The word secularism was coined in Europe to mean distancing the state from the state. Because of undue interference by the Church in matters of state, making it impossible for the state to discharge its duties and responsibilities in a fair manner, it was decided that the state maintain a distance from religion and henceforth be "Secular".A good many states in modern Europe and America have been able to maintain their secular character, barring a few Catholic states which to some extent, still relish Church's interference in the affairs of the state.
However, with the resurgence of Islam the concept of secularism was given a go by by the followers of the religion.For, the Allah through his prophet enunciated an ideology which covered almost every walk of life-religious as well as social political, legal, economic, academic and what not.Since Allah declared the prophet as his last messenger and Islam as the final "revelation" for the entire humanity, it became incumbent on Islamic states and followers of Islam to follow the Quranic message and the Hadith(teachings of the Prophet) as the state's constitution.Only a handful of Islamic states do have western type of constitution. the rest just follow the constitution given to them by the Allah and his messenger.Indeed King Saud of Saudi Arabia had exclaimed-"What constitution! Allah has already given us one!".Thus the countries with Muslims as majority have theocratic state with Islam as their constitution.And this was the reason for India's partition. For, the millions of Islamists thought they couldn't co-exist with the kafirs who outnumbered them in this ancient land which would always remain Hindu in character despite Gandhian secularism(meaning perpetual Hindu tolerance and perseverance despite being targeted by others!).
In the Indian context, while the Hindu states within the area known as Indian subcontinent had a "Rajpurohit" the religious interference was virtually nil in so far as the matters of the state were concerned. The "Rajpurohit" was concerned mainly with carrying out the religious rituals and tender advice only when asked.The seers just advised the state to be run on the lines of universal truth principles which in other words were known as Sanatan principles.Hinduism not being a religion like any other, therefore, has had its hands fairly clean as far as 'secularism' was/ is concerned ! Barring Nepal( which is now a scular one) there was not even a single Hindu state on this earth. The same can be said to be true of Sikkhism and Buddhism, howsoever limited their sphere of influence might have been.
We in India, however, have given a very different meaning to the word 'Secularism". We have, in fact almost reversed the meaning of the word.We have turned it into a political principle.It is now perhaps the most abused word in India now.Far from distancing politics and state from religion, our state and the powers that be who run the state crawl before the so called religious leaders of one community or the other to suit their vested interests.Indeed India is the only state which allows practice and propagation of religion as a fundamental right! Nehruvian secularism as enunciated by Nehru soon after independence had the seeds of the political secularism (or "Sickularism" as most people think!) which is rampant in India now.
The political animals in India have created a situation in which secularism is preached and practiced as a political ideology suited to garner votes of different religious communities.The worst victims of this political secularism has been the majority community. They are abused as the most "communal" (meaning one who inflame hatred against the so called 'minorities"(I wonder how could one term a community with a population of 20 or 25 lakhs as "minority"!)The minorities are paradoxically the "Holy cows" of secularism in contrast to the community which treats the cow as their second mother!Every community except the majority community is regarded as secular.The majority are the real enemies of the so called secular state of India and secular harmony.It is always expected of them that they give up defending their religion against religions which aim at finishing them up!The logical corollary is that they should give up their religion altogether to appease their "minority" brethren in the interest of what is called "communal harmony"! Nobody can say whether these so called minority communities have ever been criticized for violating the principles of SECULARISM!
Hindus have the history of betrayals for centuries. They are one community who have refused to take lessons from the past. And indeed, those who ignore history are destined to be thrown into the dustbin of history!
However, with the resurgence of Islam the concept of secularism was given a go by by the followers of the religion.For, the Allah through his prophet enunciated an ideology which covered almost every walk of life-religious as well as social political, legal, economic, academic and what not.Since Allah declared the prophet as his last messenger and Islam as the final "revelation" for the entire humanity, it became incumbent on Islamic states and followers of Islam to follow the Quranic message and the Hadith(teachings of the Prophet) as the state's constitution.Only a handful of Islamic states do have western type of constitution. the rest just follow the constitution given to them by the Allah and his messenger.Indeed King Saud of Saudi Arabia had exclaimed-"What constitution! Allah has already given us one!".Thus the countries with Muslims as majority have theocratic state with Islam as their constitution.And this was the reason for India's partition. For, the millions of Islamists thought they couldn't co-exist with the kafirs who outnumbered them in this ancient land which would always remain Hindu in character despite Gandhian secularism(meaning perpetual Hindu tolerance and perseverance despite being targeted by others!).
In the Indian context, while the Hindu states within the area known as Indian subcontinent had a "Rajpurohit" the religious interference was virtually nil in so far as the matters of the state were concerned. The "Rajpurohit" was concerned mainly with carrying out the religious rituals and tender advice only when asked.The seers just advised the state to be run on the lines of universal truth principles which in other words were known as Sanatan principles.Hinduism not being a religion like any other, therefore, has had its hands fairly clean as far as 'secularism' was/ is concerned ! Barring Nepal( which is now a scular one) there was not even a single Hindu state on this earth. The same can be said to be true of Sikkhism and Buddhism, howsoever limited their sphere of influence might have been.
We in India, however, have given a very different meaning to the word 'Secularism". We have, in fact almost reversed the meaning of the word.We have turned it into a political principle.It is now perhaps the most abused word in India now.Far from distancing politics and state from religion, our state and the powers that be who run the state crawl before the so called religious leaders of one community or the other to suit their vested interests.Indeed India is the only state which allows practice and propagation of religion as a fundamental right! Nehruvian secularism as enunciated by Nehru soon after independence had the seeds of the political secularism (or "Sickularism" as most people think!) which is rampant in India now.
The political animals in India have created a situation in which secularism is preached and practiced as a political ideology suited to garner votes of different religious communities.The worst victims of this political secularism has been the majority community. They are abused as the most "communal" (meaning one who inflame hatred against the so called 'minorities"(I wonder how could one term a community with a population of 20 or 25 lakhs as "minority"!)The minorities are paradoxically the "Holy cows" of secularism in contrast to the community which treats the cow as their second mother!Every community except the majority community is regarded as secular.The majority are the real enemies of the so called secular state of India and secular harmony.It is always expected of them that they give up defending their religion against religions which aim at finishing them up!The logical corollary is that they should give up their religion altogether to appease their "minority" brethren in the interest of what is called "communal harmony"! Nobody can say whether these so called minority communities have ever been criticized for violating the principles of SECULARISM!
Hindus have the history of betrayals for centuries. They are one community who have refused to take lessons from the past. And indeed, those who ignore history are destined to be thrown into the dustbin of history!
