Secularism Hijacked...!!

(This article was originally published in a law magazine ‘Swathwam’ brought out by Govt: Law College, Thrissur)

Hermeneutics of secularism

India, that is Bharat, is the cradle of great religions; is the hallowed soil for spiritual springs and perennial philosophies. We have had in this country, for ages part, transcendent thought at its highest, not uniform, dogmatic, bigoted, superstitious or ritualistic, but pluralist, rationalist, humanist and divinely inspired. Our India is an enormous library and laboratory of religious pluralism with incredible diversity. Indeed, the population of gods is not disproportionate to the human population, although the country is already choked with over-population of both species – godly and human. But secularism in every cell and stone is the inimitability of the soul and soil of India.

When Martin Luther characterized secularism in Europe, it meant that the power of the state would be exercised independently of the directions of the church. Later Marx, calling religion the ‘opium of the masses’, defined secularism to completely eschew religion, in fact to debunk the very idea of any religious adherence. In simple lexical representation, for some, secularism is simply synonymous with communal harmony: the peaceful and possibly respectful coexistence of different religious groups. All secularists agree that the state should be impartial amongst different religions and disentangles itself from all religious arguments and identities. Basically, secularism is not, however, merely the broad pattern of management of equations between politics and religion. Nor is it a mere matter of an institutional framework, important though that is. Secularism represents in a true sense the synthesis of reason and compassion, prajna and karuna. A spirit of tolerance, universalism and freedom seems essential to secularism.

Constitutional historians with puritan pedantry may argue that the word ‘secularism’ was introduced into our Constitution only through the 42^nd Amendment in the seventies. The jurisprudence of secularism, in its magnificent panorama, is spelt out in several parts of the Constitution: The Preamble speaks of freedom of expression, of liberty and thought, belief, faith and worship. Sublime are the ideas these words convey. The sweep and scope of this vast concept is subject to public order, morality and health. The glowing idea of secularism has remained untouched despite fresh Amendments varying other provisions, as S.C. of India has emphatically affirmed not only that India is secular but that secularism is inviolably integral to the basic structure of the Constitution, beyond parliamentary amendability. The S. C. has pronounced on the parameters and semantic broad-spectrum of this sublime concept in Keshavananda Bharathi Case. While defining secularism in the Ahemedabad St. Xavier’s College V. State of Gujarat, the S.C. observed: “There is no mysticism in the secular character of the state. Secularism is neither anti-God, nor pro-God, it treats alike the devout, the agnostic and the atheist. It eliminates God from the matters of state and ensures that no one shall be discriminated against on the ground of religion”. The meaning and content of secularism were with at length by the S. C. in S. R. Bommai V. U.O.I. Religious tolerance, equal treatment of all religious groups and protection of their life and property and of the places of their worship have been held to be an essential part of Indian secularism. In plethora of cases S.C. referred about secularism: Ziyauddin Burhanuddin Bukhari V. Brijmohan Ramdev Mehra, Ratilal Panachand Gandhi V. State of Bombay and The Commisioner, Hindu Religious Endowments, Madras V. Sri. Laxmindra Tirtha Swamiar of Sri. Shirur Mutt., M. Ismail Faruqui V. U.O.I., Suresh Chandra V. U.O.I., B. K. Mohanty V. State of Orissa etc.

Never forget: secularism is a goal as well as a process. As an ideology and as a package of working norms, it is conditioned by the past legacies and the prevailing realities; in turn, it also shapes the course of social evolution and the thought process.

The club of kabir, Akbar and gandhi

Geography and history have a nexus, with people as the interface. India, from ancient times has been home of waves of civilization of divergent streams of people coming with their heritage, military occupation, political pursuits and ensconce of kingdoms making for a salmagundi of cultures and religions and regional growth. Its an antique land of pious profusion with a protracted history of invasions, absorptions and philosophic tolerance, hence, content varied with variety, culture rich in diversity, and religions, ethnic and linguistic pluralism strong, where secularism was and is an obligatory process of political structural engineering. Greek, Roman, Persian, Mogul and British influx over long period did produce a geo-political pluralism and cultural mosaic. Muslim history in India is as old as Islam. Arabic influence and Urdu literature are art and part of our composite cultural bequest. So, too, Christianity which is almost as old as Jesus is. Let great thoughts blow in from all sides, to glorify the welfare of our land, runs the inspiring call of the Rig Veda. This authentic Upanishadic perspective is hospitable and humanist, welcomes the divergent visions, voices and versions of truth from whichever direction they blow into India.

The spiritual marriage of Hinduism and Islam, motorized by Persian mysticism, gave rise to a philosophic of dissent inspiringly captured, among others, by Kabir. The happy co-existence of divergent monotheism and varied embodiment of polytheism ever known in human history is a historical paradox that reflects the wonder and the splendour of India. A century after Kabir, the Mughal Emperor Akbar, an illiterate – probably history’s most famous dyslexic – invited Christian missionaries and his yearning for philosophical and intellectual took the form of Din-i-Illahi, a synthesis of religions and fusion of the major faiths of the land, ultimately disdaining religious conflicts. The basic pre-conditions for a secular society and polity had already evolved through a process of secularization in the social, cultural, administrative and intellectual domains. The common partaking of people, regardless of their denominational differences, marked the engagements in all these fields. The state institutions, from the medieval time itself, had officials, generals and soldiers drawn from all religions. Muslim and Hindu rulers liberally employed the followers of other religions, particularly in the revenue administration and the army. Sher Shah Suri, Aurangzeb, Shivaji, Ranjit Singh and a host of others did so.

The movements in the intellectual-cultural meadow also geared up for the surfacing of secular ethos in society. The Bhakthi and Sufi tradition enabled Hindus and Muslims to understand one another’s religious and philosophical systems and thus to viaduct their social disparities. The secular intellectual progression conceived and disseminated during 19^th century was inspired by the ideas drawn from both indigenous and exogenous sources. It was in this secular space the anti-colonial politics emerged and operated. Neither the intellectual movement nor the politics that followed were monochromatic. There were several crevices within. But the engulfing sentiment during Indian independence was in favour of secularism, despite the partitions and the communal mutiny that succeeded. The marvelous man Mahatma Gandhi, the epitome of secularism was behind everything. Remember, he once averred: “Hinduism and Islam are like my two eyes”. Odd are such humans, the history has witnessed.

Quo Vadis secularism?

            During the premature days of the Republic, the Hindu communal forces lacked legitimacy in popular estimation. Suspected to be involved in the assassination of Gandhi, their ideology was deemed anti-humanist, obscurantist and sadistic, and hence excluded from bourgeois politics. Overcoming this stigma took years, but they did overcome by way of secular parties. The coalition experiment commencing with the post emergency government and those that followed thereafter at the centre and in the state, earned the communal forces a legitimate place in mainstream politics. Political opportunisms and power enticement persuaded the bourgeois parties to discard their initial reservations and objections, and ally with the communal forces. Much of the communal advancement was made possible because of the continuous intervention in the cultural life of people through the activities of innumerable organizations set up in different parts of the country. Through such activities, they succeeded in transforming the cultural conscience of people from the secular to the religious. Due to all these our elections have increasingly become manifestation of communal belligerence.

            Whenever there is a potential for Hindu-Muslim clashes, the communal mafia take over. In Bombay and other cities, inflammatory beginnings are from the mosques and maulavis on the on side and the sanths, acharyas, Shiv Sena and Hindu politickers on the other. The pathological communal dilemma, escalation of religious discord, occurrence of Hindu-Muslim riot, religious fundamentalism and desperate extremism are assuming terrifying proportions. Mistrust is arresting diehard roots. Hate and hatchet soon take over when communal incineration starts somewhere. Vandalism of Babri Masjid – a dire disaster – runs sore which the nation can ill afford. It remains as an indelible stain and incurable wound aggravated by a gravely militant demand for construction of a temple in the same spot as Ram Janmabhoomi. The horrendous religious carnage of Gujarat – perhaps where the genocidal operation was with the connivance of the political administration – took place inflicted hemorrhage injury on the national psyche. Even so culturally liberal state as Kerala was hit with the noxious virus of communalism, disrupting the great composite cultural heritage and producing situations like Marad macabre. The Sangh Parivar exploited this savage sanguinary episode. Recently, even the riot of Goa startled. Such instances in many metros and hamlets of India are swelling knowingly and willingly. What a shock and shame that during the last two decade Hindu-Muslim camaraderie is becoming a bleeding casualty. The disease is spreading, the solution is receding and mentality of the people is being malignantly vitiated by a cultural distemper. Neither the court nor the parliament has been successful in banishing the distress and distrust of the minority. I ask: Quo vadis secularism?

            Inter-religious animosity, religious exhibitionism, minority psychosis among the Muslims and narrow chauvinism among a section of the Hindus lead inevitably to varied distortions. Vote bank politics, appeasement on religious sentiment, quota for minorities in the Indian Army and revision of text books by painting saffronisation, perverse our principles on the secular agenda. Cultist leaderships, mafia feudists and fanatic followers take over Operation Fragmentation and the victims of Gods at war are the weakest and the lowliest. Human rights are drenched in blood on a massive scale and exploitation of man by man is sanctioned by usurpation of secularism and socialism and intolerant suppression of democracy by respective religions. Because of negative political exigencies and scarcity of principled politics our progress moves in reverse gear; our people become peoples; our single god multiplied into gory gods; our secularism splintered to sectarianism; our policies suffer the pollution of casteism and communalism, and our patriotism develops extra-territorial tie-ups. If this traumatic trend, evident in myriad forms, is not arrested now, the ship of state will sink from the weight of its own paradox.

The decisive hope

Indian secularism, without borrowing from the western rationalism or Marxian materialism, must go to its roots of comity religions, camaraderie of faiths, beautiful blend of divine light and cross-fertilisation of divergent teachings, which made for a vibrant fellowship of church, mosque, temple and other shrines. From a nationalist perspective we must be ashamed that the Indian tryst with secular destiny of ‘wiping every tear from every eye’ is making headway steadily backwards in law and as much more in life. Why not ban at least election symbols with religious appeal, forbid political parties with communal labels from the hustling, and plead with Gandhi-salesmen and Marx-merchants to avoid coalition with the caste or religion oriented groups? The integrity of our fraternity shall never surrender to berserk, blood-thirsty political bestiality. Can’t we begin the battle for a secular political culture and public life? Can’t we mass vaccinate, through a big movement and people’s mobilization, every Indian against anti-secular syndrome? Blush, if a dead pig or slaughtered cow could throw our republic into paroxysmal killings! Sob, if those political ayatollahs protest against a secular code neglecting the destitute, divorcees and the deserted!

Sermonizing hate and romancing hurt in the name of God is a rude sacrilege and an outright insult to the cult of Kabir, Akbar and Gandhi. We must march, advancing towards a national unity and cultural integrity, and rebuffing as repugnant to our radiant Indianess all vicious allurements of majoritarian authoritarianism and godist chauvinism inflicting humiliating inferiority and indignity on minorities. Remember, humanism and compassion is easy causalities. Of course, the bigotries are to be ended, appeasements to be eradicated, and religious prejudice and distorted history to be corrected. Activate the process of promoting human solidarity, friction-free religious amity and a movement for all religious leaders to sit together, dialogue with each other and draw up a modus vivendi to avoid intense sanguinary struggle. The student community must be organized to propagate elimination of hostility based on religion. Liquidation of communal thinking in the fields of labour, sports, public services, professions, politicians, ministers, bureaucrats and even in the judiciary holds out great promise. Now that ethnic claims and conflicts abound all over the world there is a necessity for the world body to bring forth an International Covenant on Secularism in plural societies within states. Let us battle for the success of our pluralist culture, for our secular heritage from being hijacked and to manufacture a social-justice-illumined democracy. Secularism must triumph! India must win!

Sublime expressions of the cyclonic sadhu Vivekananda seems apt and aids for peroration: “We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Koran; yet this has to be done by harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is oneness, so that each may choose that path suits him best. For our own motherland a junction of the great systems, Hinduism and Islam – Vedanta brain and Islam body – is the only hope”.