The end of the India’s secular socio-cultural fabric is certain. Often of extra-ordinary magnitude, the challenges faced by world’s largest democracy are erasing its secular as well as democratic set up, slowly and gradually. A fictional concept of “Greater Hindustan” (that lies between mountains of Hindkush and Arakan Yoma) had embarked upon a religious-cultural crusade, determined to erase diverse socio-cultural fabric of India. The tyranny unleashed upon minorities and uninterrupted power enjoyed by radicals, it would tatter the secularism.
If we talk about Islam or Hinduism, every religion has taught its people about serving humanity irrespective of religious bonds. The very foundation of India is based on a secular bond that holds her “unity in diversity.’’ The monks roll beads of rosary with eyes open or shut, beyond ideas of reward and glorify lord without moving lips. They acknowledge it ‘neither their prayers nor their silence can hold beads of rosary together.’ Therefore, they extend their outmost respect to the chord or the string that holds these beads together. This acumen does not let the beads scatter. The chord is also blessed with endurance that does not let calm beads disperse. The specified use of a rosary is to aid saintly people or Dervishes to count their prayers. Their faiths may differ; a rosary does not protest their belief, albeit. There is no clash of beliefs. Similarly, the India’s secular structure was woven with the chord of love, named secularism by statesmen.
Unfortunately, prejudice cultivated hatred that nurtured the seeds of discord and humans put on garb of faith to spill blood of their own kind. Though, all faiths forbid its followers to kill followers of other faith, yet they kill. The genesis of pernicious religious intolerance is hurting delicate chord of love that held multitude of faiths together with harmony. The spirit of secularism has been hurt. Nakedly politics driven, yet different faction of society does believe in a separate land for this or that community. The string of love that held people together has been weakened which enticed Ram against Rahim. The conspiracy that hatched underneath hijacked multitude of faiths and nurtured ant-Islamic elements which bolstered anti-Islamic sentiments in particular and hatred in general. In this situation, the politicians who count votes only, took refuge in religious politics and reduced people to figurehead and wielded all real powers itself. The imbecile fell in trap while intelligent invoked love there for deliverance from hatred.
The smoldering embers of hatred burst into fire during Delhi riots when protesters were beaten and burnt alive. The secular chord of Indian rosary has been clipped, the beads have been scattered. The advocates of secularism whose arguments were quite promising kept peace loving people in a hallucination when at once they disappeared like a bubble during these riots. When popular global opinion labeled Muslims as mainly aggressors and ignores their new status as arguably the most abused religious group in the world today; it is impossible for Indian Muslims to escape the wrath of radical Hindu because Muslims have been victims of abuse, globally. The vague argument like “Hinduism is in danger” has enough power to incite violence because in a third world country where religion has not been adopted as a faith but as a tool of identity. Slowly and gradually, all non-Hindu faiths would taste same fate.
In this situation of chaos and conundrum, when minority is portrayed threat for majority, then we can claim ‘Secularism is in danger’. Extremists in India are driven by political desires to dominate other religions. The thirst for establishing an extremist Hindu rule all over India where politicians are raising slogans of expelling other faiths is basest act of terrorism. The strategy to polarize people on religious lines is working for BJP, so they promote it. Bearing extremist ideologies like ISIS or early Crusaders, Hiduvta brigades are aimed at ensuring predominance of Hinduism through violence and terror. As can be seen, the economic chaos of country has a negligible priority compared to the agenda of Hinduism. Similarly, the discriminatory bill which prohibits Muslims from seeking citizenship is part of the agenda.
India’s tolerant tradition and pluralistic democracy has witnessed a paradigm shift. The indiscriminate law pushed by present regime violates secular setup of constitution. In this political business model, the seeds of discord sown earlier have grown into a giant tree. Perhaps, the pressure from international bodies would restrict India but a foreseeable future would witness riots like this. Therefore, it is inevitable for Muslims. Now, who would string these scattered beads when all political models are designed to polarize people? The geography of peace has been replaced by geography of violence.
- (Opinions are authors own, not of institution he works for.)
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