Man faced innumerable questions during its long history about God or Devil, matter or spirit, good or evil, freedom or bondage. Human history has been the story of conflicts between the opposites, wars of ideas and triumphs or defeats of one or another idea or ideology. These encounters will last till the last breath of humanity on this planet or on other planets if we are even able to reach them in spite of our human limitations.
India and Indians are no exceptions to this never ending conflict of ideas. Having passed through the period of British rule, India gained Independence in 1947 and chose to become a republic in 1950. Though the scars of partition were fresh yet the leaders of our freedom struggle and founding fathers of the new and Independent India, having in mind the multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic nature of the vast country, decided to evolve India as a democratic and religion-neutral or secular federation of states, representing varied ethnicities. Our Constitution gives respect and status to different religions and their followers. In this multi-religious country secularism was defined as not anti-religious but as maintaining equi-respect for all religions with necessary adjustments and accommodations and none-interference in the religious affairs of people with in-built safeguards for minorities, Dalits and weaker sections.
In the charged atmosphere of post-partition period the first shot was fired on secularism by Nathuram Godse. It was not only an attack on the frail body of the Father of the Nation but on the very concept for which he fought, lived and died.
In this year of the 125th anniversary of the birth of Jawaharlal Nehru, especially with the change of guard in New Delhi, the question of secularism has assumed fresh importance.
Our new Prime Minister, in spite of his past record an allegiance to RSS thinking, swears by sab ka saath, sab ka vikas. He knows that no other policy can keep us united and take us forward. Peace, amity, fellow feelings and communal harmony are essential for not only progress but for our very existence as a nation and as a federation. Political parties may come and go but India must remain united, stand united, walk and move forward in a cordial atmosphere, with fraternal feelings, kindness and friendship. This was the message of religious Gandhi, liberal Nehru and accommodative Vajpayee. If the present dispensation takes this policy forward, it will get an honourable place in history, and if anybody believes in divide and rule policy, follows vote bank politics, plans polarisation and marginalisation then the dustbin of history has vast space.
Pertinent question which India faces is Gandhi or Godse? Teeming millions support Gandhi and what he stood for and oppose and condemn Godse and what he thought and did.