Sushma aur Gita

Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj’s pitch to declare the Bhagavad Gita as a “national scripture” is unfortunate . No doubt Gita enjoys pride of place in Hinduism. But as we as indians are a secular democracy, the state has a responsibility to be neutral in matters of faith. It seems instead of development and good governance, Modi's Cabinet Ministers appear to be pandering to right-wing sentiments.

There is no philosophical basis or scientific explanation that the Gita provides solutions to many of our problems. The Minister has shown that she has neither read nor understood the Gita. The word ‘secularism’ came into usage in 1851. India has been a secular country.As a nation founded on the principles of secularism, we have the Constitution as our “national scripture” to guide us on the path to progress and in policy formulation. Ms. Swaraj should adopt a futuristic vision rather than a populistic one, so that we do not deviate from our democratic ideals.

It has become common for senior BJP leaders to come out with some controversial statement or the other that fuels speculation about the secular credentials of the ruling party. The communal situation in India is still quite sensitive and fragile. Any provocative utterance from a person in power would amount to rubbing salt in raw wounds. Let leaders of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar focus on developmental issues.

People of other religions have understood and learnt more about the Gita and what it propounds than Hindus have. For example, former President Abdul Kalam would usually quote the Gita during his meetings and lectures to highlight the importance of moral values and virtues. Similarly, there are many Hindu religious discourse-givers who often cite the Koran and the Bible. In a multicultural society, forcing one’s predilections will meet with resistance and opposition. In a secular and multi-faith country, what Victor Hugo said will keep the social fabric united: “We are for religion against the religions.”

I wonder what BJP MP from Mathura Hema Malini has to say in this issue, may be........