Secular politics root of communal violence

 Prafulla Ketkar writes:  

 

This week saw a revival of polarising secularism in three different contexts. News hungry media and secular brigade of the country have tried to take another shot at RSS on the statement of RSS Chief that all Hindustanis are Hindus. After getting entangled in the National Herald Case, Gandhi family and its blind followers suddenly woke up and alleged an "alarming increase in the number of incidents of communal violence" since the Modi government came to power. While in Bihar, two great friend-turned-foes- again became friends to save their sliding ground in the state. All this is happening in the name of ‘secularism’.

What the RSS Chief has said about India is an eternal truth that all Indians are culturally Hindus. Even Supreme Court of India has interpreted Hindu as ‘a way of life’ in various judgments. Real Indian thinkers have substantiated it. And all Indians have been practicing it. Otherwise, there would not have been the tradition of ‘Sufi Saints’ in Indian Islam which is inherently unislamic or caste institutions would not have been justified by Indian Churches by demanding reservations for Dalit Christians. The culture and strengths or weaknesses emanating from it are pan-Indian and it is Hindu in nature. RSS chief just reiterated this fact.

On the issue of communal violence, the Gandhi scion had warned that there would be increase in communal violence under the BJP-led government. With a misplaced sense of his prophetic statement turning true, he raised the issue in Lok Sabha which to his misfortune boomeranged. Most of the violence is taking place in the states ruled by either Congress or its secular allies like Samajwadi Party.

In fact the polarising politics of secular parties are creating communal tensions and BJP MP Yogi Adityanath succinctly brought this out. The root of communal violence lies in ‘secular’ politics of disconnecting non-Indian faiths from Hindu culture. Whether through religious reservation or communalising terror, polarisation has taken place through politics of appeasement. 

Till recently Lalu was a symbol of ‘Jungle Raj’ for Nitish while Nitish was a secular puppet of communal BJP for Lalu. With their political fortunes in doldrums after the decisive defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha elections; ‘secular marriage of convenience’ took place. The faultlines here are not only on the basis of communal polarisation but also caste divisions. Both these proponents of secular backwardness have forgotten the fact that the chemistry of Bihar politics has changed forever divisive tactics will be suicidal. 

The discourse of secularism has to be discarded once and for all. From Khilafat to Sachar this has been polarising and Hindus of all faiths have been victims of this. On the other hand, since ages whether Gita or Vedas have been unifying force for all Indians.