Secularism

November 22, 2020

Secularism

It was just about a couple of months back the Bhoomi Poojan of the biggest Ram Mandir was held at Ayodhya. I, as a Hindu, was extremely happy for the start of its construction and so was most of the country. What I didn't like about it was people making this religious and peaceful thing into a social media Hindu vs Muslim fight. And those tweets were absolutely pathetic. You may be celebrating that event or not, but those words on such a religious event was just pitiful. And that sparked a question in me. Is secularism dying in India?

Secularism is marked by mainly two major features. First, critical respect for all religions. Unlike some countries, ours is not blindly anti-religious but respects religion. India is neither like one of those who is a pre-dominantly single religious societies, it respects not one but all religions. But again, it’s practically impossible to distinguish the religious from the social, as the Great B.R. Ambedkar famously observed, every aspect of religious doctrine or practice cannot be respected. Be it Triple Talaq or Sati. Respect for religion must be accompanied by critique. Second being, it follows that our state must respectfully leave religion alone but also intervene whenever religious groups promote communal disharmony and discrimination on grounds of religion.

It's a well heard proverb that 'The people to fight over Geeta and Quran are the same people who have never read both'. And that is exactly what is happening in our country. Secularism in India is paying a heavy price for being in the midst of public and political discourse. Joining a mob/terrorist organization doesn't make you religious. 'Jai Shri Ram' isn't a war cry and saying this slogan with a demeaning motive doesn't make you religious.

We are into the 74th year of independence and yet today we are fighting to prove which religion is better than the other. After 74 years even today a predominantly Hindu building society won’t allow a Muslim tenant and a predominantly Muslim Area won’t allow a religious Hindu procession through their area. An inter caste marriage between a Hindu and a Muslim is considered nothing less than a sin in our society. It’s such a big sin that an offence of honour killing has to be done in order to repeal the sin. It’s difficult to talk about secularism and not talk about politics. Our politicians are incapable of feeling guilt or shame. They will spill all kinds of verbal diarrhoea when giving their political speeches to downgrade the religion of the other. And it applies to both the ruling party as well as the opposition

What was even more funny to see that the death of Sushant Singh Rajput was also linked to Hindu-Muslim Propaganda by some journalists. But yes, some journalists are fuelling the fire in which secularism is burning. And it’s a pity to see that.

Its high time we stop being judgmental. Not all Muslims are uneducated. I am a teacher and the brightest student in my career as a teacher was a Muslim. And not all Hindus hate Muslims. Many love you (and not just for your biryani).

I still remember my neighbours in my last home were Muslims. They used to serve us with kheer every Eid and we used to give them our sweets in Diwali. My family had a very jolly relation with them. It’s been almost 10 years since we moved out. And I wonder whether we or they would have maintained a similar relation if we were neighbours today. As a young boy I never really thought that this question would come upon me 8-10 years down the line. But now I think that this question was ought to come sooner or later and I never thought of it maybe because I was never really that much politically or socially aware. But I do like to think that if we were neighbours today both of us would have maintained the same joyful bonding.

Finally, to conclude.

To all Hindus: No matter which recipe you choose for biryani, you can’t match the taste of the one we get on Eid. Let’s respect their religion

To all Muslims: You won’t get to enjoy the festival of festivals i.e. Diwali without Hindus