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• Posted 1 year ago
• By suri.sigma
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• elections
• Secularism

1. 

   suri.sigma
   

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   Posted 1 year ago
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   Is so called "secularism" important in indian elections and what does it mean?

   Today was the last day of campaigning before the last phase of the Lok sabha elections. This election has been unique in many ways but what remained same and consistent is the continous harping of so called "secular parties". Does secular mean anything in an election campaign or its just another diversionary tactic since they couldnt find anything else. I beleive the secular and communal debate is dead and become irrelevant.
   The word secular was inserted into the Preamble by the 42nd amendment act of 1976, during emergency - probably only good thing that happened during emergency to mean "The government must not favor or discriminate against any religion". In light of the definition - the secular credentials of the so called secular parties led by UPA have fallen flat on their face. The continous secular song on media only gives headaches and earworms to the common man. The common man can only view this with more negativity and insetad of doing any good it does only more harm by polarising the other part of the population by constantly irritating them with something which nobody follows. All parties across the board are equally gulity of communal favorism or discriination going to the extent of igniting, supporting or participating in riots. It is high time that we forget 1984, 1992, 2002 and move ahead in the larger interest of the nation. My firm feeling is that it has become irrelevant not because of NDA but because of the secular front itself and moreso after yesterdays Modi-Nitish episode. I do not understand how can somebody become communal by shaking hand - is it more infectious than the swine flu? May be else why would are PM also say so :). Nitish has been with NDA for last 10 yrs - is the PM trying to say that Modi is the issue not NDA - if you are with NDA its okay but do not shake hands with Modi which leads us to conclude that BJP minus Modi is good. If that is the case then why does not the congress join hands with BJP and make a new beginig. Well we all know thats not the case. Its only said keeping in mind May 16th results. I beleive these general elections will mark a new begining and end this debate foreever. The secular parties will learn their lesson on May 16th and the nation would be free from this rhetoric of pseudo-secularism. 2014 would be a different story. Lets all of us hope the same and hope that we talk on issues in time to come rather than on something which does not even matter outside the TV debates and election campaigns.