Monday, March 23, 2009

Religion and Politics - A Potent Mix

I believe it will take nothing less than a divine intervention, for people to wake up to the fact that mixing religion with politics leads to a dead end. Holocausts and terrorism, Islamic as it is referred to in these times, are an evidence of that.


How many of us are today affected by any economic, political or administrative choices made by rulers of medieval ages? But many still bear the cross of the religious choice, deeds or misdeeds of rulers of the past. Not many would have guessed what Babar did a thousand years ago would continue to haunt a progressing nation in the twentieth century.


But we still haven't learnt. And once we mix religion with politics, there is no agency capable of handling the demon thus created. Irrespective of how pathetic the rhetoric, Varun Gandhi continues to be a proud candidate who might just end up becoming a Parliamentarian.


Can we say that constituents made a mistake? No. That is a weakness in a democratic setup, with toothless laws. Two faced politicians and a polarised society is what our children will inherit, unless we correct it now. And the time is now.


Or God will have to come and teach Her believers that public display of religion might just be more dangerous than the public display of affection.