Secular Religion

Secular Religion

My favourite pastime is not “system-bashing”, contrary to the image that I might have created for myself through my blogs. Nor I am a political person. But I am a person who is deeply perturbed by the manipulative designs of the people around us. To me, intentional misinterpretation of facts is nothing but distortion, with an ulterior and ultimate aim for manipulations.
Manipulations are best left for the mathematical and scientific calculations. Herein, I really feel for our politicians who try so hard to don the coveted mantle of the “Best Manipulator”!

I know the first paragraph didn’t offer anything in conformity with the title of the piece. But before delving into such a topic I felt it is my duty to pay tribute to the hard work of these manipulators. Maybe they do so even at the cost of sacrificing their sleep! Their effort acted as a driving force for me to take up this subject when actually I was feeling a bit undecided with regards to the topic of my next blog.

I have no qualms in stating that I am a religious person with a strong belief in the Supreme Power, called God. For me religion is a way of life. It helps me to see the light on the other end of a dark tunnel. It is not a binding, being just the reverse. Because of my faith in God, I never can even think of insulting the religious sentiments of others. It has helped me to realize that it is not necessary for a person to be religious by merely belonging to a religion. It is purely an individual’s prerogative. A domain that should not be breached under any circumstances. I think this feeling is shared by majority of the people. Still it is the manipulative intentions of the handful people that are overpowering the sentiments of the majority. You, me or collectively, we; none of us are concerned with the religious polarization of the person who stands next to us. It is only our too well-meaning politicians who are.
In this context and as also otherwise, the word “Secular”, in our Constitution is the favourite word of politicians. Simply because it helps them to reap rich Demographic Dividends. I shall prove my point, but prior to that I will take up the meaning of the words in the title.

The word “Religion”, as per the dictionary means:
(i) system of faith and worship,
(ii) human recognition of personal God or Gods entitled to obedience,
(iii) monastic state.
And being religious means:
(i) imbued with religion
(ii) devout
(iii) person bound by monastic vows.

When I turn the pages for the meaning of the word “Secular”, the following are the findings:
(i) concerned with affairs of this world,
(ii) not monastic or ecclesiastical,
(iii) not religious,
(iv) not sacred,
(v) occurring once in, lasting for, age or century.
And “secularism” is a doctrine that morality should be based only on secular consideration.

Another word that is highly loved by the “well-wishers of humanity” is communal, which according to the dictionary is:
(i) of community,
(ii) for community or common use,
(iii) public,
(iv) of antagonistic communities in district.

The meanings of the “high in demand” words, gives rise to questions that I would like the politicians to answer.

Q.1. It being quite clear that being secular inherently implies being not religious, are all our politicians, Atheist or Agnostic?

Q.2. Don’t they have any religion inherited, by birth?

Q.3. Why do they then visit places of worship, quite demonstratively to appease a section of a particular community while visiting the places of worship of their own religion almost surreptiously or without fanfare that usually accompanies the former?

Q.4. How does a mere statement; letting known one’s religion (by birth or conversion) makes that person communal antagonistically?

Q.5. Wherefrom do they get the perception, thus, that communal and secular are antonyms?

Q.6. If so, then why do they pamper a particular community and by doing so, they claim to be secular, as it can only make them communal as per their own interpretation of the words?

Q.7. For them, why is it only one community that matters, while others are pushed into realms of oblivion to the extent of either being non-existent or at the most are taken for granted?

Given what the politicians practice, it makes them “Communally Secular”. And it is to their own advantage because pampering a distinct community gives them the liberty of doing so without having to necessarily follow the religious inclinations and rituals of the community. Thus they become secular (not religious) by becoming communal.

India is a country, where the majority of the people are Hindus. That automatically relegates the followers of all other faiths to minority. Be it our fellow citizens who are either Christians, or Muslims, or Sikhs, or Jews, or Buddhists: they all belong to the minority community. But still in our hearts we thrive in the Unity amongst this Diversity of beliefs. So why the politicians are concerned mainly about only one minority community, the Muslims? My tirade is against the politicians and not the community.
By doing so the politicians are trying to create a Demographic Divide, simply for political gains. And for that they can go to any extremes of hurting the religious sentiments of the people. Why are not they concerned about the other communities alike?
What I state might seem harsh, but truth is always bitter. I could come up with a sole reason for their discriminatory approach after many thoughtful sessions. It stems from a fact and not any intention of hurting or maligning anybody. The politicians keep pampering the Muslims not because they are genuinely concerned for their rights and well-being. They do so simply because they feel that the Muslims have a greater NAV (Net Asset Value) in the long run in keeping with their high NVV (Net Vote Value), in direct variance with their fastest rate of growth and expansion. Thus they assume that this Demographic Dividend will keep on rising even amidst severest of recessions.
So it is high time that the community itself realizes that it is basically looked upon as a mere vote bank. Instead of asking for special rights, it is better to become miscible with all and stay as one. Because at the end of the day, discrimination in any form is not healthy, more so if it happens to be on the basis of caste and religion. Why to ask for special favours and in the process be singled out? Once we start believing in the concept of oneness it shall become impossible for anybody to divide and hurt us.

To take a step forward in this direction, the first thing that needs to be done is, the removal of the word, “Secular” from the Constitution. Because while taking an oath of office, a minister-to-be, proclaims, “In the Name of the God” (implying God of one’s faith; there being a negligible number of non-believers who affirm that they would bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution while taking oath), to serve the nation. While its presence doesn’t protect common people from the antagonistic activities of various communities from time to time, at the same time it doesn’t provide immunity to the citizens from the misfortunes resulting out of the distortion beyond recognition, of the word, Secular. It is being used as leverage for political gains at the cost of dividing the nation, shamelessly, “In the name of God”. An act of direct defiance to the Power Supreme.

Secular and religion are juxtaposed by definition of the terms in the accepted and universal dictionaries. Being religious can never render a person secular and vice-versa. Religion is a way of life, a guiding light when exercised in the right way. When a religion is given a name, even then, no religion preaches intolerance of other religious inclinations. It doesn’t ask for the sentiments of others to be hurt, because God is “One” Supreme Power, Who never advocates instigation of violence in the name of religion. What we see of a religion generally is an illusion: a deliberately misinterpreted version, implemented by a handful of self-gratifying people.
The politicians by following their brand of “Secular Religion” don the mantle of undisputed “Propagators of Communal Disharmony”. As it is a path, “Religiously Irreligious” (Secular Religion)! So our dear revered leaders and self-proclaimed servants of the nation, “In the Name of God”, before claiming to be secular, think innumerable times. The moment your secularism is flaunted it is actually communalism that gets reflected.

Sushmita Mukherjee
May 29th,2009