VIOLANCE IN ORRISA

UNRELIGIOUSLY RELIGIOUS

India is the one of the biggest democratic state in the world and probably the most religious too,with its religions being few of the oldest religions on this earth.But we are far from democratic or religious.The religious in tolerance being shown in the country at present is unimaginably deplorable( BOWSTRINGED,OUTLOOK,Oct 20,2008)

I may not be a very religious man,but I believe in God and I may have not read large number of scriptures of all the religions,but I know one thing for sure,that no religion advocates violence against mankind,and that too in the name of religion.

We proudly call our selves progressing,and the country moving fast to become a super power,but,no country can boast of either these,where a citizen does not have the right to choose or practice his or her religion freely.A land that cannot provide the safety and security to the lives of its citizen,from so called the saviors of religion,does not deserve to be called a secular or a democratic state.

The issue of mass conversions is complex,and a totally different debate.People motivating others to embrace a particular religion,may have their ways ,to charm the common man,and may be pardoned as long as they don't use force.And people resorting to conversion in India are mostly driven by poverty,and often have no other alternative.They too should be pardoned,as in a supposedly secular and democratic country they have the right to choose the religion they want to follow.

But people or agencies that cannot be pardoned are the Government and the socio-political and religious bodies who are resorting to the inhumanly violence against these converted people.The present tandav of violence,ranging from rape,arson to the killing of Christians in Orrisa and forcing them to convert back to their original religion is a total failure of governance.No such activity,at such a large scale,unabated,and for so long a duration,that can lead to deaths of hundreds and to make thousands homeless,be carried out,without the support of major political or religious groups or at least there delibrate ,deaf and blind attitude.In fact,a situation where,people are driven to a level of poverty,where they resort to conversions,is in it self , a major indicator of the total failure of the government.May the cries of the innocent people,break the deaf slumber of this impotent local and central government.

This in tolerance to religions and these massacres and violence in the name of God, are a matter of great shame for every political party and religious group of India,and all citizen of this country should put their heads down in shame at this in human and insane fanatism prevailing in our times!

Col Sanjay Kapoor VSM Lucknow