Bidar: Former Bombay High Court judge and noted social activist Justice B.G. Kolse Patil triggered a major controversy with his strong remarks on the origins of the term ‘Hindu’ and the role of Brahmins and the RSS, while addressing a Milad-un-Nabi Sufi Saints’ Conference in Basavakalyan, Bidar district, on Sunday evening. The event was organised by MLC Salim Ahmed and inaugurated by Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre.
Speaking before an audience of Sufi leaders and community members, Justice Kolse Patil claimed that “Hinduism is not a religion but a Persian word” and alleged that the term ‘Hindu’ was “invented by Brahmins to divide and enslave people.” He stated that the word had a derogatory origin and insisted that present-day saints and maulvis should discuss what he described as the “real history” behind it.
The retired judge further alleged that the RSS has been responsible for most communal riots in the country, asserting that it was RSS members, and not the Congress, who were involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He criticised the widespread fear of speaking against the RSS and Brahmins, claiming they constitute only “one per cent of the population” and urging people not to be intimidated.
Justice Patil’s comments have provoked sharp reactions from several quarters, with critics accusing him of insulting Hinduism and making divisive statements at a religious gathering. His speech has since sparked heated debate across political, religious, and academic circles.
Meanwhile, scholars and historians countered his assertions, clarifying that the term ‘Hindu’ is widely accepted to have originated from the Persian adaptation of ‘Sindhu’, referring to the Indus River, a geographical descriptor used centuries before organised religious identities emerged in the region.
