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Our brand of secularism - a letter - Statesman

Posted By ashok (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
25 June 1996

Title : OUR BRAND OF SECULARISM
Publication : Statesman
Date : June 25, 1996

SIR, - Apropos of your editorial, 'The Secular Contract"
June 7-8), it is not surprising that the All-India
Congress Committee spokesman, Mr V. N. Gadgil's call
stressing.the need for the Congress to "redefine the
concept of secularism" has come too late. So far, he
argues, secularism has been discussed in terms of
'religion and politics'. He now wants the concept to
cover 'caste and politics' in addition to 'religion'.
This is ridiculous because the Congress is caught
between the devil and the deep sea. A large section of
Hindus- believe that the party had all along appeased
Muslims while the Muslims believe that the Congress, in
the company of the RSS, was responsible for the
destruction of the Babari Masjid. It is now clear that
the Congress brand of secularism could not hold the
country together, nor could the lot of the people be
improved. For immediate gains, the Congress had given up
the concept of genuine secularism.

As you have correctly pointed out in your editorial "a
secular state is an atheist state, a stat that considers
the existence of God and religious faith to be wholly
irrelevant to its purposes and objectives" A true secular
state is not concerned with spiritual or religious
affairs. "A secular state deals with individuals or, in a
poor developing society, with socioeconomic categories,
with classes. But it does not deal with religious
communities as such, except to affirm the supremacy of
the state over all religious institutions". The ruling
class failed miserably to build a secular India to touch
a sympathetic chord in the minds and hearts of the
people. Instead, its deeds and actions only helped to
split the people into so many castes and religious
communities.

It is being argued that at the root of increasing
communalization of Indian society is the kind of
nationalism that we have practiced over the last century
or more. The self-perception of nationalism was heavily
tinged with.the idea of a glorious Hindu past. The
Communists and the Congress were able to contain the
Hindu nationalists during the national movement. At
jalianwala Bagh on April 13,1919, Hindus, Sikhs and
Muslims shed their blood together to give a boost to our
struggle for independence. Thus it is not nationalism but
erosion in its values during the post-independence era
that is responsible for the rise of Hindu nationalism. A
number of historians have argued that it is owing to
nationalism and the emergence of Gandhism that India's
traditions of tolerance came to be highlighted. Ashoka, a
propagator of non-violence and Akbar, a follower of all
religions, along with Nanak and Kabir, became its
symbols.

The Congress all along allowed the forces of
disintegration to succeed. The Congress is responsible
for polarizing Indian society on caste and communal
lines. In 1959 the Government in Kerala though it had a
clear majority in the legislature. Jawaharlal Nehru
presided over a crucial meeting and struck an alliance
with communal forces to give a political base for his
Government's undemocratic decision. Almost four decades
later today, much has changed in Indian politics and
that of Kerala. The Congress has lost power both at the
Centre and in most States..

It is obvious that the definition of secularism should
include the endeavour of all citizens to dismantle the
edifice of caste. Secularism means modernization, the
promotion of scientific thinking and the application of
science and technology to bring about social and
political equality. - Yours, etc., V. V. NAIR


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