As Chairman of City Hindus Network I was bemused to read about a headline “Religion Meets Profit Generation in a Slew of New Faith Based ETFs (funds)”.
The sub heading to the article is that Funds seek to attract Muslims and Christians seeking to align their money and their values.
So what would a Hindu fund look like? After all, we have Lakshmi and a billion strong market – but of course are as ever put into the category of poor Apu on the Simpsons – ‘miscellaneous’.
Would investing in gambling be forbidden? Say Ladbrokes? It creates jobs and people are told not to do to excess. Or what about defence? After all we have the Mahabharat. That’s about duty and defence. What about tobacco? Some would argue no prohibition there. Okay, alcohol and cannabis companies surely – they’re very popular. Ummm….again, you’ll find many who will say that’s not prohibited.
What about meat production. Well, I was in Bali in December, and a lot of meat around the temples there – and they consider themselves as Hindu as anyone.
Is nothing sacred? What about Beyond Meat – the vegan company. Probably okay – definitely the cow is sacred yes. Phew, we agree on that.
But does a Hindu fund have to have universal agreement? Maybe we need a Hardcore Hindu fund. You know a Hindu Nationalist Fund. No, that’s just what the media would call it, five minutes after launch. Or they would call it a Hindu Fundamentalist Fund.
But think of it. You can’t pin down its contents. There is no Pope to tell us or Archbishop or Koran or Bible or Rabbi or Torah.
And that is where the idea of religion based funds shines on the beauty of a Hindu one. No one has created one – but it could be all things and perhaps, as we have sewa – all proceeds go to good causes if someone does create one.
But it also belies another issue. Hinduism has an image problem. It’s not Hinduism’s problem. It’s that it is perceived by haters as negative. When and how did this happen? Here is a faith that does not convert, by sword or word. Does not invade on conquest. Full of vegetarians – more so that any major faith. Yet what is there to hate? And there you have it. It’s not Hinduism the others, and Hindus hate.
It is themselves and that they are not Hindu that they hate. It’s the only conclusion. So maybe if someone launches a Hindu Investment Fund, since it can invest in all things the other faith based funds cannot, it will be the most successful in achieving returns. May be like life?
Alpesh Patel
