India is now in the hot bed of experimentation as to whether it can contain Democracy and Secularism (in the context as the politicians try to teach people). The word %u2018democracy%u2019 should always mean to be the peoples%u2019 rule. We find a lot of caricatures in the present world. Dictators and autocrats seize power and still are successful to propagate of themselves as champions of democracy! That is a different aspect. Other than requiring freedom of speech and equal access to ballot, subject to stipulations of respective laws, the notion of democracy sets no limits on what the people may do in their sovereign capacity. No ruler has the right to ask a citizen as to why he is %u2018thinking%u2019 or %u2018doing%u2019 any better thing for his state. This is not possible in autocratic states. For doing so, he needs the ruler%u2019s permit. As religions are the major force of human drives we may stray in to another area. Is religion compatible with liberal democracy? Has any religion of the world envisaged and worked out of %u2018democracy%u2019 or its adjustment with it? This is a moot question. In order to find an answer we must primarily address to two other questions first. One: Are managers of religion capable of recognizing democracy in democratic spirit? Two: Do democratic statesmen realize religion theologically? Mere use of words can not save a democracy. Even we have seen gross perversions. Hitler was %u2018elected%u2019 to power in 1933. In Hindu sets in Independent India, in religion we may find a galaxy of illustrious persons like Dayananda Saraswati, Shibananda, Chinmayananda, Nigamananda, Anukulchandra etc., but they are more regarded as religious philosophers; never as mendicant priests. But when religion had the increasing necessity to assimilate more with such mendicant priesthood, the above illustrious persons were branded as religious philosophers. Is it not a decent substitute to express rejection? Operating religion perhaps could not rightly hold them on. That means, they were rejected from the operating religion. To address to the other question, we have two ideal examples in Indian politics. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Their appearance in political cauldrons is a case-study. As do they unbeatably fit to other higher ethical and intellectual standards %u2013 experience suggests that politics became unfamiliar territory to them. Such political caginess suggests that the most respected Radhakrishnan or Kalam does not fit to our ever-growing democratic aspirations. People must realize about the future of the country, no matter how politicians behave. Yours sincerely, Rabi Kanungo Intellectual Forum
I think you missed the most important Cultural leader of last many centuries, Swami Vivekanand, who is regarded as "Patron Saint" of Indian Nationalism.
Another very important figure which comes to my mind is Sri Chaitanya Dev, who saved Hinduism in Eastern India (Bengal, parts of Bihar and Orissa) from sure extinction.
See, religion is not something just to contemplate, escape from life as some of us still feel.
If India has to survive, we have to expand the quality, create a belonging to the nation, and its ideals, social cohesiveness by reinventing/reinterpreting Hinduism.
Thankfully, we have had many a great figures, social reformers who have done this since last many centuries starting from Bhakti Movement in Southern India since 8th Century, or later on people like Sri Chaitanyadev, Nanak, to modernday Vivekanand, Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
We need democratization of Hinduism urgently. Its already achieved theoritically, but the ghost of caste still can be felt in few pockets of rural India.
RE:RE:Incompatibility of Religion with Indian Democracy
by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay on Apr 21, 2007 10:31 AM Permalink
I think from Indian nationalist point of view, most important thinkers, leaders of last 100 odd years were:
Nehruvian utopia is dead. Those whoever gave rationale, polemic to build a vibrant India where Indians can be proud of themselves, their history, culture, 'many achievements since antiquity' will prevail.
A NATION IS NOW RISING FROM 1000 YEARS OF FOREIGN RULE. BOTH ECONOMICALLY, POLITICALLY.
AND THERE WILL BE QUANTUM SHIFT IN THE WAY INDIANS THINK, INDIAN POLITICS WORK FOR FORESEEABLE PERIOD.
RE:Incompatibility of Religion with Indian Democracy
by ashok leyland on Apr 21, 2007 09:54 PM Permalink
While everywhere in the world progress has marked the passage of time, we in India unfortunately have been frozen in the Victorian framework of hypocrisy where spontaneous behaviour was considered indecent by the British since the last century, The British were hypocrites but excellent businessmen, they allowed Hindus their religious rites but only when blanketed inside a rigid code of so-called decency. Fortunately for the British in Britain, they have moved along with the times even overdoing their uninhibited style of life as we see from news reports.
Our religions are based on a lot of superstitious belief that was necessary to preserve morality, hygiene, respect for the elderly and the weaker sex as women were then thought to be. Today much of these superstitions and rituals can be easily discarded as education has taught us that cleanliness is possible without mixing up religion/rituals and women are as capable as men in the working world. But not having a spiritual leader, or to put it more correctly, having several (too many) spiritual leaders who are versed in the Vedic / Koranic teachings but without a sense of modern hygiene or cleanliness and equality of the sexes, their way of doing things is to repeat blindly what the Victorian age forced upon us. Before then India or Bharat was full of invention, artistic creativity and without sexual hypocrisy. Did not the Persian Muslims introduce wine into India? Did not the courtesans live a decent if unequal life? History confirms this and more.
We know now that it is scientifically proven that every human being irrespective of his caste, birth or religion or sex is made up of the same organic matter, can get the same diseases, laugh, enjoy, suffer, respect and pray with exactly the same passion the Divine Being be this called God, Allah, Christ etc;. Castes were created centuries ago to divide the workers as per their tasks. Now we know that brains are not exclusive to Brahmins, Dalits, Hindus, Muslims or Christians, it is an anachronism and makes no sense today.
Why should we then continue to divide our country like this in a totally illogical manner? If we are all taught cleanliness, we can all clean our toilets ourselves since we are the ones to dirty it, wash ourselves like the rest of the world does, without servants from other castes and still go to college, work or create. One human being cannot poison water for another%u2019s consumption by merely touching it! If we do not give water to wash with, to cook with and sewage systems to the poor whose fault is it if they are dirty and spread germs? Now ask yourself why the government and politicians when voted into power do not give the masses, their biggest vote pool even the most basic necessities and keep them ignorant?
Simple- to gain power and wealth for themselves at the expense of the people! And you poor fools who turn every issue into a Hindu-Muslim tussle are doing nothing but falling into the trap set by our leaders who divide to conquer and rule. It is high time that we use our common sense and reasoning to keep religion near our hearts between ourselves and God/Allah/Christ, and live our lives outside the house with civic responsibility united with our fellow countrymen to see that EVERY class (that must be casteless), is uplifted so that the entire country progresses and can take it's position as a world power. We should be proud of each other not ashamed to be Bharatiya or Indians..
