Bhikhu Parekh in his op-ad, Cracking India, ( IE, Aug.27) has rightly pointed out the religious fault-lines in the secularism practiced in India. While religion was a moral force for Gandhiji, it was a divisive force for Nehru. Historically both are right. The humanistic ideals of the constitution namely, liberty,equality and fraternity which are also the ideals of all religions are the real pillars of secularism. As Parekh says, 'real touchstone is whether state respects all citizens equally, makes them equally welcome, and respects their identity'. The only way secularism can succeed or a modern state can function is by promoting mutual understanding between religions. Every citizen has to accept and respect the religion of his neighbour. This is possible if every student in India is taught the essentials of all religions – their ideals, their practices and the saints who represent their vision. When people find that all religions have proclaimed the same values of love, service, truth and non-violence, and especially, brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God, mis-understanding and hatred which has marked our recent history, would be a thing of the past. It has to be brought out to people that same values have been written in various languages in different times and climes. As has been well-said in the preamble to the UNESCO charter, " since wars begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defense of peace must be constructed."
A letter to The Indian Express, 28 August, 2008.
****
