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.

Thank God I am an Atheist!!

Born and brought up in an urban environment, but with very strong agrarian roots, life had its means to confuse me. My rural connect introduced me to a little complicate but a very well entrenched caste system. As if that was not enough, there was the fact that the paternal and maternal sides were strong Arya Samajis and Sikhs respectively and I was studying in a school where the daily prayer was to “Our Father, who art in Heaven”. Rich and poor was way too simple compared to this quagmire.
Muslim or Christian would merely describe which holiday would be celebrated by whom and at which place. Jews is what we came to know when we first studied Shakespeare.
“Eh vi data Teri dataar” (This too O’Lord is your gift) a Sikh phrase moves me still, in happiness as much as in sadness. But am not a Sikh since I cut my hair.
I’ve found “Bismillah ur Rahman ur Rahim” (In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful) to be moving, musical and echoing humility but muslims would still call me a kafir since I may see God in lesser polluted mountains and rivers. Even if they did not categorise me kafir, I’d still be lost on who is the true follower of Prophet, the one who was killed at Karbala or those who killed him.
As were the Christians divided into Roman Catholics and Protestants, as I travelled down south much later, I was surprised to see that Shivites (followers of Lord Shiva) and Vaishnavites (followers of Lord Vishnu) riot quite often. Since I am fond of both the Gods, I do not belong to either.
My belief today resides in “koi Sikh koi Jat Maratha, koi Gurkha koi Madrasi..” as much as in Baba Bulle Shah’s couplet “Masjid dhaade mandir dhaade, Dhaade jo hai dhainda. Ik kise da dil na dhaavin, Rab dilan vichch rehnda”.
God was discovered by mankind a few ages ago. Religion, I believe, was invented. Nuclear energy was discovered, the bomb invented. In both the cases, I may like the discoveries but abhor the inventions.
Thank God I am an atheist.

And my humble submission to the politicians, who claim that they never forgot Lord Ram or never gave up the Temple issue, please let Lord Ram be, before he gives up on those who’ve been using His name.
Sat Sri Akal.
Om. Amen. Amin... They don’t sound too different.