I watched the debate on secularism being essential for democracy in India on NDTV. It was quite disturbing to watch. Old Right-wing falsehoods about India's founding parents not wanting to build a secular state in India were repeated. This will only help the Hindu Right's cause.
I was also disappointed to hear the arguments of Pavan Varma. He pointed out Nehru asking Rajendra Prasad not to attend Somnath inauguration as a "distortion" of secularism. Really? Never seen a more warped argument made in "defence" of secularism. Nehru understood what it meant.
All the usual suspects were there. 'Islam', 'Muslims', 'Left-wing historians'. Varma said, "We may not like the word secularism, by all means amend it, but the concept behind it for a democracy like ours is very important...." Saying this in secularism's defence. Amazing clarity!
I always find it very disturbing when people claim that India is secular because of Hinduism. Quoting scriptures to say that the idea of secularism that we have today was always there in our civilisation is hugely problematic. No faith is a guarantor of secularism. Laws do that.
And the Right-wing worthies also declared the United States a Protestant country, other Western secular states Catholics, and that we will not be lectured on secularism by those countries, that Hindu Rashtra is for all and blah blah. Total rubbish promoted by NDTV. Thumbs down!
And one last point. They suggested secularism is a foreign concept so not compatible with India. Really? Democracy is foreign too. Concept of a nation state is foreign too. So, what are we all doing in a modern democratic republic of India when all these concepts are foreign?
