RELIGION AND SECULARISM Part II

Secularism-India view


What is secularism? The answer to this question seems very easy, but quite difficult to find out. Apparently, secularism is a view or belief stating that society's values and standards should not be influenced or controlled by religion. The meaning strikes much deeper if we care to dig in.

The term 'secularism' is very much related to the theory of a 'Secular State'. Literally, it is a State that patronizes no religion. We do understand the adjective 'secular' as an antonym to the word ' communal'. Speaking in detail, a Secular State does have communal features.

For example, let us take the case of our country, India. The State recognizes the existence of various 'religious communities' and even if, the caste system has been abolished, has prepared a list of Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes along hereditary grounds. The State has termed some of the numerically weaker 'religious communities' as 'minority communities'. These 'minorities' (in some cases) and the Scheduled Castes enjoy some special privileges. Now think of this little theory. Had men learnt not to discriminate among themselves on such artificial grounds, there would have been no such 'minorities' or 'under-privileged' classes. India has been defined as a 'Socialist Secular' State, paying equal respect to every so-called community. Then, how come a particular group claims to be a 'minority' or 'backward' group? Again, agreeing with the fact that the Scheduled Castes were the deprived sections of the society in the pre-Independence era, this feature of the Constitution also has its faults.

In today's world, resources do not come on such basis in all cases and the basic universal factor for development is always the extent of availability of resources. A person of a so-called Scheduled Caste may be a millionaire, but he still enjoys the privileges under this system. It is found in many cases that this system is the only remainder of the caste system in the young educated society. Still remains an ill will between the so-called higher castes and the Scheduled Castes. It presents a question of dignity, too. Imagine the pain inflicted when someone is abused on such grounds. In the rural areas, the conditions are far worse than it ever was in the apartheid stricken South Africa. But there have been no whole-hearted efforts to even prepare a Below Poverty Line list that would present a true outline of the underprivileged. The State needs to demarcate the weaker sections on the economic basis, which is the real scale for measuring development anywhere. Also, even when the Constitution declares equality of all before law, the State has differential legal provisions for different ‘religious sects’.

Socialism is one of the goals stated in our Constitution. But the above stated ‘secular’ features are acting as a hindrance in the way of attainment of this goal. To reach socialism, we have to undertake programmes for the emancipation of the poor. Such programmes are carried out, but, frankly, are given less importance than those for the ‘upliftment’ of the so-called ‘minorities’ and ‘backward castes’.

One of the main tenets of Socialism is not to recognize the existence of any ‘religious sect’. And combining it with the definition of Secularism, we can clearly understand that the State has been playing with the twin ideals for low political causes.

A State has to proceed scientifically if it has to become a Secular State. Still do sentiments of ‘religious and caste differences’ exist in the society. Still there remains a prejudice about the rise of the so-called ‘other religious sections’. Still a person is termed as the first ‘Hindu’, or the first ‘Muslim’ or the first ‘Sikh’, etc. in any field. Still we experience communal riots. Still we have to notify our ‘religion’ in official matters. Still we bear ‘religion’ as an IDENTITY. We are still clutching on to the same mistakes committed by our foreparents that led to the partition of India in 1947. 60 years on, we don’t seem to have learnt anything.

How often do we hear people belonging to the so called ‘minority sects’ say that the ‘Hindus’ still ‘hold power? How often do we hear within our families, lamenting the ‘gradual transfer of power’ into the hands of ‘minorities’? And how often do we still chance upon matrimonial ads stating the ‘caste identities’? These are various symptoms of that very old conservative disease. It cannot be eradicated unless the State changes its stand. The State has to help spread scientific awareness and determine the futility and void ness of the theory of ‘sectarian differences’. The State has to shift to absolute equality on such questions. Only this can give rise to a Secular State.

So, after all the discussion, secularism can be defined as a view in which the society recognizes no distinctions of religion, caste, creed, colour, etc. and a Secular State should be one that does not encourage such artificialities.

Secularism is the indisposable need of the hour. This is the only ray of hope against communalism, radicalism, separatism and the danger of national disintegrity. We have to start somewhere, in dead earnest, and there is no better place to set an example before the world than India for this purpose. The secular idea will materialize in India or nowhere, as we are the only declared Secular nation (mind it, I’m not talking about Atheism).

Before signing off, a humble message:
Na tu Hindu hai
Na hai Mussalman
Na tu Sikh hai
Na hi Christian
Na bhi tu Bouddh hai
Nahin tu Jain
Koi parichay nahin tera
Sivay – Aulad-e-Insaan!