Everybody claim to be secular in India, according to their definition of course. The unfortunate thing about democracy is that there is no easy way of telling who is right and who is wrong. Modern idea of secularism in India is a complex outcome of fusion of western idea of completely neutral state and an old culture of assimilation and acceptance. And Indian secularism is the most visible outcome of India's independence movement. Communalism was identified as the cause for some of the most regretted events in 20th century in India. So strong was this feeling that, there was a near unanimous agreement among intellectuals and politicians to suppress the currents of communalism with iron fist.
Being secular is a cultural concept where as secularism is a political prescription to guide the state's attitudes towards people for its continued existence. It is interesting to observe the history of secularism. Secularism has two distinct connotations. On the one hand, according to principles that guide most European governments it means that the state has no religion. It is as if the state doesn't even acknowledge the existence of religion. On the other hand, according to many developing multi-religious nations(like India), it means that the state respects all religions equally. European prescription on secularism is a passive one, recommending ignorance of religion. Where as, Indian prescription for secularism is a recommendation to actively treat all religions equally. The difference is so subtle, it represents the difference in evolution of nation states in the west and the east. Western nation states emerged fighting the autocratic monarchies and the illogical restrictions imposed by god and his representatives. Inquisition and the role of church had been identified as the major forces that kept humanity in dark age before the renaissance and the age of enlightenment. Widespread violence accompanied the Wars that were fought over religions. So weary were Europeans of the violence and suppression of ideas by church that they gradually sidelined it completely in their laws. Today in the west, one can mock a God, make fun of a religion and yet can claim it to be part of their right to freedom of speech.
But, the Indians didn't have that much religious violence for that long time. Religions, being moderate have coexisted with little or no violence and religion was not identified as the sole reason for stagnation in the society. On the contrary intellectuals tended to identify an Indian's soul in his religion. That's why Indian state couldn't remove religion from public life, despite so many godless men having been ruled it.
Being secular is a cultural concept where as secularism is a political prescription to guide the state's attitudes towards people for its continued existence. It is interesting to observe the history of secularism. Secularism has two distinct connotations. On the one hand, according to principles that guide most European governments it means that the state has no religion. It is as if the state doesn't even acknowledge the existence of religion. On the other hand, according to many developing multi-religious nations(like India), it means that the state respects all religions equally. European prescription on secularism is a passive one, recommending ignorance of religion. Where as, Indian prescription for secularism is a recommendation to actively treat all religions equally. The difference is so subtle, it represents the difference in evolution of nation states in the west and the east. Western nation states emerged fighting the autocratic monarchies and the illogical restrictions imposed by god and his representatives. Inquisition and the role of church had been identified as the major forces that kept humanity in dark age before the renaissance and the age of enlightenment. Widespread violence accompanied the Wars that were fought over religions. So weary were Europeans of the violence and suppression of ideas by church that they gradually sidelined it completely in their laws. Today in the west, one can mock a God, make fun of a religion and yet can claim it to be part of their right to freedom of speech.
But, the Indians didn't have that much religious violence for that long time. Religions, being moderate have coexisted with little or no violence and religion was not identified as the sole reason for stagnation in the society. On the contrary intellectuals tended to identify an Indian's soul in his religion. That's why Indian state couldn't remove religion from public life, despite so many godless men having been ruled it.
No comments:
Post a Comment