Secularism in India gives equal treatment to all religions. However, as incidents have pointed out, in its selective application, the larger purpose stands defeated
It was an innocuous piece of news, tucked away on the 11th page of a leading daily that caught the writer’s eye. In a village in Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh, a 16-year old girl was killed by her brother because she was in a relationship with a Hindu man, with whom she had eloped. No wonder, such incidents are a blot on our society, but the paper, by not stating that the girl was a Muslim, was culpable too, for selective reporting and suppression of facts. This lies at the heart of the concept of secularism in India. In its selective application, the larger purpose stands defeated.
If this was a standalone case, it would not merit much attention. But consistently pointing out the foibles of the majority community creates a backlash, when similar mistakes of the other faiths find no mention. This in no way is intended to shield the wrongdoers, who belong to the majority faith. They must be exposed and dealt with expeditiously under the law. Similar yardsticks must, however, find universal application. let us take a few examples.
The hype created some months back over the alleged desecration of some churches was blown out of proportion, especially for whipping up sentiments against certain Hindu organisations. This was doubly reprehensible as subsequent investigations revealed that the perpetrators were simply petty criminals. Of these, some belonged to the Christian community, and a few were Muslims from Bangladesh. That a communal colour was given to a purely criminal act, hinted of a deeper conspiracy, but that angle of the matter was never investigated. The negative hype, however, dented India's image, and it was evident that certain vested interests had much to gain in the process.
Similarly, a Hindu priest indulging in sexual misconduct hogged the media limelight for an inordinately long period of time. Yet, the sodomising of a child by a Christian priest elicited no media outrage. That both miscreants are in jail, points to the strength of the Indian legal system, but media coverage was once again selective. A recent case involving the murder of a four-year old girl by a Muslim father for not covering her head should have received universal condemnation, but even the National Commission for Women did not deem it fit to comment on and strongly condemn the dastardly act. This, besides increasing the chasm between communities, also indicates a condescending and patronising attitude towards the minorities, which is fraught with serious consequences.
Applying different yardsticks to some minority communities indicates a lack of homogeneity in the national fabric. Many people, specifically some in the academia, cultural institutes and the national media, presume that criticising the minorities on such issues will weaken the secular dialogue, while condemning the majority community strengthens it. This argument is flawed and simply suggests that such elite, despite their pretensions, have not accepted the minorities as part of the national mainstream. This subconscious non-acceptance leads to compensation through patronising attitudes and condescending behaviour, which any self respecting person would find obnoxious. For the most part, such behaviour is insulting to Muslims and Christians who in the first place have never asked to be treated differently.
Here, an example from the Armed Forces would be in order, where perhaps the finest expression of the secular spirit is found. One may well ask why the Armed Forces should be different, when its personnel spring from amongst the people itself, who do not always exhibit the same spiritIJ The answer lies in the military ethos, where capability, competence and task accomplishment are the primary motivators. While all religions are respected without discrimination, religion is not allowed to come in the way of unit functioning. This strengthens the secular fabric and finds universal acceptance. Juxtaposed to the national context, this perhaps is the strongest argument in favour of a uniform civil code. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after losing an eye, famously said that it was god's way of telling him that he should view all people with the same lens. That is what secularism is all about.
(The writer retired as a Major General from the Indian Army and is presently the editor of Salute magazine)