Religion- a "mixture of opposites", it has become.

Religion has always been an age-old problem;

right from early civilizations to the pre-Renaissance and Dark Age era, through to this very day.
It is high time we become rationalised in our thoughts and look to religion for enlightenment.

When written and approved in 1950, Indian Constitution was one of the best written documents.
But almost all the subsequent amendments have made it ambiguous and dangerous to the
majority in the country. Perhaps no other democratic country had so many amendments to its
written constitution in the first fifty years of existence. One of the most damaging features that
has been manipulated into the round hole of our constitution is the square peg of undefined
secularism.

A simple search for the word on the net would yield its most common definition as “the assertion
that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from religion or religious
beliefs”. But in practice any of our ‘governmental practices or institutions’ does not seem to
follow this principle. Almost all our major temples are under government control, we have
several wakf boards and all the government policies are segregated religion-wise or community-
wise or caste-wise. Even after 60 years of existence we have made no attempt to evolve a
common civil code or even common education system irrespective of the religious beliefs

The rot in the Nehru's secular India started with the Shahbanu case. That was the beginning of
the downfall. The hawks in the fundamentalist parties were waiting for that entry which
unfortunately a progressive Rajiv Gandhi offered to them in a platter. It is unfortunate that we
can not name any major legislation for social reform after the independence. All the parties lack
the backbone and only look at the vote bank for a limited purpose.

Analyzing a recent example, Varun Gandhi the young blood of the BJP has spoken what others
want to speak but afraid of speaking as it would destroy their poll prospects. Our politicians say
that India is a secular country where every religion is treated equally. But in practice some
religions are more than equal. Say if a Hindu boy loves and marries a muslim girl it is religious
intolerance, but if a Muslim girl loves and marries a Hindu boy then it is secular.

Why this sham? The Hindus owing to their great levels of tolerance are becoming a minority
community even though they are branded majority community. But there are also communal
Hindus like members of the so called Sangh parivar who are promoting Hindutva in the guise of
cultural restorage.

The term secularism as mentioned in our constitution have become just a disguise for
safeguarding the sectarian propagandas of the politicians. The political parties which actually are
to be torchbearers of our democracy have taken a u turn. The BJP will have no answer on the
Godhra Riots of 2002. The Congress will have no answer as to why under the aegis of their party
banner, its men slaughtered Sikhs in 1984. The Samajwadi Party can or I bet we say should
never should explain why it had mentioned reservations for Muslims, in it's Election Manifesto
for the previous elections.

The tentacles of communalism are invisible to only those who have their eyes shut and ears
sealed. This fear, although justified, should not paralyze the silent majority into inaction. The
fact is that these people who are trying to impose their doctrine upon us including all those
Hindus who do not subscribe to the concept of Hindutva must be stopped or forced to mend their
ways. They must be confronted by People Power, both visibly and physically but non-violently.

What happened last year in Orissa was horrifying. The slaughtering of Christians was the
example of existence of communalism in India. This latest explosion of hatred was the result not
only of religious differences but of a tangled intersection of political power, communal prejudice
and the injustices of Hinduism's outdated caste system.

The real history of India is well known to everyone by now. Indianess’ of India is being
systematically destroyed by the deliberate negligence of our own elected leaders. We must define
very specifically what is secularism in Indian context or do away with it. And that needs to be
done immediately if India is to survive as one single democratic entity forever.

Make India strong, a country of peace, where little Hindu children walk hand-in-hand with little
Muslim and little Christian children and all other children. Quit being a silent majority and work
hard to maintain India as a country which celebrates and honors its diversity, a country free from
prejudice and hate and religious rancor! Secularism and democracy is the only path to our
salvation! The choice is ours!