Seth is in awe of ‘The Hanuman Chalisa’s’ power to move people. Whether you are a “believer or a half-believer”, ‘The Chalisa’ is bound to affect you, to lift your spirits. Hanuman takes on many roles in this hymn: teacher, warrior, advisor, friend, devotee, remover of obstacles, miracle worker. “Hanuman is not a self-aggrandising figure,” says Seth. “He is always worshipping someone or something.” The attempts to cherry-pick particular traits and portray him as an angry, vengeful god is nothing but politicking, Seth points out. “It is a tactic used by some to gain power,” he says. The co-option of Hinduism by power-hungry politicians creates divisions and weakens the country. India is a pluralistic nation that boasts of a wealth of cultures: Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Sikh, among others. “All cultures belong to us,” Seth says. To deprive us of the richness of any culture would spell disaster for the country and for democracy. “The 2024 Lok Sabha elections has placed some sort of limitation on autocracy,” he adds, a glint of hope lighting up his eyes. “Let’s see what happens now.”
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