INDIAN SECULARISM

We all love our country but in India, somewhere down our heats or probably in our minds, our affinity towards our religion/region, gets predominant. Sometimes this affinity shadows our responsibility towards the nation. So we love being a Gujarati, Bengali, Malayalee,  Punjabi more!!!

As per our Constitution, India is a secular state. The term “Secularism” normally refers to the separation of STATE and CHURCH. But the Indian context differs. Our STATE and CHURCH/ TEMPLE/ MOSQUE just can not go separate ways.

There is “Politicization of Caste”. Vote-bank politics has become an entrenched element of Indian Politics. Politics ; a self-less service has become a caste-based service. Caste dictates Politics. Unfortunately, the communalist face of India is poking its ugly face again and at frequent intervals. The unfortunate incidents in Karnataka, Gujarat etc. and the unfortunate actions of dogmatic organizations like RSS, MNS etc., have shattered our tolerant sentiments. 

The problem probably lies with our perception and action. We look at things from our own angle. We are not adaptive of other’s vintage points. We stick to ours, just ours. We are forgetting the values of brotherhood, solidarity, love, sacrifice, tolerance. What is left in us is enmity, hatred and competition in its ugliest form.

Thus, the solution lies in being adaptive and receptive to positive change. We need to bring in a new social order that is representative of diverse sentiments. Restricting a section of the society from voicing its concerns, can lead to disastrous results. Being a democracy, where people rule and not their region/ religion , should learn this lesson very well.

Our country has stood the test of time.  We have been colonized, tortured, humiliated by the imperialistic powers; but we emerged, still bruised but not without hope.

We need to introspect; why are we killing and stopped loving people? Why are we killing the children who want the warmth of their parents? Why are we killing the mothers and taking them away from their children? Why are we killing the men and throwing their families into hopeless poverty?

We all need to answer these questions. It is not about blaming other’s actions. Now it is the tine of claiming it to be our fault.  We all need to pitch in to eradicate the communalist  sentiments and fill nationalistic fervor in every mind