Comments on: Indian Elections 2009: God and Country http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/04/28/indian-elections-2009-god-and-country/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:54:38 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JI http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/04/28/indian-elections-2009-god-and-country/comment-page-1/#comment-1565218 JI Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:51:05 +0000 http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=71261#comment-1565218 There's no doubt that minorities in India, Christians and Muslims in particular, face increasing persecution in their own land. How else does one explain the recent the pogrom against Christians in Orissa, and subsequent attacks on Christian places of worship in other parts of the country. This has made Indian Christians a lot more insecure and why their leaders accuse the purportedly secular UPA government of being culpable for the violence, because of inaction on their part. What is worrying is that even 'secular' parties such as Congress only pay lip service to secularism, so that they do not loose the Hindu vote. One only has to look at what is happening in India's neighbouring country - Pakistan - to see what happens when religious fanaticism gets out of control. Eventually fanaticism destroys society as a whole. There are plenty of people in India who find the idea of turning India into a Hindu country very appealing. People like Fancois Gautier are fellow travellers of the Hindutva project. I take anything written or spoken by him with a pinch of salt. The future of India is yet to be written. For now the Hindu nationalists will keep demonising religious minorities, particularly Christian and Muslim, who they regard even to the extent being foreign. One only hopes that majoritan communalism will be kept in check, although the current trend is in the opposite direction. There’s no doubt that minorities in India, Christians and Muslims in particular, face increasing persecution in their own land. How else does one explain the recent the pogrom against Christians in Orissa, and subsequent attacks on Christian places of worship in other parts of the country. This has made Indian Christians a lot more insecure and why their leaders accuse the purportedly secular UPA government of being culpable for the violence, because of inaction on their part.

What is worrying is that even ‘secular’ parties such as Congress only pay lip service to secularism, so that they do not loose the Hindu vote. One only has to look at what is happening in India’s neighbouring country – Pakistan – to see what happens when religious fanaticism gets out of control. Eventually fanaticism destroys society as a whole.

There are plenty of people in India who find the idea of turning India into a Hindu country very appealing. People like Fancois Gautier are fellow travellers of the Hindutva project. I take anything written or spoken by him with a pinch of salt.

The future of India is yet to be written. For now the Hindu nationalists will keep demonising religious minorities, particularly Christian and Muslim, who they regard even to the extent being foreign. One only hopes that majoritan communalism will be kept in check, although the current trend is in the opposite direction.

]]> By: Dharmendra Chatur http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/04/28/indian-elections-2009-god-and-country/comment-page-1/#comment-1565084 Dharmendra Chatur Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:41:56 +0000 http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=71261#comment-1565084 There is no doubt about widespread marginalization of the minority communities such as the Muslims and Christians in India. Many Hindu families in India have made up their mind not to interact with these minorities, whether on a personal or a professional level- which in turn leads to further marginalization. The seed of such behaviour is sowed by fundamentalists who intrinsically feel threatened by these minorities. The Hindutva ideology was born due to this fear. The mass persecution also stems out of such an ideology. The question to ask is whether India will ever be able to come out of this attitude and whether Secularism will assert itself over communalism. Your guess is as good as mine. There is no doubt about widespread marginalization of the minority communities such as the Muslims and Christians in India. Many Hindu families in India have made up their mind not to interact with these minorities, whether on a personal or a professional level- which in turn leads to further marginalization. The seed of such behaviour is sowed by fundamentalists who intrinsically feel threatened by these minorities. The Hindutva ideology was born due to this fear. The mass persecution also stems out of such an ideology. The question to ask is whether India will ever be able to come out of this attitude and whether Secularism will assert itself over communalism. Your guess is as good as mine.

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