India, the Nation:
India completes 73 years as
an independent nation on August 15. The Republic of India is a 'Sovereign
Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' with a parliamentary system of
government. With a total population of 138.13 crores as of August 7, 2020,
which is 17.7 per cent of the world’s population, India is the largest
democracy in the world. It is a fact that one-third of world’s poor live in
India. 27.1 per cent of India’s population live below the poverty line. The per
capita income is US$ 2,500, which is 1/13 of the developed countries. India
ranks 129th in the human development index in 2019. India faces,
besides economic and political instability, frequent ethnic and communal
outbursts which have proved fatal to its overall development.
Though economically still a
developing country, India, the cradle of
religions, is steeped in a sense of the sacred. We sense a cosmic worldview to
life with rich cultural diversity expressed in art, architecture, music and the
rich classical and folk traditions. But modern social media, IT etc are posing
a serious threat to its much-desired development. The glaring reality of the
vast multitude of poor, the varied deprivation and dehumanization, rampant
corruption and injustice and the inevitable exclusion of the displaced,
untouchables, women, indigenous and migrant communities confront India. The
exploitation of our eco-systems further aggravates the plight of the poor.
System of Governance:
Democracy is a
communications-intensive mode of governance in which individuals play a more
direct role through “the power of citizen-to-citizen communications” which
benefits both themselves and their community. A successful society is one that
gives opportunities to its citizens and promotes its capacities in equality so
that citizens think, work, grow and develop in an atmosphere of freedom.
The
contentment of citizens is closely linked to the level of political and social
empowerment they have. Where citizens control the agenda, stability and
contentment is enhanced. Even though we have made some progress, government
systems and administrative functioning have many weaknesses and inadequacies,
which are proving quite a handicap in providing satisfactory deliverance of
services to people.
Governance
systems at various levels must improve -What we urgently require are
accountability, transparency and an environment of trust at all levels.
Governments should introduce measures for making governance more effective and
hassle-free. In order for globalization to bear a “human face”, we need to
foster a major democratic participation not only at the local level but also at
national level, in institutions and multilateral organizations. We want a
better India, a more peaceful and harmonious India. It cannot be based on
hegemony, in the balance of powers or in persuasion, but it has to be based on dialogue
and cooperation, human dignity and justice.
The present political system and the process require purification
so that political will is strengthened to take necessary action against forces
that generate corruption and sow the seeds of division, casteism, hatred and
communal violence. There is a need for transparency and accountability at all
levels. India's legal and judicial systems are highly sophisticated and well
developed. Despite that, it has not kept pace with the changing needs arising
from increasing population, increase in number of laws, increase in industrial
activities and other changes resulting in inordinate delays in disposal of
cases. The present judicial system does not render speedy justice to people. A
comprehensive review of the system is required.
Secularism:
Today
we live in a global context of secularism and democracy. In the last hundred
years, secularism has come to be accepted as an alternative to religious
orthodoxy and fundamentalist ideology. Secularism, we know, is lived and
practiced in diverse ways in different countries. There cannot be one,
homogenous way of practicing it. A secular state is one that allows its
citizens to profess and practice their respective faith freely and fearlessly.
Secular state does not interfere with the religious and spiritual affairs of
the people. It should respect all religions equally. It should not prefer one
to the other.
Secularism
in India is different from the western concept of the state in confrontation
with the Church. Indian secularism was born out of an experience, a painful
process of national liberation struggles. The Fathers of our Constitution had
reasons to introduce secularism in our country:
fear of disorder arising from dangerous forces of political movements
associated with militant Hindu nationalism, Muslim separatism, Hindu-Muslim
communalism and so on. Nehru condemned casteism and communalism. He observed
that communalism was fascism in India and favoured secularism. For him,
secularism was necessarily a civilized behaviour. This was to transcend
religious, cultural, caste differences and combat militant communalist forces.
Human
civilization has brought into focus the significance of secular ideals, and
there is a growing consciousness to support and nurture this type of societies.
Today almost all the countries in the world have come to accept that secularism
is
sine quo non-for democratic governance. To establish a peaceful and
just society, secularist principles and democratic polity are indispensable.
All
true religions have an immense potential for tolerance. Each religious
community claims that theirs is the most tolerant religion of our time. Their
claim is true so long as they recognize other religions as different ways
leading to the same goal. Tolerance is a normative value, yes, but it is not an
answer to the fundamentalist danger to unity and integrity of our country. In
today’s context, what we need is to affirm and perpetuate:
1.
Rootedness of every believer in his/her religion;
2. Acceptance of the
other and his/her religious belief and practice;
3. Ongoing dialogues
between different religions.
These
are the principles that will pave way for a healthy atmosphere of respect,
tolerance and acceptance of each other, of each religious tradition and enable
us to live together as Indians in peace and harmony.
Need
of Spirituality:
There is an urgent need for
spirituality that considers persons as subjects and not objects of history. A
spirituality that considers men and women as sacred, unique, irreplaceable and
irreducible human beings, free by nature and called to transcendence. A
spirituality that is human and acceptable to all religions. It should recognize
the cultural diversity, the uniqueness of national and local cultures and
heritage. Steeped in the sense of the sacred, it should take a holistic
approach to life that life is sacred and that all beings journey towards the
cosmic unity. Spirituality plays a major role in building human communities
based on peace and harmony.
Spirituality liberates and
empowers through a sense of shared purpose. Such a sense of purpose is a
pre-requisite for a national unity and social cohesion. To lack a shared sense
of purpose is to invite drift and division. Spirituality, with its regenerating
power, holds the promise of a new beginning. Optimization of the wholeness of
humanity with a special focus on human development and well-being is the
quintessential spiritual purpose. It is spirituality that sustains development
in society. It is the soul of all human actions. It is a powerful tool, which
could bring religions together to fight against the dangers of globalization:
materialism, egocentrism, consumerism, and destruction of the environment and
the crises of family and neighbourhood ties.
Our efforts to correct the
ill effects of neo-liberalism, globalization and fundamentalism depend on
spirituality that gives us inner strength. In the absence of such spirituality,
development becomes a mere material advancement based on greed and avarice.
Earth is one, but India and the world are divided. We should be determined not
to leave them as we find them.
It
is time now for all academicians, thinkers, philosophers, theologians and the
like to come out openly and speak out against the dangers of fundamentalism and
its offshoots of disorder, and undo, with the weapon of their wisdom, all that
has gone wrong. Politicians are not capable of doing this job. All that they
normally seek is power and for more power, they justify any means. If the age
of Enlightenment and of Science has brought changes in the west, our
intervention at this juncture will definitely put the wheels of our country on
the right track. What the German Bishop Niemoler said about the situation under
Hitler might teach us something:
‘When
Nazis put communists in the concentration camp, I did not protest because I was
not a communist; when they persecuted the social democrats, I did not protest
because I was not a social democrat; when they massacred the Jews, I did not protest
because I was not a Jew; when they banned all political parties and trade
unions, I did not protest because I was not one of them; when they came for me,
there was no one to speak for me.’
(The
author is Vice-Chancellor, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata)
