INDIA'S PROGRESS CARD ON TOLERANCE AND INCLUSION
INDIA'S PROGRESS CARD ON TOLERANCE AND INCLUSION
Dr M. D. Thomas
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As per the Social Progress Index (SPI) presented recently by Dr Michael Green, economist and executive director of SPI, India is placed at the 128th rank, out of the 133 countries with similar resources analysed on the parameter of 'tolerance and inclusion'. Dr Michael further commented, 'the most striking findings for India are the worst performance on the tolerance and inclusion front…It’s a complex problem in a diverse country' (Puja Mehra, The Hindu, 09 April 2015, p.01).
Besides, India ranks 120th place specifically on 'health and wellness' and 101st place on the general indicators of well-being such as basic needs, health, water, sanitation, personal safety, access to opportunity, tolerance, inclusion, sustainable ecosystem, advanced education, personal rights, personal freedom and choice. In addition, India’s rank for GDP per capita income is 93, only slightly better than other areas. Further, it is embarrassing for India that even small countries, like Nepal and Bangladesh, rank higher than India on the ratings. Norway stands first and then come Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland and New Zealand. While the US secured the 16th place in the rankings, Pakistan bagged the 122nd (Puja Mehra, The Hindu, 09 April 2015, p.01).
Why is India's progress card as regards tolerance and inclusion so highly miserable? Does it not defeat all the superlative slogans like 'Saare jahaan se acchha, Mera Bharat Mahan, Incredible India, etc? Doesn't it betray the high-sounding rhetoric that prevails on national and international platforms with reference to the developmental success stories of the country? Doesn't the above indicator expose the ground realities of the country that are concealed under the carpet and portrait the real character of India? Does it not awaken a cynic response to the colourful paintings and the sweet slogans of the new government, as regards good governance and achhe din?
Again, what are those stark factors that are responsible for the deteriorating ethical, social and cultural fibre of the country? Aren't the developmental measures advanced by the present government inclusive of all the citizens of the country, even the 69 per cent of the population of the country that hasn't voted the new government in? Why has the capacity of the country for tolerating differences and treating all communities on equal footing gone weaker, especially in the recent years, that too at a shocking rate? Why have the sublime ideals and glories of the ancient civilization of this land failed its dignity, that too to this extent, when education and amenities of life have considerably increased? This article attempts to make a critique of the benchmark of 'inclusion' as well as 'tolerance' that are currently in vogue in India.
The increasing tendency of intolerance and non-inclusion or
exclusion is very well corroborated by the remarks of US President Barrack
Obama made towards the end of his recent visit to India and immediately after.
Addressing a gathering of over 3,000 US and international leaders at the high
profile National Prayer Breakfast along with Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama,
President Obama said in Washington in the recent past that 'Michelle and I returned from India -- an
incredible, beautiful country, full of magnificent diversity -- but a place
where, in past years, religious faiths of all types have, on occasion, been
targeted by other people of faith, simply due to their heritage and their
beliefs -- acts of intolerance that would have shocked Gandhiji, the person who
helped to liberate that nation.' What a shocking but highly revealing
remark for India! The remark is symbolic of the low esteem India holds outside
India.
The above remarks were in continuation of his carefully thought about
comments from a prepared text at Siri Fort Stadium, New Delhi, hours before
winding up his three-day visit to India on January 27. He said, 'every person
has the right to practice his faith without any persecution, fear or
discrimination. India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along
religious lines. Your Article 25 says all people are equally entitled to the
freedom of conscience and have the right to freely profess, practice and
propagate religion. In both our countries, in all countries, upholding freedom
of religion is the utmost responsibility of the government, but also the responsibility
of every person' (The Hindu, 06 February 2015, p.1). The repeated comments of
Mr Obama on democratic values and principles, that too within a span of ten
days, speak volumes of the seriousness of the concern, even on the global level.
The above phenomenon could very well be evidenced from instances
from the field as well as from the administrative corners. Last December
witnessed an attempt by the Union human
resource development ministry to celebrate the birthdays of former Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya as 'good
governance day' on 25 December, keeping the schools fully functional with
competitions for students (The Times of India, 15 December 2014). Christmas,
the birthday of Jesus Christ, has been a declared holiday and holy day from
time beyond memory for India as well as for the rest of the world. It also
marks the pivotal point of the world calendar.
Besides, Christmas has emerged the most widely celebrated festival in India and the world, so much so that more and more people from all communities seem to visit Churches and join Christians with a fibre of celebration. Given such a situation, how could the attempt to underrate Christmas an innocent one? Wasn't it a violation of the secular perspective upheld by the Constitution of the country? How is it possible that the entire episode was not motivated by an exclusive mindset, which treats my festival important and your festival unimportant? If it is true, how could the progress card of the country can show signs of tolerance and inclusion?
The recent controversy on convening
a judicial conference of all Chief Justices and Chief Ministers during the long
weekend from Good Friday to Easter Sunday is fresh in our minds. Justice Joseph,
sitting judge in the Supreme Court, questioned the impropriety of dishonouring
the 'holy and national holidays' while holding such an important conference,
making due reference to festivals like diwali and eid that are regularly honoured
in favour of the customary religious ceremonies and family get-togethers. His
argument was in line with the danger of drifting away from the secular ethos
mandated by the Constitution of
the country (Sanjay Hegde, ‘Conflict
between two rights’, The Hindu, 08 April 2015, p.09).
The Chief Justice Dattu added fuel to the fire. He in his perhaps hasty and less reflected reply underlined the precedence of institutional interest to individual interest. Further, he argued the issue out when advocate Lilly Thomas raised the controversy in the open court. In response to the pressing invitation of the Prime Minister to the conference and dinner, Justice Kurian declined it propping up his argument and requesting him to show equal importance and respect to the sacred days of all religions, which are also declared as national holidays (Sanjay Hegde, ‘Conflict between two rights’, The Hindu, 08 April 2015, p.09).
While appreciating the administrative insight of holding conferences
during long weekends, it would be undisputedly fairer and wiser to honour
national holidays during the important festivals of all religions. If the
government gets at odds with the religious festivals of a certain community
only, its commitment to the judicial work requires to be questioned, because it
smacks of wrong intentions. Equal respect for all religions would demand
ensuring that no religion feels excluded. Extending a step-motherly behaviour
to a certain religious community cannot emerge from a good conscience, while holidays
allotted to other religious communities, even when they are several and too
many, remains sacrosanct. Obviously, the capacity to accommodate all
communities as well as the inclusive mindset that has to be the genius of the
country appears to be in shatters!
Further again, there is a golden practice in the secular India that the President and the Prime Minister on the national level and the Chief Ministers and the Governors at the state levels extend festal greetings to the citizens of their respective area of operation on occasions of the leading festivals of all communities. Both the Prime Minister and the President did not extend festal greetings to the citizens of the country both at last Christmas and Good Friday, the major festivals of the Christian community. Evidently, this silence was discriminative and unconstitutional. It is a standing proof for the restricted frame of mind of the topmost custodians of the Constitution and the stakeholders of the country. When the Prime minister did not forget to extend greetings to the country even on a small festival like Makar Sankranti, the exclusive attitude of the present day government is established beyond doubt.
Recently, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut stoked up a new controversy. He wrote in the party mouthpiece Saamana and demanded the voting right of Muslims in India to be revoked as the community has often been used to play vote bank politics. He was reiterating what once Balasaheb stated. Prominent Muslim bodies in Lucknow have condemned the statement that can create differences between Hindus and Muslims and asked the Prime Minister to clarify his stand on the issue (Indian Express, 12 April 2015). At any rate, he proved the unconstitutional mindset by advocating the alienation of minorities from their fundamental rights. Though he patched his statement up later in order to save his face, his exclusive and anti-national approach to communities other than his own is more than clear. Beyond doubt, the statement affirms the non-inclusive and intolerant attitude that is becoming stronger in the country.
Some two months ago, the Prime Minister stated the inclusive credentials of his government, during a function at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to celebrate the elevation of Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia to sainthood. He said, ‘every individual had an undeniable right to retain or adopt any faith. We cannot accept violence against any religion on any pretext and I strongly condemn such violence. My government will ensure that there is complete freedom of faith and that everyone has the undeniable right to retain or adopt the religion of his or her choice without coercion or undue influence. My government will act strongly in this regard. My government will not allow any religious group to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly. Mine will be a government that gives equal respect to all religions’ (Won’t tolerate violence against any religion, promises Modi, The Hindu, 18 February 2015, p.01).
The declaration made by the Prime Minister based on the constitutional philosophy of India, of the world as well, sounds not only very pleasing to the minority communities but also refers to a perfect system of governance. But, the ground realities and observations from diverse quarters, as cited above, contradict the theory that is stated above. The national ethos of good governance eloquently professed by the present government is very much contradicted by the day-to-day events of attacking the places of worship of the minority communities or by the mischievous remarks and acts of the fringe elements of the fundamentalist, power-mongering and divisive forces within the country, very unfortunately so.
The wave
of intolerance and exclusion perpetrated by the self-centred, extremist and
militant factions from the majority community in India seems to have the sway
in the national politics, by crook and by hook. Well-meaning citizens of the
country from all communities as well as the nations of the world are watching
the minority communities of India being systematically sidelined from the
mainstream of the country. The fibre of unity and beauty amid diversity looks
as if has gone loose. The Constitutional ethics give the impression that they lost
their vigour and power. Where is India's development heading for is not clear. The
ancient spiritual wisdom of the land appears to have been failed by the street cleverness
of the notorious forces. But, how long can India afford such silly games? Will
the grown up and responsible people of the country stand up to improve 'India's
progress card' as regards 'tolerance and inclusion'?
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The author is Director, Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi, and has been committed to cross-cultural perspectives, cross-scriptural values, constitutional values, interfaith relations, communal harmony, national integration and social wellbeing, for the past over 40 years. He contributes to the above cause through lectures, articles, video messages, conferences, social interactions, views at TV channels, and the like.
He
could be viewed, listened to and
contacted at the following portals – websites ‘www.mdthomas.in’
(p), ‘https://mdthomas.academia.edu’ (p), ‘https://drmdthomas.blogspot.com’(p) and ‘www.ihpsindia.org’ (o); social
media ‘https://www.youtube.com/InstituteofHarmonyandPeaceStudies’ (o), ‘https://twitter.com/mdthomas53’ (p), ‘https://www.facebook.com/mdthomas53’
(p); email ‘mdthomas53@gmail.com’ (p) and telephone 9810535378 (p).
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Published in ‘Indian Currents’ (Weekly), New Delhi, Vol. xxvii, Issue No. 19, p. 19-21 -- on 11-17 May 2015
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