Re: Why India should be Secular

[Npsingh123@aol.com]

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In a message dated 1/10/01 12:12:42 AM Central Standard Time,
gargsam@hotmail.com writes:

<< Another absurd and unfounded statement.  Is there any evidence to
 indicate
 that a Hindu nation is necessarily unsecular?  Hindu kingdoms in the
 past
 have been rich, prosperous and secular – numerous examples can be
cited.
  >>



Religious bigotry is not the exclusive preserve of Islam nor religious
tolerence the exclusive preserve of Hindus. On the cultural and literary

landscape of Modern India there are many distinguished Muslims whom I
can
consider extremely reasonable and secular. On the other hand I have
known
many respectable Hindus, who make a lot of noise about how secular they
are,
who have genocidal ideation.

India faces, as much, or even more danger from the Hindu bigots than
from
Muslim bigots because while most Muslims in India are poor and too
preoccupied with economic survival the Hindu fanatics control many more
economic and political resources and therefore capable of much greater
mischief.

If these Hindu fanatics had not been outnumbered by the majority of
secular
minded Hindus, India would have long ago become a Hindu Pakistan with
the
same disastrous consequences as we have witnessed in Islamic nation
after
nation stretching from North Africa to Pakistan. A Hindu theocracy is
not
going to be any better than an Islamic theocracy or a Christian
theocracy or
even a Communist state.

If India has another religious civil war it will be the making of the
Hindu
fanatics, with of course some help from fanatics in other communities.
Needless to say there will be no winners in such a war.

Danger is not from the Muslims or the Hindus or the Sikhs or the
Christians
but from the misguided and paranoid people amongst all of us.



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