Religion is being used as a tool to spread hatred and achieve political motives. It is time that it’s used appropriately, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji

A very persistent question that has been the subject of an age-old controversy is — are religion and politics two exclusively distinct areas of human activity? Should religion be kept away from politics or should it play a role in the affairs of the state? When one reviews the important events of the recent past across the country, one would say that religion should be be separated from politics. But when we dig deeper and look at an overall view of the present-world situation, we feel that if religion is kept out of politics, the state will be deprived of a more benign and humanitarian role. The state will then be reduced to being a mere law-making, law-enforcing and punishing agency or to a financing and distributing agent and defense-keeping sentry.

One also comes to the conclusion that the events that took place in some parts of India recently are more due to dirty politics than just religion. Religion, in this case, has just been used as a tool but the real force at work is the feeling of hatred and the motive of political gain. Some calm and detached thinking would further reveal that unprincipled politics has penetrated religion, which, in its purest form, inspires good-will towards all. Religion, which employs justice, promotes fair play and non-violence in one’s dealings for general welfare of all mankind, has been throttled by politics so that it can neither raise its voice against man’s criminal tendencies nor be free to clear politics of secretive machinations and corruptive influences.

But we must strike a note of caution. Religion is not the name of a set of rituals, ceremonies or acts of worship. The core of any religion is its moral teachings, ethical disciplines and its elevating and purifying principles. True religion aims at developing the qualities of universal love, feelings of brotherhood and compassion among people. Hatred only leads to emotional disintegration, communal bitterness and public disturbance due to riots. These are antagonistic to the idea of religion.

Since religion, in this sense, does play a positive and important role in society, it would be wrong to keep religion completely out of politics. We should remember that politics is concerned with law with a view to regulating human conduct whereby human well-being can effectively be ensured and maximum amount of public good and individual welfare can be secured. Religion can play a significant role for its realisation. Thus, it can be easily said that politics and religion are inseparable aspects of the human personality and one naturally overflows into the other. Which is why the two cannot be completely separated but used appropriately rather than making them tools for crimes.