Thursday, April 10, 2014

The Secular Debate

It's election time! And most of us are not able to resist the temptation to indulge in a bit of political discussion. And a talk on Indian politics invariably ends up becoming a debate on secularism. 
I get a little perplexed when I hear only BJP being branded communal. Are the other so-called ‘secular’ parties less communal? in fact, they are more so. 
The policy of appeasement that is followed by most parties towards minorities has only led to increased communalism in the country. These parties exploit the minority communities as vote banks and use them by manipulating their emotions to meet their own ends. By overlooking certain grave issues, these parties dig the grave for India and mankind. Does secularism mean tolerating wrongs? 
A wrong cannot be overlooked just because you fear being labelled communal. In India, many suffer a pseudo-secular syndrome. 
When will our politicians, political parties,  media, other systems and the common man learn to treat everyone equal?
People cannot forget Gujarat riots but they conveniently forget the Godhra train massacre. Why do people have selective amnesia? It’s true that an act of violence has to be condemned but why is this condemnation selective? Why are certain things never spoken about? Why is it that many Indians prefer to act blind and refuse to call a spade a spade? 
All do wrong -- irrespective of the community. What we need is a uniform policy to deal with these. Appeasement has to stop. Justice has to prevail. 
Is being blind and mute the only way to be secular?

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