By Dr. Sawraj Singh
I was very pleased when Prime Minister Modi invited the SAARC leaders, particularly Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan and Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, to his inauguration. This sent a very good message that India wants peace, harmony and goodwill in the south Asia region. Also, it showed that India was the leading country in the region. India is not only the largest country but is also the natural leader of the region. It has a moral obligation to act more mature and responsible than the other countries in the region. Other countries which were somewhat nervous about Modi felt very relieved by Modi’s gesture and responded very positively.
However, when the issues of Kashmir, Article 370, and about its special status were raised, I felt a little uneasy because this is a divisive issue. In this stage we should focus on issues which can unite people and leave other issues for a later time.
The Indian subcontinent is a very diverse region. It is a multinational and multicultural region. In this diverse region, there is a common thread of the Indian civilization and a shared value system which unites us on the principle of unity in diversity; which has evolved according to particular conditions of the region and forms the basis of “positive secularism.” Positive secularism promotes tolerance and acceptance of differences based upon religion, caste, socio-economic status, and political ideology.
The concept of positive secularism started in the early Vedic period, as can be seen from the concept of “Vasudeva Katumbakum” (which means that the whole world is a family) and reached its climax in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes love, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, multiculturalism, pluralism and the principle of unity in diversity. All of these are components of positive secularism. In the colonial period, our basic and sound concepts were suppressed and western concepts were permitted instead. Our system of education became based upon western admiration and inferiority complex towards our indigenous ideas. Under these conditions, we rejected our own ideas and concepts and adopted western ideas and concepts even if our own principles were more evolved and better.
Western secularism is a negative concept. It evolved as an opposition to the Church so that the new emerging capitalist class could control the state power and the religious and social institutions. Therefore, negative secularism is a product of selfishness, greed and hypocrisy. The western secularists opposed religion in their own societies, but used it to enslave other countries.
Unfortunately, the division in Indian politics has been between secular and communal forces. The correct division should have been between the patriotic and the Comprador, or between Swadeshi and Videshi. In China, the Communists have been successful because they were perceived by the people to be patriots who wanted to protect and promote the interests of China and the Chinese people. The Chinese Communists were able to fuse Marxism with traditional Chinese wisdom.
The Indian leftists and progressives are generally perceived by Indian people to be motivated more by western liberal secularism rather than Indian secularism. The western liberal tradition generally has negative feelings towards religion. However, the Indian concept of Dharam is different than religion. Dharam, by definition, is universal and therefore secular. Dharam has many aspects such as righteousness, duty, spirituality, nature, ethics, morality, etc. The traditional Indian concept of crisis in society is that of Dharam being weakened. Therefore, resolution of societal crisis means revival and strengthening of Dharam. This concept unifies people instead of dividing them. Religious revival is different than spiritual revival or revival of Dharam because it promotes one religion and can be negatively perceived by other religions.
We hope that the Modi Government, BJP, and other forces that claim to be upholding the Indian civilization and value system will try to unify people by reviving and promoting Dharam rather than one religion. The Hindu religion, in its broadest and deepest meaning, is a representative of the Indian civilization and value system. At present, the major concern of Indian people is that the majority of Indian people have not benefitted from economic progress. We need economic growth as well as good governance. We have to change the orientation and mentality of our educated and intellectual class. Instead of producing a westernized elite, our education should impart the Indian value system. Positive secularism is the essence of Dharam and our value system. Therefore, this is the only way to go for India.
Dr. Sawraj Singh, MD F.I.C.S. is the Chairman of the Washington State Network for Human Rights and Chairman of the Central Washington Coalition for Social Justice. He can be reached at [email protected].
