Social media has really been a boon to many in the world, but it has also become a tool for silencing free speech. Deplatformization by social media companies based on frivolous complaints has made social media practically useless for a dialogue. Twitter and Facebook have been notorious for suppressing freedom of speech, especially of Hindutva group and Hindu Nationalists who work profusely for the cause. There should not be any fear of expression unless someone is organizing a violent act against any individual. A healthy society needs clear and open dialogue.

An open dialogue is always welcome and disagreement is an integral part of it but trolling people without knowing one-side story often makes discussion an ugly turn and the latest victim of online trolling is renowned nationalist and Hindu Activist Vikas Pandey.

In the 1920s, Veer Savarkar, an Indian nationalist, wrote a book called ‘Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?’ which became the fountainhead for the Hindutva (nationalistic Hindu) ideology. Savarkar himself was an atheist and his definition of Hindu included anyone who was a ‘patriotic inhabitant of Bharat’ and by extension was a firm believer in the goodness of the culture of this land. This was a political treatise and if you go by his definition, it is possible to be an atheist and a Hindu.

So can you be atheist while being a Hindu? Depends on what you mean.

If by being Hindu, you mean believing in any of the different Gods or Goddesses abound in the Hindu religion, then NO.

If by being Hindu, you mean being a follower of Hindutva or adhering to non-theistic schools of Sanatan Dharma, then YES, it is possible, although in my opinion, perhaps not practical.

Mr. Vikas Pandey had just expressed his opinion on a question tweeted by Film-maker Vivek Agnihotri and he had made clear his stance on the atheist part but his statement was misinterpreted by many Twitter users.

Why so much of toxicity over the person’s choice whether he believes in god or not?

There are two types of classification based on the person’s belief in the Vedas, “Aastika” and “Naastika”. Aastika translates closely to theist and nastika to atheist.

As the way, there is a different method to worship Indra, Mitra, Varun, and Agni there are the different path of Once own belief. Personal belief worship changes from place to place. Likewise, for many the interpretation of the word Hindu means religion, and for some it means Civilization.

The same goes with the context of Great Freedom Fighter Veer Savarkar. Selective Target on the person whether he has belief in the god or not is a matter of disgrace especially pointing finger at that person who has been devoted to his dharma since his childhood. In the words of Vikas Pandey, he quotes

“I am not an atheist missionary who would preach Atheism or communism or the one who demeans Hinduism. In fact, I have been working for Hindutva since I was a child and I will be working for the ideology till I die. My lack of belief in God is purely because of lack of scientific reasoning behind its existence. I will be happy to be proven wrong.

I am raising my kid as a staunch Hindu and I want everyone to raise their kids as a proud Hindu like Veer Savarkar. Hinduism is the oldest religion and will survive all existing religions as its like open-source. It adapts with time.”

Indian Dharma (there is no word for it in English, which may mean "Natural order") allows people to do as they please as long as it is within the limits of Dharma. Aastika, Naastika does not matter as long as the person has great values. Such kind of freedom is allowed in India.

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