Do I take sides?

'Clearly your view of secularism is warped and your penchant to attack one side and take sides , to me, shows a lack of critical ability to dissect the issue and understand the underlying dichotomy'.

Yes I agree that my blog takes side and I am prejudiced with my view towards BJP. This is not because I support someone else. This is due to the fact that I have had the experience of receiving the shame when Gujrat or Babri-Masijid is brought up and the Sangh-Parivar has everything to do with it. I am not discounting the fact that there are million other factors for such an event. But I am concerned when one of the largest party tries to take sides (I dont). It is not disputable that Mr. Advani’s Rath yatra in the last Lok Sabha elections was widely criticized. Promoting ‘Hindutatva’ is one of BJP’s main motives as demonstrated by careless speeches of top party officials (I am referring to Sushma Swaraj).

I don’t mind promoting a particular religion as everyone has such a right. But my concern springs from the fact that India has experienced consequencies of formation of religious political party the Muslim League, which divided India on Communal lines. Hence, I don’t believe anyone who has read our history would agree that it was acceptable. Therefore, every step should be taken to make sure that the confidence of the nation, Hindus and Muslims alike, is restored in its ruling party. Considering our history Hindus and Muslims have shared a love and hate relationship and there is a great deal of insecurity among young Muslims. If we want a full integration of the Indian society we need to make sure Hindus and Muslims are heard alike, we need to make sure that real issues must be discussed rather than a particular religion. In simple words, DO NOT TAKE SIDES. For example, Left has never had any religion or promotion of religion in its manifesto. Hence I can say that they represent a secular nation. ( I must make clear that I do not agree with the Left on any other issue).

If anyone who has read our constitution and have read the commentaries of the drafting committee, it will be clear that none of the members intended to give power to a religious political party. Our very demographics were the reason that we adopted a secular nature of the Constitution unlike Pakistan. ‘A State shall have no religion’--- This sums it. Flip pages of your history books and tell me if BJP had no religious ideologies. By the same token when it ruled India it promoted that religion and sought not to counter anti-minority forces.