The East or the West does not understand the etymology of “woke” well. African American activists coined Woke in the early 20th century to denote racial injustice and societal inequality. However, after World War II, the Leftist ideology appropriated the term and still holds it hostage; the idea has now been fully embedded in liberal ideology, which is nothing like the original intent or meaning.
The African American activists predominantly used the term to describe an awakening to the racial disparities in American society, i.e., being woken up or woke. However, due to the contemporary political alignment of the Left with the African American racial justice movement, Indians (Hindus) who are anti-Left prefer the American Right ideology as there is no alternative to the Democrat-Republican spectrum. Parliamentary democracies allow space for multiple political parties and, therefore, coalitions; however, there is no chance for a third party in the American political landscape. Hence, Hindu Americans who are anti-Left gravitate toward American conservatism and often falsely identify as anti-woke.
The Anti- and Counter-Woke
In actuality, the Hindu American who is often deracinated and looking to find activist space are not wokes but counter-woke. This means that instead of waking up and being awake, these individuals – who have been in the news as of late for violating American laws – seem to be in deep slumber, often victims of the non-inclusive ideas of socialism and secularism. The normalization of Leftist dogma has all but turned these individuals into self-loathing bots who are ready to break laws and end up in jail to attack their own origins, heritage, religion, culture, and language, resulting in a counter-woke movement. As the term and movement originally denote, these individuals are not woke but counter-woke according to historical political movements and Dharmic viewpoint.
It is essential to understand the etymology of woke, anti-woke, and counter-woke, all of which are related to either functioning along with or against natural law (discussed below). Also, Hindus in Bharat and the diaspora seem to have mindlessly adopted the “Left” and “Right” identification labels, which are derived from the West. The correct way Hindus align is best understood as “Dharmic,” “Non-Dharmic,” and “Adharmic.” However, colonization and deracination have crept into Hindu society, resulting in discarding heritage and apeing the West.
Societal and Institutional Failures
At the micro-unit, Indian-American Hindu parents who have raised their kids to be counter-woke have done a significant disservice to their offspring and Hindu society. Not only that, but they have managed to tarnish the highly educated, high-earning, non-troublesome reputations of Hindu Americans in the West.
It is easy to blame the global educational systems, especially at the primary level through university educational institutions in India and liberal arts education in the United States. However, this is just one part of the problem; the main issue is that culturally and politically unsophisticated Hindu parents need more understanding of their origins and history. It is much easier to blame leadership—political elites and professors—for the misguided narratives and conversations in which the youth are cultivated to hate themselves. However, socialization and transformation start at home.
Exclusive Inclusivity vs. Natural Law
According to natural law principles, just laws are not created by humans but exist in Nature. These are seen as preexisting and superior to man-made laws and dogma. Dharmic philosophy broadly understands this concept as the principles of Prakriti, or Mother Nature, revered and worshipped as the powerful Feminine or Shakti, an entity that always prevails.
Contrived inclusion in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is the current trend under woke (read counter-woke) ideology built to exclude normality and the masses. A fringe movement taking over educational institutions, bureaucracies, the armed forces, and top leadership seems to have co-opted the democratic principles of equality. What fuels this movement is the hatred of colonial masters – typically the real and perceived White and privileged. Also aligned with this counter-woke movement are White women, minorities, and Hindus, who often overlook the brutal consequences of imperialism and conquest in Bharat and adapt and internalize the same colonial behaviors against their own culture and society.
The current Leftist ideology and woke dogma favor those who figuratively have little chance of surviving in Nature. This phenomenon fuels the ‘my way or the highway’ attitude where canceling and culture wars rage. If wokeness were forcefully exercised in Mother Nature, survival of the fittest would restore balance by default. Similarly, the triumph of Natural Laws or Prakriti in society is inevitable, though until that change happens, the costs will be too heavy to bear.
In sum, the evolution of woke reflects a cultural and political shift, with counter-woke individuals, notably among Hindu Americans, indoctrinated and reacting poorly under the backdrop of parental, societal, and institutional shortcomings and failures. The mislabeling and misunderstanding of historical political ideologies highlight the need to properly understand heritage rooted in Dharmic principles. Addressing these issues requires embracing truly inclusive cultural narratives and fostering a deeper connection to centuries-old Dharmic wisdom that exclusion-based policies are systematically destroying.
Image Credit: Matt Kenyon, modified.