After a decade-long debate over secularism and pseudo-secularism, a sort of consensus has emerged that there should be equal respect for all religions. But all the major religions today are umbrella habitats harbouring many diverse rites, rituals, practices, sects and scriptures. Thus, the secular attitude becomes absolutely powerless before a religion and leaves the individual at the mercy of the dominant systems and sentiments of the religion, whether desirable or not. Further, the religion is looked upon as something static and not to be tampered with.
The problem is more serious in the formative ages, when the schools say a strict no no to matters religious. A ten-year old can ask any question to the teacher but not about the rights and wrongs within the religion he is born into. In fact, no one is authorized to adjudicate on the matters of faith, and it is, vaguely, left to the society to deal with such issues.
But the society itself is a cauldron tackling all kinds of things from call-money and call girls to call-centres. Globalization and media-explosion are increasingly straining the social fabric by sowing confusion in the impressionable minds. And the easy way out is to throw the baby away along with the bathwater, and say I don’t believe.
As social issues are mounting day by day, the political system is adopting a hands-off approach, imagining that they would be settled on their own with time. This is sheer irresponsibility. The Constitution of India, too, does not visualize any Institution to address such questions. The Judiciary is handling certain cases in piecemeal manner.
In a multi-cultural milleu like India, the social problems and priorities are many. Robust Institutional mechanisms need to be put in place to encourage decent discourse and dispassionate dialogue. Media sensationalism, political fanaticism and commercial careerism are playing havoc with seasoned and reasoned views. This vast space should be reclaimed by the social leaders. Tusar N. Mohapatra tusarnmohapatra@mail.com
The problem is more serious in the formative ages, when the schools say a strict no no to matters religious. A ten-year old can ask any question to the teacher but not about the rights and wrongs within the religion he is born into. In fact, no one is authorized to adjudicate on the matters of faith, and it is, vaguely, left to the society to deal with such issues.
But the society itself is a cauldron tackling all kinds of things from call-money and call girls to call-centres. Globalization and media-explosion are increasingly straining the social fabric by sowing confusion in the impressionable minds. And the easy way out is to throw the baby away along with the bathwater, and say I don’t believe.
As social issues are mounting day by day, the political system is adopting a hands-off approach, imagining that they would be settled on their own with time. This is sheer irresponsibility. The Constitution of India, too, does not visualize any Institution to address such questions. The Judiciary is handling certain cases in piecemeal manner.
In a multi-cultural milleu like India, the social problems and priorities are many. Robust Institutional mechanisms need to be put in place to encourage decent discourse and dispassionate dialogue. Media sensationalism, political fanaticism and commercial careerism are playing havoc with seasoned and reasoned views. This vast space should be reclaimed by the social leaders. Tusar N. Mohapatra tusarnmohapatra@mail.com
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