lands that have been occupied by the church long ago, where buildings are only meant for Catholics. So again, this is the influence of the Abrahamic religions, not Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma.

Therefore, at best, the Western advice to Indians on diversity and inclusivity can be misguided thinking born of ignorance. At worst, it can be born of a superiority complex, political agenda, conversions, etc, and that is what Hindus and Sanatana Dharma followers need to be aware of.

The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com