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Secularism Myth or Reality

Secularism is viewing a matter without a predetermined religious mindset or bias one should arrive at a decision based on the merit and demerit of issue and not based on religious affinity or repulsion. Thus secularism reinforces the concept of Live and Let Live

Secularism is a universal Reality and in no way can it be discounted as a mere Myth. Secularism is thread which bounds the world together and keeps humanity alive. If it were to be a myth then the earth would have long ago been destroyed due to religious clashes and ethnic wars.

Secular attitude makes a person humane, compassionate towards others irrespective of their religion or belief.

Atheism should not be equated to secularism in any way. Atheism is total negation of good and religion but secularism is serving your religion by the way of serving humanity irrespective of which god they believe in.

Secularism in Indian Context

The concept of secularism becomes all the more important in case of a multilingual, multicultural, multi religious and multiethnic county like India. Therefore the founding fathers of our constitution wanted to constitute India into a Sovereign, Secular, Socialist, Democratic & Republic.

The legacy of secularism in India can be traced back to several countries rather several millenniums. Several thousands of years ago Buddha and Mahavira preached tolerance and love towards all, not only human but also animas.

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Asoka, the great through his inscriptions preached amity and respect to all religions to the common masses. Even the foreign invaders who invaded India, could not maintain their orthodox idea and gradually became part and parcel of secular Indian culture. The base of our freedom struggle was liberal secularism in which people of all religions, castes, colours, creeds joined hands to throw the tyrannical imperial rule out of India.

Need of the Hour

Secularism is externally necessary for full fledged growth human being and his society. Only when a person is secular he will look at others with respect accept others ideas and work in a coordinated manner for the completion of work. Only when the citizens work in an unified and integerated way can a nation achieve its good of development.

If we look at the present scenario, we can definitely conclude that secularism is only solution to the fast spreading religious intolerance and hatred.

With the bombing of Twin Towers, the world has stepped into a new era of global terrorism based on name of religion. The terrorists who call themselves true Jihads and sincere Mussalmans are in reality mere pawns in the hands of individuals who project religion and wear the garb of orthodoxy to achieve their own selfish ends.

The so called War on Terror campaign launched in retaliation to the so called Jihad movement is equally fanatic. The Abu Gharib incident and Guatanamo bay episode are enough to prove this.

What we actually need is a True Secularisation Movement without any veil or hidden interest for the welfare of the society, nation and entire human mankind.
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Causes of Insecularism
Whole issue to find out the spread insecular attitude and internet behavior, we can arrive at some major causes

1. Vested Interest
No person basically hates other person. But almost all people believe in their god and this is that belief that some unscrupulous men utilize to achieve their own goals. Such elements use the name of god and turn long time friends and neighbours into rival enemies. There can be other better and bitter than the saga of our Indian Partition.
2. Lack of Education A persons ignorance can also make him land in a fanatic group who exploit his religious feelings and make him insecular. He then starts looking at other religious as rival groups and acts violently and inhumanly.

3. Selfish Nature Some human beings due to their greed and selfish nature turn hostile to others and treat them as enemies.

4. Revengeful feeling Any victim of a tragedy may also lose his rationality and turn into a insecular Element inflicting similar injuries which he had suffered on innocent people. Such people they to justify their act based on religion and gain support.

5. Media and Press Many a times the media and press knowingly or unknowingly sows the seeds of religious intolerance with its biased coverage of news items, without showing the whole
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aspect of the issue.

6. Politics

Politics is the arena in which all Vested Interest Stalwarts combine to form a gigantic insecular, religiously intolerant society. Politicians give religious shade to many issues which is not all related to faith or god. They play the game of Vote-bank politics with all sections of the society.

Measures to be taken
All the above discussions when in present context may make one think that secularism has become a thing of past and today it is just a myth. But this is not so.

Today also we can see Muslims condemning Jehadi terror, Christians supporting victims of War on Terror, Hindu giving shelter to victims of Gujarat violence or AntiSikh riots. This shows that human secularism is not dead.

To ward off the evil intentions of spreading insecularism and religious intolerance, certain concrete measures need to be taken.
1. Promote Education

Spread of education is a major prerequisite to eradicate ignorance as Aristotle correctly said Education is the process to develop mans faculties, especially his mind, so that he may enjoy the contemplation of supreme truth, knowledge and beauty Education will create awareness and take man towards higher values and secularism.

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2. Economic Upliftment

The rise in living standards of the poor will gives them access to knowledge and keep them away from vested interest groups. He may be able to differentiate his needs from beliefs and see things as they are and not as they are shown to him.
3. Political Will

Finally any policy cannot succeed without proper will at higher levels. Unless the Politicians throw off their religiously coloured glasses and work towards proper implementation of welfare schemes no change can be effectively brought.

4. Media Support
Media can also can play an effective role in creating awareness, exposing scrupulous ideas educate people and inculcate secular beliefs.

Conclusion
Secularism can never be a myth, it is a reality. If we arrive that secularism is a myth by first looking at some recent gruesome incidents then it is a grave mistake. As they say Beauty of a person lies in the eyes of the beholder So is the opinion we form. If we look at just one aspect and become demotivated, then that will lead to further degeneration. We should remain optimistic and rigorously work to make it possible only right attitude is necessary. Attitude Determines Attitude If we see an act of fanatism then we also see an act of secularism corroborating it. No religion supports fantism and terrorism and similarly neither .. a true follower of the religion.

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Today we live in a closely knit society and secularism is the thread which binds it. For mutual development we have to stand together, work together and achieve the ultimate goal. As the saying goes United We Stand, Divided We Fall. For universal peace, progress and protection we have to adopt the concept Vasudev Kutumbakam for which Universal Secularism is the Founding Stone.

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