Friday, November 23, 2012

Why religion will always be trafficked religiously!

The nature of the beast is clearly hypocritical, given the way the State ‘deals’ with ‘secularism’

A casual walk near my house in Delhi the other day triggered memories of a dilemma I had faced as a youngster long ago in 1986. I saw a bunch of people sticking posters on walls. Curious, I went up to read the words and was shocked into nostalgia. The posters talked about the Amarnath Yatra and how Hindus were being denied the right to worship in their own homeland. The posters exhorted Hindus to rise to save their religion. More shocking, I actually saw fellow citizens read the posters and nod in tacit agreement. Way back in 1986, I would frequently encounter fiery young people who were out to save Hinduism. In those days, it was the great ‘Shah Bano’ betrayal that prompted the self appointed guardians of Hinduism to proclaim that Hindus had become second class citizens in their own country.

Both then, and now, angry ‘Hindu’ activists are accusing the State of adopting a policy regime that is partial towards one religion and discriminates against the other. In 1986, the Indian Parliament passed a Bill that basically overturned a Supreme Court verdict that granted alimony to Muslim women. Most sober analysts trace the rise of the BJP and that even of the extremist fringe outfits like VHP and Bajrang Dal to that one day of infamy in Parliament. In 2008, the Jammu & Kashmir government initially allotted forest land for the construction of temporary shelters for Amarnath pilgrims. In the face of massive protests in the Valley, the allotment has been withdrawn. And now, VHP activists are claiming that once again, Hindu rights are being trampled upon.

Any Indian with common sense would know that the charge hurled by VHP activists – of pampering Muslims at the cost of Hindus – is utter hogwash. Be it government jobs, access to health and education, employment opportunities and what not, Muslims have a lot to be angry with policy makers in the country.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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