SECULAR INDIA - A MERE DREAM OR REALITY
“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high …..
….. Where the world has not been broken up
into fragments by narrow domestic walls …..
….. where the clear stream of reason
has not lost it’s way…..
….. into that heaven of freedom, my father,
let my country awake.”
Will this dream of Tagore’s ideal India and Indian society ever come true? India – considered as the largest secular democracy in the world. But how far is it true? Our holy motherland India, which used to set the ideal example of ‘unity in diversity’, is today captivated by the shackles of religious and ideological conflicts of the various communities.
The dirty politics and the orthodox beliefs of the Indian people are to be blamed for the current political and social scenario of our country. In the summer of 1947, the first major clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims broke out. A well planned move of the British wherein, out of ten million people in flight, almost a million were dead. The Muslims said that the Hindus had planned and started the killing, where as the Hindus thought that the Muslims were to be blamed. But the fact was that both sides were killed, shot, stabbed, speared, clubbed, tortured and raped. The same incidents of brutal killing and ghastly barbarianism have been repeated many a times over the years, since the Independence and partition, though at a much smaller scale but with the same intensity of hatred and bitterness.
To make matters worse, the politicians of our country instead of bridging this socio-religious communal gap have made all possible illegitimate contributions and efforts in further deepening and widening the gap. Whether it be the demolition of Babri Masjid, Ayodhya Ram Janm Bhumi controversy and the Godhra incident during B.J.P. reign, or it be the 1984 riots during Congress reign, none of the parties did ever make any plausible and genuine efforts to calm down the two communities. Instead, they provoked their favoured communities to carry on, to gain their faith and sympathy, in order to increase their vote banks. Even the pointless never ending discussions and debates, and the unscrutinable Supreme Court verdicts could not do any good to solve these matters. As it is, that the inhuman incidents at Godhra, the numerous communal clashes and riots, and the ceaseless religious and ideological controversies have shaken the very foundation of Hindu-Muslim unity, integrity and brotherhood, still the selfish, greedy politicians are further discriminating by opting for separate representation in the Government instead of secular representation, just to win the ‘minority vote bank’. Politicians, who are wolves under the skin of men, are making the two communities fight with each other and then sympathizing with the plaintiffs to win their hearts, faith, trust and most important “their VOTES”.
Today, the greatest threat to this communal and religious unity comes from religious sentiments and ideologies which seek to divide the people. The religious heads of Muslims like Shahi-Imams and Muftis are giving their communal verdicts and denouncing Muslim nationalism and patriotism by declaring the pronunciation of ‘Vande Mataram’ as taboo and offensive to the Islamic principles. On the other hand, political heads like Bal Thackerey are striving hard to give India the status of a “Hindu Rashtra” and drive away the Muslims as according to him, India is not their motherland.
Such offensive, communal and controversial statements and verdicts have led the Muslims and minorities to consider themselves as Muslims first and then Indians instead of an Indian first, and a Muslim or a Christian or a Sikh in the second place. Moreover, in spite of being a secular nation, we discriminate between communities by having a separate Muslim penal code, separate set of rules and laws for Muslims (like allowance of bigamy), and separate treatment meted out to them at various levels of administration. In a unified and secular India, where everybody has the equal status of an ‘Indian citizen’, firstly why should someone or some community consider itself a minority and secondly, the discrimination at the judiciary level should be put to an end as this will give a feeling of oneness to all.
The politicians must make prompt and genuine efforts to restore the faith, confidence, trust and belief of the poor, neglected, unattended and down trodden Muslims through better justice, education, health and sanitation facilities, employment opportunities and subsidies so as to integrate, unify and amalgamate the vast, segmented Indian population into the realm of civil society. The politicians should try to secularise politics instead of asking for separate parties for the minorities. Reservation of certain number of jobs in seats in colleges should not be assured for minorities and all the seats should be allotted on merit basis as it will give them a feeling of oneness. Incompetent politicians who have polluted and communalised the political and social environment by communal and religious segregation and discrimination should realise that the nation is much bigger than the individual selfish interest and power game of political parties. Politicians must put an end to the appeasement and window-dressing of Muslim demands, rights, aspirations and expectations.
On social grounds, labelling and stereotyping sections of the society on the basis of caste, creed, religion, complexion and status should be stopped. By brotherhood, love and peace, we can try to mould the segregated, discriminated, dispersed and disintegrated Indian society into a profound, compact and united society consisting of Indians, just Indians and not Hindus nor Muslims nor Christians nor Sikhs.
It is not the fight between multitudinous religious beliefs, sentiments and ideologies, but is the conflict between fundamentalists and liberalists who are finding it difficult to accept one common religion, impartially and unanimously, which is the religion of humanity, brotherhood and love. People must understand that the central theme of any religion is spiritual well being and right path to reach God to seek his mercy by honest, pure and sinless mode of living. By using religion as a fighting tool, they are not being true their culture, their religion, their God, and above all to themselves.
Hope, the rising Sun of enlightened India will bring with itself a new breed of Indians who will have no prejudices or biases against people of other caste and religion, leading to the formation of new awakened India, where humanity and nationalism will be placed above religion. Where people of all religion, community, cast and creed, committed to the values of secularism, democracy, freedom and brotherhood will live together in peace, harmony and prosperity, with fearless and impartial minds, with their head held high with confidence and trust. An India which will not be broken into fragments by narrow, trivial domestic walls of communalism and racism, and where mature reasoning will not lose its way into the insane thoughts of conflicts and clashes. That will be the day when Tagore’s dreams of ideal India will turn into reality.
BY : SHUBHRO SEN
and the head is held high …..
….. Where the world has not been broken up
into fragments by narrow domestic walls …..
….. where the clear stream of reason
has not lost it’s way…..
….. into that heaven of freedom, my father,
let my country awake.”
Will this dream of Tagore’s ideal India and Indian society ever come true? India – considered as the largest secular democracy in the world. But how far is it true? Our holy motherland India, which used to set the ideal example of ‘unity in diversity’, is today captivated by the shackles of religious and ideological conflicts of the various communities.
The dirty politics and the orthodox beliefs of the Indian people are to be blamed for the current political and social scenario of our country. In the summer of 1947, the first major clashes between the Hindus and the Muslims broke out. A well planned move of the British wherein, out of ten million people in flight, almost a million were dead. The Muslims said that the Hindus had planned and started the killing, where as the Hindus thought that the Muslims were to be blamed. But the fact was that both sides were killed, shot, stabbed, speared, clubbed, tortured and raped. The same incidents of brutal killing and ghastly barbarianism have been repeated many a times over the years, since the Independence and partition, though at a much smaller scale but with the same intensity of hatred and bitterness.
To make matters worse, the politicians of our country instead of bridging this socio-religious communal gap have made all possible illegitimate contributions and efforts in further deepening and widening the gap. Whether it be the demolition of Babri Masjid, Ayodhya Ram Janm Bhumi controversy and the Godhra incident during B.J.P. reign, or it be the 1984 riots during Congress reign, none of the parties did ever make any plausible and genuine efforts to calm down the two communities. Instead, they provoked their favoured communities to carry on, to gain their faith and sympathy, in order to increase their vote banks. Even the pointless never ending discussions and debates, and the unscrutinable Supreme Court verdicts could not do any good to solve these matters. As it is, that the inhuman incidents at Godhra, the numerous communal clashes and riots, and the ceaseless religious and ideological controversies have shaken the very foundation of Hindu-Muslim unity, integrity and brotherhood, still the selfish, greedy politicians are further discriminating by opting for separate representation in the Government instead of secular representation, just to win the ‘minority vote bank’. Politicians, who are wolves under the skin of men, are making the two communities fight with each other and then sympathizing with the plaintiffs to win their hearts, faith, trust and most important “their VOTES”.
Today, the greatest threat to this communal and religious unity comes from religious sentiments and ideologies which seek to divide the people. The religious heads of Muslims like Shahi-Imams and Muftis are giving their communal verdicts and denouncing Muslim nationalism and patriotism by declaring the pronunciation of ‘Vande Mataram’ as taboo and offensive to the Islamic principles. On the other hand, political heads like Bal Thackerey are striving hard to give India the status of a “Hindu Rashtra” and drive away the Muslims as according to him, India is not their motherland.
Such offensive, communal and controversial statements and verdicts have led the Muslims and minorities to consider themselves as Muslims first and then Indians instead of an Indian first, and a Muslim or a Christian or a Sikh in the second place. Moreover, in spite of being a secular nation, we discriminate between communities by having a separate Muslim penal code, separate set of rules and laws for Muslims (like allowance of bigamy), and separate treatment meted out to them at various levels of administration. In a unified and secular India, where everybody has the equal status of an ‘Indian citizen’, firstly why should someone or some community consider itself a minority and secondly, the discrimination at the judiciary level should be put to an end as this will give a feeling of oneness to all.
The politicians must make prompt and genuine efforts to restore the faith, confidence, trust and belief of the poor, neglected, unattended and down trodden Muslims through better justice, education, health and sanitation facilities, employment opportunities and subsidies so as to integrate, unify and amalgamate the vast, segmented Indian population into the realm of civil society. The politicians should try to secularise politics instead of asking for separate parties for the minorities. Reservation of certain number of jobs in seats in colleges should not be assured for minorities and all the seats should be allotted on merit basis as it will give them a feeling of oneness. Incompetent politicians who have polluted and communalised the political and social environment by communal and religious segregation and discrimination should realise that the nation is much bigger than the individual selfish interest and power game of political parties. Politicians must put an end to the appeasement and window-dressing of Muslim demands, rights, aspirations and expectations.
On social grounds, labelling and stereotyping sections of the society on the basis of caste, creed, religion, complexion and status should be stopped. By brotherhood, love and peace, we can try to mould the segregated, discriminated, dispersed and disintegrated Indian society into a profound, compact and united society consisting of Indians, just Indians and not Hindus nor Muslims nor Christians nor Sikhs.
It is not the fight between multitudinous religious beliefs, sentiments and ideologies, but is the conflict between fundamentalists and liberalists who are finding it difficult to accept one common religion, impartially and unanimously, which is the religion of humanity, brotherhood and love. People must understand that the central theme of any religion is spiritual well being and right path to reach God to seek his mercy by honest, pure and sinless mode of living. By using religion as a fighting tool, they are not being true their culture, their religion, their God, and above all to themselves.
Hope, the rising Sun of enlightened India will bring with itself a new breed of Indians who will have no prejudices or biases against people of other caste and religion, leading to the formation of new awakened India, where humanity and nationalism will be placed above religion. Where people of all religion, community, cast and creed, committed to the values of secularism, democracy, freedom and brotherhood will live together in peace, harmony and prosperity, with fearless and impartial minds, with their head held high with confidence and trust. An India which will not be broken into fragments by narrow, trivial domestic walls of communalism and racism, and where mature reasoning will not lose its way into the insane thoughts of conflicts and clashes. That will be the day when Tagore’s dreams of ideal India will turn into reality.
BY : SHUBHRO SEN
posted by Shubhro at 9:52 AM
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