A textbook definition of the word secular would include terms like “the separation of Church and state“, “neutrality with respect to all religions” etc.
How relevant and meaningful are these words in the Indian context? Do we even know the connotations carried by these words and what are the consequences by imposing such concepts in an alien environment where these concepts were not naturally developed?
These are some of the questions which have come up time and again throughout around 70 years of our post-Independent history. It was indeed deliberated upon by the Constituent Assembly during the drafting of our constitution and they could not come to any clear conclusion. Nevertheless, finally the word was not deemed necessary by the drafting assembly.
There are various aspects to this issue. However this is a short summary of my understanding of the dilemma which the Indian state faces, and the deep confusion of categories and terminologies that lies at the root of this problem, which the Hindu side has failed to address.
Here I draw my thoughts mainly from reading and listening to Prof. Śrī. S N Bālagangādhara.
In the Indian context, a secular state can NEVER be unbiased. It can never be fair to all the groups under consideration. This is the main conclusion which needs to be clearly understood. There is no escaping this fact. This is the impasse faced by the Indian state, which I will try to clearly highlight through the course of this essay.
I will use the example of the highly controversial issue of ‘religious conversion‘ to understand the absurdity of secularism in India.
A secular state calls itself to be neutral entity with respect to all religions. However, in the Indian context where, as Prof. Śrī. S N Bālagangādhara puts it, “a ‘heathen civilization‘ like our Hindu Dhārmic civilization comes in contact with the Abrahamic cultures”, there appears an unavoidable impasse based on the starkly opposing worldviews.
Abrahamic cultures believe in a competitive race of increasing their market share of ‘religion’ and by their very nature, actively push for expanding their influence with whatever means available and acceptable according to their outlook towards the world. In Islam this may entail violently subjugating the kuffar or imposing economic sanctions on them. Christianity may use enticement or exploitation of the needy to reach their targets. Regardless of the methods used, both firmly believe in making the whole world part of Christendom/Islamic ummah considering it the direct command from the Abrahamic God/Allah.
At the same time, ‘heathen cultures‘ based mainly on ‘traditions’ passed down from their ancestors like Hindus, believe in noninterference in others’ traditional practices and beliefs. In fact, it would be considered a great disrespect to and a huge travesty against the Pitṛ-s (ancestors), and dēvī/dēvatā-s etc to abruptly or forcefully stop performing these ancestrally passed down paramparā-s and paddhati-s, unless it seriously goes against the balance of Dharma. It would actually cause dōsha and even invite negative kārmic results to our progeny if we were to do that!
Abrahamic ‘religions’ consider it to be their ‘religious freedom’ and a noble goal to actively spread their message to ‘save’ humanity from ‘eternal hellfire’, whereas Hindus and other heathens consider ‘religious freedom’ to mean not to be disturbed and left alone without external interference in their practices.
So in this single example we can see how in the question of ‘religious freedom’ we encounter a complete deadlock in an Indian context where these two cultures are dead opposite and completely antithetical to each other in their principles and fundamental outlook towards life. Whichever side you take, you will inescapably offend the other group. We can give countless examples like this.
The Indian state so far has mostly tried to either close its eyes to this conflict, or take either sides based on the ideological inclinations of the ruling political class. Mostly we have been ruled by forces who call themselves ‘secularists’ who naturally have a deep contempt towards us heathens as being ‘backward’ and ‘traditionalistic’, while not understanding that, they are basically looking at their own civilization through a Christian theological lens!
This is a case of deep colonisation of our way of thinking through systematic destruction and subjugation of Hindu/Dhārmic categories and concepts, and their replacement by a huge number of generously imported concepts such as ‘secularism’, ‘religion’, ‘religious freedom’, ‘human rights’, ‘equality’, ‘minorities’ etc., which as Prof. Bālu says are nothing but ‘secularized’ notions derived from Protestant Theology. So, by their very definition, using these concepts and frameworks puts ‘heathens’ like us in an inherent position of disadvantage. We become the proverbial ‘devil worshippers’! Our outlook towards life, nature, universe, our dēvī/dēvatā-s, ancestors become ‘traditional’, ‘regressive’, ‘mystical’ and so on. Unknowingly adopting the secularized Christian way of looking at our own culture, we start thinking it is our prime duty to ‘reform’, ‘modernize’, and ‘save’ our own people from our ‘superstitious beliefs’ and backward practices!
More importantly, blind adoption of these concepts of Protestant Christianity creates an impregnable barrier in our minds obstructing us from understanding and experiencing our own culture and practices the way they are, the way they were meant to be understood from an insider’s point of view. Prof. Bālu terms this condition ‘colonial consciousness’. In this condition, we are unable to comprehend even basic stuff we encounter in everyday life. Like for example, we liberally use words like ‘Pūjā’, ‘Ātma’, ‘Buddhi’, ‘Chitta’ and so on in everyday life. But do we really know what we are talking about? These are questions which need to pondered upon by each one of us, to untangle ourselves from this web of confusion and disconnect.
Getting back to the main issue, as most of us know by now, with more clarity in the recent years due to the numerous and relentless attacks on our traditional practices and rituals, such as Shabarimalai, Jallikattu, Kambala, Made Made Snana and so on, where we are struggling to even put our simple points across to the people in power, basically what we are seeing is the confrontation of these two mutually opposing worldviews, i.e., the Abrahamic/Judeo-Christian one and the Hindu Dhārmic civilizational one.
This is the basis of the conflict between the whole ‘Idea of India’ brigade who swear by secularism, which is nothing but a crude morphed version of Protestant theology, and the struggle for survival of this ‘heathen culture‘ by the people who still consider themselves to be the inheritors of this timeless Dhārmic Sanātana civilization.
So, the Indian state has to decide whether it will act as a continuation of the ancient Hindu Dhārmic Bhārata or will it ‘reform’ us and ‘save’ us from our own heritage, acting as a representative of the secularization (or Christianization) project!
We, the Hindus on the other hand must clear up these confusions, get our acts together, and work towards a Dhārmic Hindu Rāshtra if we as a perennial civilization are to survive the test of time.
Either way a conflict cannot be escaped from.
Jai Shri Ram!
Om Tat Sat
(This article was first published on Jaamadagnya.wordpress.com on January 28, 2020 and has been reproduced here)
