S – Secularism | #AtoZChallenge

S – Secularism | #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z

We witnessed one of the most barbaric acts of terror in the recent past yesterday in Sri Lanka. The ones who were present in a church and met death; their only crime was that they practiced a specific faith, which wasn’t acceptable to some followers of other faith. This was fuelled by not love towards their religion but hate against all the other. No religion teaches that but sadly this ideology doesn’t suit anyone.
When I was in school, I was taught how, which and when was the words added in the Indian constitution. Secular was added to the constitution in 1976 by the 42^nd amendment but those who claim to know the 5000-year-old history of this land would unanimously agree that the land was secular in its virtues ever since.
Read also: What if there was no religion.
Oxford dictionary defines,
Secular as, ‘Not connected with religious or spiritual matters.’
Secularism as ‘The principle of separation of the state from religious institutions.’
The sad reality is that in India most of its politics founds a foundation in religion and when religion begins to exhaust then caste system takes over.
Discrimination is everywhere; in some places, it is on the basis of your skin, in some on the basis of language, in some on the basis of religion and in some on the basis of how much wealth you hoard. So what should be done – shall the countries be made on the basis of religions? I am sure the ones already formed on the backdrop of religion; the citizens are still discriminated with one tool or another.
The spineless and toothless EC continuously begs not to bring in religious context during public speeches but each and every speech is spewing hate on the name of religion. This time they have started even threatening the public – that if they won’t vote for them then they will have to face consequences. Don’t think I am blaming only the ruling party. Each and every candidate is a perpetrator. The best solution is since we can’t stop them for doing this, to remove the words like secular and democratic from the constitution, which the ruling party anyway wants to do.
The idea of nationalism and patriotism isn’t bad, but the idea of nationalism based on one religion is dangerous. It is often (read always) propagated through the machinery of hate.
Every party when comes to power begins to paint the city in their color but this time around the coloring of institutes, public transport, and government offices in a single particular color was on an all different level. When you continuously preach, ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas’ and at the same time aren’t even open to accepting any other faith or ideology then it literally exposes the shallowness.
All the developmental promises that were made; on which you rode to the power galleries of New Delhi are now nowhere in discussion. All you feel, hear and see is hate, hate and hate.
How ironic it is that for some their religious identity because of their birth in a certain family becomes the reason for a lifetime of miseries.
As former vice president Hamid Ansari pointed out about the current regime, ‘Religious pluralism will be tolerated (but not accepted) but cultural pluralism will not.’ That is what the current dispensation is out to do.
Let’s go by their logic and for a moment consider that, Hinduism is the greatest religion, then by sensible reasoning, it should not have been defeated on so many instances in the past. Have the Hindus or the so-called upper caste Hindus gave a thought why so many people got converted? It was only and only because of discrimination and atrocities against them.
For the sake of discussion and not to demean any particular person or religion, there are a lot of things that are done and contributed by some minority – Would the so-called best religion and its flag bearers take up those tasks as well? I am sure they would not otherwise slavery would have never existed.
When a Hindu girl marries anyone of other religion, you tag it as ‘Love Jihad.’ Let me buy that argument for a moment; so what you are saying is that the girl didn’t marry for love but was misguided and in a way hypnotized to marry. In other words aren’t you saying that the girl is so ‘dumb’ that she cannot think for herself? If the girl is a Hindu, then as per you she should be the most intelligent creature on the planet…right!
When you compare with our neighbors that they are a state with a declared official religion, then you need to compare what has been their growth in each and every respect. All their focus is on proving that their majoritarian religion is the greatest.
I know this is a pessimistic view of the future but over the years observing how things are shaping and how the mainstream public is endorsing and getting convenient with the idea of hate – the first thing that the world would be devoid of will be ‘Morals’ and ‘Ethics’ since the thing that originated to comfort is the only reason for their miseries. I am afraid it will all come in the name of God and religion.
Then at the same time, you see some hope when a collective of 1.24 lakh students in Kerala chose to skip the caste and religion column. However, I am sure, they will be collectively discriminated as atheists.
A friend commented on a post that he will still support the current regime to get another term and then ended up the conversation congratulating me to take up this theme in such ‘charged’ times. All I had to reply was ‘read your comment slowly and you will find the irony lying naked’.
For all those who believe all religions are equal,
For all those who believe only their religion is great,
For all those who believe there should be no religion,
And
For all those who believe in secularism…
It’s not a goodbye,
But it’s a GOOD BYE.
Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul
This is the 19th post for the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme in Politics Category is ‘IPL – Indian Parliamentary League’, where I would be covering some relevant issues with the General Elections 2019 through the course of 26 posts.
Read the previous post here: IPL – Indian Parliamentary League
Please do visit tomorrow for the next post with letter ‘T’
I am also taking part in the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z using another theme –‘Dubai – City of Gold‘. If you love travel head over to the Travel Theme and share your feedback.