Secularism And The RSS Ideology

 Prologue

 What is the RSS ideology on secularism? Surely, this can be independently assessed (defended or opposed) without repeating horror stories about Islam?
 
I do not think that our judgment of the RSS ideology is dependent on carefully selected quotes from the Koran. It needs to be clearly understood that no one is defending Koran or any other religion. 

That being the case, let us wisely refrain from bringing in Islam to this discussion.
 
RSS and Secularism
 
With the above groundwork, let us now discuss the RSS ideology.
 
a) The core aspect of RSS ideology is that Hinduism is intrinsically tolerant and secular. Thus, ipso facto, a Hindu Rashtra too would be secular.
 
b) Abrahamic religions are by nature anti-secular, as these are intolerant and believe in only one path (their own) to God. Secularism -- as understood in the West -- is coloured by the fact that Western religions are non-secular.
 
c) As Hinduism is secular, there is no need for us Indians to accept the principle of separation of the State and religion. Our own secular religion -- Hinduism – can and should become the basis of the State. This alone is true secularism, according to RSS.
 
d) In view of the above fundamental difference between Hinduism and Abrahamic religions, Indian State needs to accept the only secular religion (that is, Hinduism) as the preferred State ideology. The people who have faith in Abrahamic religions -- if they wish to be equal citizens of India -- would need to accept that Hinduism is superior, being the only "secular" State ideology.
 

Now some one may say that the above is not a correct representation of the view of the RSS. If that is so, please tell us what the ideology of the RSS is. We will then discuss that.

But, presuming that the RSS ideology is along the lines above, let me say why I disagree with this:-
 
a) The fundamental principle of secularism is the separation of the State and religion. This principle is not dependent on how truly "good" or "bad" the religions (that are kept out of the State) are. Even a religion that is wholly good and tolerant would need to be kept separated from the state.
 
b) The rationale of such separation is that all religions are based on divine truths, as allegedly revealed through prophets/ incarnations, introspection or meditation by ancient sages etc. The rationale of keeping religion out is the source from where these have divined truths about the world. The intrinsic merit (or otherwise) of a religious message has nothing to do with the secular requirement to keep out all religions from public matters.
 
c) There is not a single major world religion (including Hinduism and Buddhism) whose source of truth is other than prophets/ incarnations of God (or equivalent), or introspection/ meditation by one or other ancient sage.
 
d) In the last analysis, the ethical standards of a society will need to be based on consensus among various stake holders in the current times.
 
These ethical standards will need to be recognized by the State as man-made, and thus fallible. This is the basis of secularism; and of the principle of separation of the State and religion.
 

Original link: http://creative.sulekha.com/secularism-and-the-rss-ideology_133977_blog



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