Reimagining Secularism

Western interpretation of Secularism did never find acceptance with majority population of India; its implementation merely led to granting undue privileges to Muslim minority. — KK Srivastava

A recent survey carried out by c-voter revealed widespread anti Muslim sentiment prevailing in India. Thus nearly two fifth non-Muslim respondents did not want to have a Muslim neighbor. More than three fourth non-Muslims think, though not entirely correctly, that Muslim population in India is growing too rapidly for their comfort. Overall, the survey unambiguously points out that in India the anti-Muslims are becoming more and more intolerant towards Muslim brethrens, in thought at least if not seeds Admittedly it is not entirely clear whether the existing political regime is stoking the fire and catalyzing this sentiment to grow or it is taking cognizance of whatever already was simmering and setting its own agenda accordingly. Or both?

In today’s India BJP’s ideology dominates, no two opinions about it. Accordingly the old secular/communal binary does not appeal anymore to the present electorate. Those who are critical of BJP (the non-BJP opposition) criticize Hindutva politics as being opposed to ‘their’ idea of India. They argue that what is being pandered to is the majoritarian but narrow minded communal ideology. This goes against the spirit of accommodating the religious and cultured diversity that is India. But many commentators, mainly those who sing praises in favour of the current rulers, talk in favour of a ‘New’ India which is nationalistic, muscular, where Muslims have a place, a legitimate one, to live but by no means on a pedestal. 

The prevailing view is that our constitution is not cast in stone; there is always a scope to have a critical debate about the provisions. Some opine that the latter day additions of secularism and socialism in the preamble were done in a stealthily manner and need to be argued about. No debate about the fact that the party in power is pushing its political agenda and is throwing up new ideas about an India that it wants. 

Our constitution has scored a century – and more – in terms of amendment successfully carried out in it. Yet many of the hallowed principles enshrined in the Book have not witnessed any political will for their implementation in India’s 75 years of Independence. Indeed, if one is allowed to claim further, the government of the day would some time not fight shy of going against the grain of the constitution, in letter and/or spirit. For example, in a ‘secular’ India the states have, collectively, decided to oversee the operations of hundreds of thousand temples dotted all across the geography of our nation.

There are of course some critics of the present regime who allege that the BJP is trying-successfully perhaps – to turn the tide, it is playing the card of Hindu victimization. But then there are others who equally vehemently reject the idea of secularism as it was defined and put into practice during earlier regimes. According to them it was a meaningless construct flagged by Congress and its allies for political gains. Infact the earlier rulers cleverly used the term to suggest minority crucification which needed to be set right. This than led to worsening – not repairing of – communal relations and a sense of permanent entitlement among the minorities.  The minority groups were mighty pleased when the constitution (Articles 25-30) assigned a premium status to their religious rights. Thus these groups were actually, according to these commentators, a privileged lot, and not equals (to non-minority).

BJP ofcourse, being never unambiguous or subtle about its ideology, has decided to play – and win – the game by betting on Hindu victim – hood; it is attempting to counter consolidate Hindus across caste lines. While future is always fraught with uncertainly, in present times apparently this attempt at forging a rainbow electoral formation is yielding result. While some may scoff at it playing the ‘game’, the fact is while Congress worked on Muslim voter (by engendering feelings of being deprived and left out) to win electoral battles, BJP is trying to create a counters narrative. Politics may be immoral at times but no one can deny that the stakes being very high, it is all about mustering the game and wining it.

So what is the way out for Indian Muslims? Well, why not forge a new majority minority deal in an emerging ‘Hindu’ state? In the new reality Hindus have both a sense of entitlement (historically and empirically Hindus have had the priority right to India and victimhood (that they were ignored over Muslims for political gains). So Muslims can ill afford to fight for the privileges that they enjoyed earlier in face of new realities; instead they must demand that their civil and religious rights remain intact. While it may be true that all Hindus do not constitute a homogeneous lot following a common set of cultural, political, and religious ideology, it is equally true that the present regime has been successful in ‘empowering’ Hindus as a wholewho are becoming vocal in claiming what, according to them, has been denied to them all these decades. Barring the possibility of electoral fortunes of BJP being reversed in coming times, which seems highly unlikely given the fragmented and neutralized opposition in India, the march towards Hindu rashtra – in spirit and may be later in letters for – is a reality that is hard to refute. Reality is staring in our face. 

In fact Indian society has always been religious on which the Western idea of secularism – religious neutrality – was sought to be implanted. But in practice the idea and its exploitation in perpetuity led to the counterproductive breeding of resentment among Hindus that secularism actually unfairly – and this author is in concurrence with this feeling-sought to empower Muslims at the expense of majority rights. This pseudo secularism aimed at milking the Muslims as vote bank without even benefitting them; look at the state of the community in terms of education, cultural renaissance, or any other criterion of awakening and advancement.  Neither the majority nor the minority embraced the true core of the concept of secularism. It is time to accept ‘new’ reality. Muslims will be able to live then as ‘equal’ citizens of India.

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