These two words Secular and Communal have been making rounds
in my mind. Thought best to sit and make a personal judgement on them – find the
right and the wrong in them and their correct applications to those who speak
such words with a loud open mouth and make that big noise like the bursting of crackers
on the Diwali night.
India is a Secular country which does not have an official
state religion. Let’s see where this leads to.
Secular: Secularism means, equal treatment meted to
followers of all religions by the state and envisions acceptance of religious
laws as binding on the state, and equal participation of state in different
religions.
Communal: Meaning in Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary,
“pertaining to a commune or community”. So there is no specific reason to say that
Communal means being hurtful to other religions apart from the religion you practice.
So by using the word Communal repeatedly, some people who
call themselves Secular are trying to divide the country (India) on religious
ground.
Here I have to say, having been brought up in an area where
the Muslims families were more in number than Hindus, never felt any
difference. From a tender age till now religion has never drawn a line in my
life to differentiate people. Even we had Christian families who were very
close. The people of the other religions always participated in each other’s
religious festivity.
It is a great mistake if we tread upon the path that has
been made by some to divide this huge country on religious grounds.
Common man wants to live in peace for he has to toil hard to
earn his bread and butter. Those who are doing this nuisance have lots stashed
in their kitty…maybe out of the wrong earnings they have made. They want to
live in peace and see the fun in making others fight, and in all this there is
creation of fear, tension, anger and loss of lives.
I say these two specified words, used mostly in politics,
hardly makes any space in my life.
Jai ho!