We are going to celebrate our Independence Day, or Swadhinta Diwas, on 15th August, 2024. It is a memorable day for all of us. But on such occasions, it becomes imperative on our part to make a self-assessment of what we have actually achieved all these years since our hard-earned independence. There are myriad areas to ponder over, but we can focus on one of the most important ones relating to our polity and day-to-day life: Secularism.
After independence, our national leaders and the framers of the constitution decided to adopt Secularism as the best way out, keeping in view the situation in the country. Accordingly, Secularism was given a status in the constitution, thereby ruling out a state religion and allowing all citizens the right to follow any religion they like. Articles 25, 26, 27, and 28 of the Indian Constitution confer the right to freedom of religion on the citizens, who can preach, practice, and propagate any religion of their choice. No preference will be given to one religion over the others in the context of the country. India has no state religion, unlike many other countries around the globe. But it has been difficult to bridge the gap between theory and practice. After so many years of Indian independence, we have realized that even now we are very far from Secularism in the true sense of the term, and the reasons are not far to seek.
In the first place, let us consider our attitude towards religion, which has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the life of an Indian. But it does not mean that the religion to which we belong is the highest and that other religions and their followers are in any way inferior. Religion is a means to come closer to God and guide man along the right path. It is true that due to the spread of means of communications, we are now living in a global village. But hundreds of years back, people at one end could not know the people at the other end of the globe, and it was difficult to maintain relations and communications with one another. So in different times and climes, when problems arose in society and disorder cropped up, great persons appeared on Earth and spread the messages of God to solve the problems. These messages have been codified in religious books, thereby taking the form of religion in later times. So no religion is either superior or inferior. They have only come up in different times and climes. Only people with negative attitudes towards religion can nurse such notions or opinions. The idea that God is one and that the different religions are but ways to reach out to Him will only strengthen the spirit of Secularism.
Secondly, let us consider the ‘Dharmapeetha’ or Place of Worship. What exactly is it? Man lives at home, so he has built a home for God. He goes to the Place of Worship to offer prayers and put himself at the feet of God. The devotees gather in the Place, talk about God, thereby creating a spiritual atmosphere. Almost all the religions have their own Places of Worship. As per their faith, people either worship God in the form of a statue or worship Him as formless. But this does not mean that one’s Place of Worship is the highest and that if followers of a religion enter it, they will defile it and the religion will be destroyed. This does not seem to have ever been propounded by any religion or religious reformer. Neither has it probably been mentioned in any religious book. If at all it has been mentioned in any religious book, it must have been the result of later and wrong interpretations in a particular religion.
In the third place, let’s talk about the regular festivals associated with and mostly confined to a religion. Throughout the year, people participate in the religious festivities of different religions. They rejoice in merriment on the occasions. There are moments of togetherness amongst the religious communities in certain cases. But what we have seen after so many years of independence can hardly be called Secularism in the true sense of the term. If people of different religions show interest in the religious festivities of each other and participate in them, the same will be highly appreciated, and Secularism will be stronger still. It is good that in certain places and areas of the country, different religious communities take interest and participate in the religious festivities of each other.
Fourthly, certain wrong notions prevail in society, which lead to religious fanaticism. Can a religion or reformer ever ask people to fight against the followers of another religion? There has been much debate on the issue, and it has been ascribed either to wrong interpretations of the holy books or to certain divisive forces who want to divide society. Religion speaks about peaceful coexistence. It can hardly divide people and preach violence. Another wrong notion is that if we take ‘Prasad’ or food in a festival or Place of Worship of another religion, we will be sinners. But is there any logic behind it? It is seen that in Places of Worship, food is served to the people. On festive occasions of one religion, brethren of other religions also serve water and food. This gesture must be appreciated as one of solidarity and Secularism. We need food for our survival, no matter from where it comes. The poor and hungry need it badly. It is seen that in Places of Worship, arrangements for food are regularly made. Is there any harm if people of any religion go there and accept it? We have to discard wrong notions and be liberal in the interest of Secularism. We must cease to be pseudo-secular when our august constitution adopts Secularism as one of its main tenets.
The land of India is holy and great. It has borne witness to the tradition of religious tolerance and Secularism. Otherwise, it would not have been possible on the part of people of different religious communities to live together. So the spirit of India has got to be stronger. Secularism must not be a mere word enshrined in the constitution. A change in our attitude towards religion and mentality will only make Secularism successful on the soil of India. We just cannot afford to be pseudo-secular. We will be celebrating Independence Day every year. Let us do it with great pomp and splendor. At the same time, we must learn to respect our constitution and follow its tenets. Our constitution has adopted Secularism. We have also had a long tradition of Secularism in the country. What we need today is to develop a secular bent of mind, change our attitude towards religion, and discard certain wrong notions about it. This way, we will be doing justice to our celebrations of Independence.
(The views expressed are the writer’s own)
Mr. Prafulla Kumar Majhi,
Retired Asst. Director, A. I. R, is an eminent Scholar and freelance writer in English & Odia. His areas of interests are sociocultural, economic, literary, historical and analytical studies and writings.
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