01-04-2021 The Asian Independent

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
NEWS
01-04-2021 to 15-04-2021
17
Is Secularism a threat to
Traditions of India?
India got independence from British
colonial rule on 15th August 1947 after
a long struggle which was inclusive and
had plural dimensions. Foundation of
Indian Constitution is Liberty, Equality,
Fraternity and Justice. The values of
secularism are deeply ingrained all
through and particularly in Articles 14,
19, 22, and 25. It gives us freedom of
religion, to practice, preach and propagate
the same.
Not all Indians were for such plural
values which respect diversity. The
communal streams immediately
attacked the constitution saying it does
not reflect the glorious contribution of
Indian past, the values given in holy
tomes like Manu Smriti. Communal
stream was critical of Constitution and
did not accept the tricolor as our national
flag. Nearly seven decades down the
line those opposing Indian Constitution
and its values are rearing their heads
from last few decades. There are top
leaders like the Prime minster Narendra
Modi who on one side claim to be
Hindu nationalists and on the other
level for electoral purpose claim that
“We are secular not because the word
was added in our Constitution.
Secularism is in our blood. We believe
in Sarva Pantha Sambhava.”
There is yet another types of leaders
like Yogi Adityanath, the Chief
Minister of UP who detest this ideology
out and out. Recently he stated that secularism
was the “biggest threat” to the
traditions of India getting recognition
on the global stage.” At an earlier occasion
he had stated that “The word "secular"
is "the biggest lie", and suggested
that the people who propagated it
should apologize to the nation, a reference
to the Congress party.”
Adityanath who has taken the oath
on Indian Constitution has no qualms in
denigrating one of its core values. He
himself is the Mahant (Chief Priest) of
Gorakhnath Math. He is saffron clad
like few others in his party.
Let us see how secularism is a threat
to traditions of India. India is inherently
plural with rich diversity in religious
traditions, languages, ethnicities, food
habits, dressing pattern, ways of worship
etc. In a way the Hindu religion, in
whose pretext he is taking secularism to
the task itself is so diverse; from the
Brahmanical traditions of hierarchy to
the Bhakti tradition talking of equality;
there is a wide range. Has this diversity
hampered the path to recognition of
India on the global stage?
The rich contributions of India are
recognized all over the World. The contributions
of philosophers like Buddha
are appreciated in large parts of the
World, more particularly South East
Asia. During freedom movement
Mahatma Gandhi rose like a colossus
and based on Indian tradition he propagated
non Violence and Satyagriha
(invocation to truth). These were the
contribution which inspired many a
'Venom' a mythological fantasy
mystery set in current times
New Delhi : Is the
Mahabharat an epic or is it history?
Is Ashwathama, one of the
seven 'Chiranjeevis' or immortals,
a figment of past imagination
or does he really continue to
wander the Earth to this day?
Could he really be seeking
revenge on Krishna, and be willing
to curse all of humanity with
a deadly plague?
After writing a bestselling
thriller, "The Emperor's Riddles"
and the biography of Sridevi,
Satyarth Nayak is back with
"Venom" (Amaryllis), a mythological
fantasy-mystery set in
current times.
What begins as an investigation
by police officer Parag Suri
and author Om Patnaik into
attacks on the Who's Who of the
country quickly turns into a
mind-boggling unveiling of an
ancient cursed being who is hungry
to execute his evil plan of
retribution. What dark secrets lie
hidden behind the masks of normalcy?
How will the paranormal
puzzle that is terrifying the city
be decoded? What is the role of a
seven-year-old autistic girl
amidst this bewildering struggle?
Why do her drawings symbolise
the country's matinee idol,
Ashwin Tomar? What dark
secrets lie hidden in the heart of
Tomar's secretary, Yeva?
And, what horror has taken
birth in the mind of an ancient
being that could forever annihilate
mankind?
The writing is simple yet
bold. The narrator suggests that
Ashwathama is a bloody-thirsty
revenge-seeker and a murderer.
The story brings in personalities
from the cricketing, media and
business world while borrowing
from numerous interesting
myths and stories from folklore.
Ram Puniyani
great leaders in the World including
Martin Luther King (Jr) and Nelson
Mandela who followed his path to take
their goals towards fruition. Indian philosophy
influenced the global thinking
in multiple ways.
Even global culture is diverse and
learns from each other, the astronomical
and mathematical contributions
from India made their place in the global
knowledge systems. Further the First
Prime minster of India, Jawaharlal
Nehru, gave the unique concept of ‘non
alignment’, which was picked up by
large sections of the World and many
nations joined this unique movement at
This highly-engrossing tale is
for those who love mythology
and thrillers.
Satyarth Nayak is an author
and screenwriter based in
Mumbai. His debut novel, "The
Emperor's Riddles", released in
2014 and became a bestselling
thriller, earning comparisons
with Dan Brown. Nayak has also
scripted Sony's epic show
"Porus", touted as India's biggest
historical TV series.
Nayak's short stories have
won the British Council award
and appeared in an anthology
curated by Sudha Murthy, titled
"Something Happened On The
Way To Heaven". Named one of
the Top 50 authors to follow on
social media, Nayak is currently
scripting a web-series for
Amazon.
New Delhi : As the
world moves on after
expressing outrage, what
happens to the rape victims
who are left to fend for
themselves in an apathetic
society and a nonchalant
judicial system?
In "After I Was Raped"
(Pan MacMillan), we meet
five individuals: a fouryear-old
girl, two Dalit
women, an eight-month-old
infant and a young professional.
Through extensive
interviews with them and
their families and communities
at large, author Urmi
Bhattacheryya reveals the
stories of these victims of
sexual violence, as they
recount how their lives and
relationships have changed
in the aftermath of assault.
Shamed, ostracized and
weighed down by guilt and
depression, they continue to
brave the most challenging
realities. This book picks up
where most news reports about
survivors leave off - it enters
bedrooms and courtrooms, and
the peak of its success.
Contrary to what Adityanath is stating;
it is precisely due to the secular
path which we followed that we could
achieve miraculous progress in first 5-6
decades of our republic in the areas of
industrialization, education, irrigation,
atomic and space research among others.
As such we seem to have stagnated
during last cople of decades as the path
of secularism has been denigrated and
mocked at. Lately the communal party
is gloating that in last elections no body
dared to utter this word!
There is also criticism that the introduction
of this word in 1976 during
emergency was uncalled for and so
should be done away with. As such the
whole constitution is seeped with the
values of secularism. While at one level
secularism says that state has no religion,
Indian model of secularism
respects all religions without being
guided by it. Secularism is unique in
another way that it respects those communities
which are in minority and provides
for affirmative, protective clauses
for them. These are currently is being
labeled as ‘appeasement of minorities’
and is being made a rallying point for
electoral mobilization of majority community.
While Adityanath is lamenting
against secular plural diverse values
and propagates for Hindu Nation, the
ideology of the ruling party, he is not
alone in that. At the moment multiple
articulations are being put forward. One
picks up the threads of their lives
today, years after their rape, and
in the midst of their continuing
wait for justice.
Anant Kumar Hegde the Union minster
bluntly stated that BJP is in power as it
wants to change the constitution. One
earlier Sarsanghchalak K. Sudarshan
also put is forward by saying that
Indian Constitution is based on Western
values and so not suitable for our country.
We should bring a Constitution
based on Indian Holy books!
Religious nationalists all over the
world abhor the secular-plural values
they limit their power to impose their
own values on society, to create a value
system of hierarchy, the overt expression
of which comes in the books like
Manusmriti. The pre modern structural
hierarchies of class, caste and gender
are their ideal, be it the Talibans,
Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt based
communal organization) or those
indulging in politics in the name of
Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
The plight of Pakistan, where communal
forces had been dominant, is
there for all of us to see. Neither it
could remain united as Islamic nation
nor could it make headways in areas of
science, education, health and industrialization.
The communal mindset needs
to be overcome to focus on the progress
of society in the areas of education,
health, employment and nutrition rather
than celebrating religious festivals at
the expense of the state or taking up
issues related to temple-mosque and put
to margins the issues of marginalized
sections of society.
A powerful, compassionate, timely
account of rape victims
At a time when only highprofile,
sensationalised cases
of sexual violence provoke a
public reaction and many stories
go unheard,
Bhattacheryya's sensitive portrayal
of the lives of these little-known
victims raises difficult
but important questions
about our convenient collective
amnesia - and their struggles
for justice and dignity.
Bhattacheryya is an independent
journalist based in
New Delhi. She worked as
Gender Editor at The Quint,
reporting - almost exclusively
- on women and children who
have been victims of sexual
violence. She currently writes
for national and international
media, including Boston
Globe, Globe and Mail,
Caravan and Women's Media
Center, on issues of sexual
assault, women's health and
culture.
In 2020, Bhattacheryya
won the UNFPA Laadli
Award for Gender Sensitivity for
her reporting on child sexual
abuse.