For the last few months I happen to listen to too many public/private debates on secularism.There were claims and counter claims on the relevance of this socio-political concept of secularism. In a series of articles I would attempt to presenand questions related to secularism or more precisely on pseudo-secularism as some one there may wish it to be referred to.
To deal with secularism, I consider it to be relevant to discuss on the role of religion in determining our private attitudes. Most of these attitudes and beliefs, I suppose, are prejudicial and biased, instrumentally learned from and conditioned by our families or private relationship however not without individual personal enforcement ie I, as an individual, cannot abdicate my role in enforcing these attitudes even though they are learned from my ecosystem. Some of these may even be the breeding ground for hatredness ultimately compromising social harmony and or national integrity.
But I understand that I am Constitutionally obliged to abide by its ideals and hence at the very outset let me reiterate the gist of what the Supreme Court of India says on right to freedom of speech and attendant reasonable restrictions-- " What is offensive shall be determined keeping in mind the views of a stable, reasonable, rational person and not that of some one who is easily impressionable. "Also I may want not to forget that it is a fundamental duty to develop ' scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reforms'. Please dont be prematuredly offended.
Religious Atttitudes
In a pluralistic society like ours with enormous diversity, 'Unity in Diversity ' is a relevant, compulsory topic which attracts atleast a 5 marks question in all Social Science examinations when I was a school student. I used to memorize the standard answer - centered around not just tolerating but also respecting various avenues of Indian diversity including race,religion, caste, language, class etc- and usually score well in this topic.
However when Tamil cine music-director Yuvan Shankar Raja publicly revealed that he had changed his religious faith with utmost conscience, many questions did arise in my mind regarding his personal choice. Let me not reveal those questions but I leave it presumable to the reader and his/her own personal evaluation on this conversion. How do you evaluate this choice of ILAIYARAJA's son? Please try to analyze the influence of your immediate social milieu in determining your evaluation.
It is accepted that the manner of dressing, language used, hair style, food habits and other cultural elements usually give a clue about the religious faith of people around us. A casual person, dressed in lungi and seen with untrimmed beard, shaven mustache did attract the attention of many passengers while he was travelling in a crowded railway coach. I would have expected such attention-gathering affinity not even for a Bollywood movie star. Why did he attract the eyes of all around there? Was it law of attraction that was in force then or law of suspicion? What role do the society, media and I AS AN INDIVIDUAL have in normalising our prejudices at the social level ?
Population of Kanyakumari district officially contains atleast 40% religious minorities, mostly people of Christian religious faith,but the government school where I had studied did not have even 25% religious minority students. The case is much worse in case of under graduate college education wherein not even 5% of students in the college I studied were from religious minority groups.
A friend who practises Christianity told that being a minority this land is unsafe for him and he may soon empower himself to settle in a foreign country. Why is this feel of insecurity even though every Indian citizen is Constitutionally guaranteed to be free to practise, profess and propagate any religion? Does equality of treatment being compromised in our society?
I dont have a convincing answer as to why I don't have many non-Hindu friends although they are numerically dominant in Kanyakumari district. While people tend to conglomerate in a similar-cultural environment, there are some cases of exclusivity prohibiting people from other cultural belief to inhabit their locality. While caste based exclusivity is well evident in Hindu habitations, I have seen some localities in our district where non-Muslims and non-Christians are to be excused. Even renting of house in such localities for people from other religious faith is prohibited.
I remember asking my friend why his cousin was given a Hindu name. He questioned back, "Wasn't it an Indian name?". But when he revealed his full name it was a Christian name as I have expected. So I have a predetermined belief as to what constitutes a Hindu name or Christian name. One of my kids' name is 'Dipika Logini' and a Christian-friend said that it seems to be a Christian name too.In case of Tamil cinema I suppose there are conscious attempts to change the names of actors in such a way that their original religious faith is not readily identified. Why is there not much films in Tamil where the protagonist is a Christian/Muslim? Does business take an excessively prejudiced opinion?
A Hindu mason once declined to take water from a Muslim saying that they are untidy. While majority of the Muslims are engaged in self-employment, but for their Briyani making ability, it appears that not many people from other religious faith would hire a Muslim cook. Have you ever hired a domestic worker- a cook in particular- who practises a religion other than yours? Have you allowed them to access your rest room? It is a well known fact that formal financial system players such as banks are reluctant to lend to Muslims and there are cases of blanket ban on lending to certain Muslim dominated localities. Isn't it a brutal form of discrimination?
While breaking law is not so uncommon, what opinion do you have against people claiming fake reservation benefits? I have known a few families that still practises Christianity but officially are termed as Hindu families to claim SC reservation benefits. A few of them work in higher government official positions. Its a different matter that the Ranganath Mishra Committee has recommended for SC status to eligible Christian and Muslim families.
My parents visit Churches very often and attend both Catholic and Protestant prayers. Monthly private prayer meetings are still being organised in our home often but there is something that prevents us from allowing my sister-in-law, who is a Christian, to attend prayers at the Church at Nagercoil. Interestingly my brother is as highly religious as my sister-in-law is and both have contradictory opinion on each others religion while my niece takes sides as and when required. Yet it is love that binds them all. Does it imply the superiority of humanism and love over religious proclivity or a mere compromise that is waiting for the right moment to break out with vulcanic thrust?
If you take marriages, religious faith is obviously expressed even in non-religious matters. A Christian friend told that their bridegrooms use to wear suits because they are Christians. Another friend claimed that the Hindus have a compulsion to print the names of their relatives on marriage invitation card while Christians are free not to to do this.
A Christian fish-seller asked my mother, "Why should you rush to the marriage function? After all your people are not going to serve non-vegetarian food as ours." While another Hindu friend told he has a compulsion not to use drum bands in his marriage function because it is an identity of Christians. A Muslim friend told that in Hindu marriages main function occurs at late morning hours but food is served very late inviting the wrath of others whereas marriage under his faith are organized usually at noon and lunch is served very soon.
Although serving non-vegetarian food is quite common even in Hindu family marriage functions in Kanyakumari district, a neighbour said he wants to differentiate om Hindus and hence will serve beef instead. While we served non-vegetarian food as dinner for our family marriage functions, there were advices not to do this as we are Hindus. Ofcourse these attitudes may not be that harmful.
A Hindu friend told me that he could not see Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam as a Muslim. So he seems to have a sense on how a Muslim may behave/look like. While the whole nation celebrated when A.R.Rahman was awarded the USA-Academy awards( Oscar) and no religious identity was brought to the fore then , Sania Mirza may have an additional burden of proving her patriotic zeal very often because of her marital choice.
Whenever people speak about religious conversion, I have noticed that not many speak about conversion of foreigners by Hindu groups. Even many refute to acknowledge that after over four centuries of European presence in India, people who have converted to Christianity were less than 4% at the national level. A retired school teacher advised me to pray to only his God so that I shall clear my examinations. I have myself witnessed religious prayers being offered at Trivananthapuram Government hospital by outsiders. When District Collector of Kanyakumari district spoke publicly against religious gatherings within District Hospital, there was widespread agitations against his initiatives.
A friend asked why the Indian Constitution should insist on non-slaughter of cows, associating it to satisfying Hindu interests. However it is true that it was ancient Hindu religious practice to sacrifice cows which was openly opposed by Buddhists and Jainists.
In social media platforms I have observed people getting easily offended when some body from other religious faith pinpoints to the superstitious practices of their religion. Also the playing of religious songs through public-disturbing speakers, by their own religious institution do not dusturb them in the same way as those played by other institutions.
While mishandling of foreign donations by Churches got much attention in my immediate neighborhood not much debate was initiated when Ranji*** fame Nithyanandha was imprisoned. Can anybody forget the support mobilized by self-styled godman Rampal going against the law of land? Why do religious cults attract much following?
In a private channel interview Tamilnadu Jammad Chairman was asked if there werent any forced and allured religious conversions done in Tamilnadu. He said that Islam do not have any missionary-architecture and aligned foreign aids that are essential to do the questioned conversion. People embrace Islam religion by being attracted to any of its tenets, he claimed.
While I still continue to receive specially cooked non-vegetarian items or baked food from my Muslim/Christian friends during special occasions like Bagrid/Christmas, there is not commensurate reciprocity by the Hindus, I feel.
To be continued......
Part 2 : Constitution, secularism and religion
Part 3 : Political secularism
No comments:
Post a Comment