“Make-up Artist & Distortionist Ruchika Sharma Claims Mariamma = Christian Mary, Repeats Missionary-Era Lie On A National Stage”, The Commune, January 16, 2026
“Self-described “historian” Ruchika Sharma, who is often seen applying makeup on her YouTube videos while ‘explaining history’, has triggered sharp criticism during her appearance at The Debate 2026, organised by the Calcutta Debating Circle, after making sweeping and historically untenable claims about Hindu traditions while arguing for the motion “Hinduism Needs Protection From Hindutva.”
The event featured speakers opposing the motion, including Swapan Dasgupta, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Agnimitra Paul, and J Sai Deepak, while Sharma spoke in support of the motion alongside Mahua Moitra, Mani Shankar Aiyar, and Ashutosh. The discussion was moderated by Prasenjit K Basu and Mridula Mukherjee.
During her intervention, Sharma argued that Hinduism is inherently pluralistic and accused proponents of Hindutva of misunderstanding its historical formation. While citing texts such as Dabistan-i Mazahib and Kitab al-Hind, she claimed Hindu traditions evolved primarily through the assimilation of local cults and external influences, including Buddhism, Jainism, Sufism, and Christianity. She said, “Two travellers who come over here say, yes, the word is “Indu”. But everyone defines their territory by their own words. Starting from the 7th century, the term itself is pluralistic. A 16th‑century work – and before that Al‑Biruni. The 16th‑century work being Dabistan‑i Mazahib, and before that Al‑Biruni’s, of course, Kitab al‑Hind. Both of which say that Hinduism in itself, or the religion of the non‑Muslims of Hind, is in a sense pluralistic. It is not defined by a single framework. And this is my problem with the opposition. They do not know how Hinduism has been formed. It has been formed by the worship of the likes of the goddess Pampa. Pampa was a local cult deity, assimilated into the Shaiva fold as a form of Shakti. By the worship of Jagannath, again a local cult deity, assimilated into Vaishnavism. By the likes of the worship of Krishna, whose assimilation with a local cowherd deity called Gopal made him extremely popular. But it also included the worship of a very fantastic personality called Pir Baba Haji Ratan Nath – a Nathpanthi and a Sufi saint. His shrine is still there in Peshawar, dedicated to Shiv, outside his Pir Baba’s, mazar. He is the Haji Ratan Nath of the same Nathpanthis of which Adityanath, the Chief Minister of UP, boasts himself to be from. It is extremely sad that from there we have come to this. And it is absolutely interesting that Hinduism took from Mahayana Buddhism the art of temple‑making, the art of idol‑making. From Jainism, the concepts of Ashtadikpala, the eight guardian deities of the temple. William Sleeman in 1849, when he is going through Bahraich, says, “Hindus and Muslims revered the shrine of Syed Salar.” Neither of them required their religion to be changed. They could just worship whoever they wanted to worship…….”
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