सत्यम् ब्रुयात , प्रियम् ब्रुयात, अप्रिय सत्यम् न ब्रुयात।
This inadvertently means that
The Inconvenient Truths need not be spoken. Geeta has two distinct words. श्रेयस and प्रेयस I The word श्रेयस means what is GOOD and Credible for the
people and प्रेयस
means what is convenient and or Palatable.
Can
the Convenience gain immediacy over Credibility and or Truth.
A
news from Neighbouring country i.e. Nepal has made me indulge in this drivel.
In Nepal about 80% of the Muslims have expressed their desire that Nepal should
opt for a Hindu Rashtra concept and reject secularism. The word SECULARISM means that matters of
Religion must not influence issues of State i.e. Governance.
Religion
being a personal affair should never ideally be a subject of state. Yet the
Muslims in Nepal have shown pragmatism and dared to speak out “The Inconvenient
Truth” i.e. the अप्रिय सत्यम् or is
it a mere submission to Majoritarianism.
Ideally
Secularism must hold sway over any form of State’s allegiance to a subject that
is private between an individual and his/her God. It is a cry from a child directed
to his/her mother seeking HIS attention.
No reason for state to get itself involved in such private matters.
Yet
state matters need a Reality Check and not an idealistic drool.
India
has three principal streams of religion vying for it’s people’s attention.
Hinduism (that includes Sikkhism, Buddhism and Jainism) followed by approx.
82%, Islam (Shia,Sunni,Ahmedias all included) approx 14% , Christians about 3%
and smaller sects like Parsis, Jews etc., make up the rest.
When
we practice secularism, we treat all religions
at par and give equal importance to each of them. We have EID and
Christmas celebrated as Public Holidays.
If
state is declaring Holidays on religious festivals it can not be ideally said
that State is not involving itself in the matters of religion. Ideally State
may give 10 or 15 optional Festival Holidays and allow each individual to avail
holiday as per his option. No compulsory holiday on Diwali or Eid. Indian style
of secularism means giving equal importance to all religions and not ignoring
any. Christians with a miniscule population of 2 to 3% have several designated
holidays under N I Act.
In
the matters of reality check, let us examine the basic tenets of each and try
to understand where do they support the Nationalism of it’s nationals.
Whereas Christianity:: Pope declared while traveling in India
that “Conversion is a basic tenet of Christianity”. I have seen several
Christian Dharm gurus on TV emphasizing that indeed there can not be any
restriction on Conversion as it would mean a restriction on one’s conscience.
Basic Tenets of Islam:: Shahada and Caliphate
"There is no god but God (and)
Muhammad is the messenger of God."
Caliphate again another fundamental
concept of Islam is alien to Modern society and concepts of Nationalism.
Hinduism:: " जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी॥" depicts that
Hinduism is close to Nationalism. The basic tenet अहम् ब्रह्मास्मि means ascendancy to Godhood by
good deeds. No room for sectarianism unlike other two religions.
THENCE
THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH
My belief
a TRUE HINDU Rashtra would have Real Secularism as it’s core philosophy instead
of the current pseudo secularism, wherein Christian NGOs peddle conversion and
Islam that is competing for establishing of a Caliphate.
