Secularism can be achieved

Since Dr S. Radhakrishnan, the modern equivalent of our philosopher-king, said 8220;religion is what we do when we are alone8221;, religion is an individual8217;s belief or an individual activity, although obviously if several individuals share the same belief, as indeed often is the case, it can even be a group activity. Politics, being essentially concerned with acquiring and exercising power in societies, is very much a group activity.

Since individuals and groups have to exist together, a way of reconciling religion and politics is a necessity. Ever since George Jacob Holyoake 1817-1906 coined the term, secularism has come to be the so-called modern society8217;s response to the intersection of religion and politics.

In single-religion societies/countries, secularism is not a concern. India8217;s complexity arises because it has an ancient, living and evolving religion 8212; practised by the majority 8212; as well as innumerable other religions. Additionally, it has countries on its borders which were carved out of its own territory on the sole basis of religion, one of which is Pakistan. Thus we have peculiar issues facing Muslims in India as brought out by Seema Chishti.

Sharad Bailur is right when he says that we are now in a state of 8220;competitive obscurantism8221; because ever since the 42nd Amendment January 1977 to the Constitution made India into a 8220;sovereign socialist secular democratic republic8221; instead of a 8220;sovereign democratic republic8221;, all of us have been free to interpret secularism in the way we liked, with politicians being the most creative in this endeavour in order to garner votes.

While several countries have their own interpretations of secularism 8212; France enacted a law as far back as 1905 for this purpose 8212; India has, as Sharad Bailur hints, shied away from dealing with it directly. This should actually not be difficult given that the complexity of 8216;Indian-ness8217; has been noticed. Herbert Hope Risely, a census commissioner, talked in 1891 of an 8220;equally mysterious thing called national character8221; and that 8220;beneath the manifold diversity of physical and social type, language, custom and religion, there is an Indian character, a general Indian personality which we cannot resolve into its component elements8221;.

But for that our politicians will have to rise above the parochial instincts, and we, the citizens, will have to follow Radhakrishnan8217;s view of religion being 8216;what we do when we are alone8221;, rather than practising it on the streets.