Politics has no religion

Despite arguments on modernisation/secularisation and the functionalism schools of thought, religion plays a role in ethnic conflict. Gandhi once said “The religion can never be divorced from politics” which is very true in its sense and it was Jinnah who used this religious symbolism and succeeded in creating a state not on the basis of color, not on the basis of language, but this time on the basis of religion. Had he not used religion he might would not had succeeded in creating “Pakistan” although the debate remains what forced him to do so because he had joined Muslim League only with a purpose to act as bridge between League and Congress. He might have not anticipated the consequences in which more than a million died and nearly ten million people migrated, the biggest in the modern history. Religion has become an epiphenomenal factor in politics and society.Jinnah’s problems with the congress began with the ascent of Gandhi in 1918 who espoused civil disobedience and most importantly Hindu values as the best means to obtain swaraj for all South Asians. Jinnah differed, saying that only constitutional struggle could lead to independence. Unlike most congressmen Gandhi did not wear western style clothes, did his best to use Hindi language instead of English and was deeply religious. Jinnah criticized Gandhi’s support of Khilafat Movement which he saw as an endorsement of religious zealotry.Now even sixty years after the end of alien rule we are still grabbed in the religious politics. Now we have no one to blame but ourselves. We don’t need enemies because we don’t need them. Advani’s mere statement of praising “Jinnah” and quoting his historic speech can cause huge upsurge in our country. Still we say we are the biggest democracy of the world. We have seen dozens of communal riots among which barbarity of Gujrat will always remind the ugly face of modern Indian democracy in which more than 2000 innocent people lost their lives. Still I have good reasons believe that no religion gives permission of killing innocents, raping, and so on and if some one is doing it in name of religion it is not religion but the so called followers who are doing wrong in the name of religion.The recent row over the land transfer to the SASB was also given a religious color and was politicized, so many peoples have lost their lives and there has been a major set back to the tourism and fruit industry as well. The Parties who are voicing to create a separate state of Jammu are in a way echoing with the voice of separatists who have already started the slogans of Muzaffarabad chalo and the recent demand to merge Doda , Poonch and Rajouri with Kashmir division is due to the growing unrest of Muslims in these areas and if the atrocities continues against the Muslims the day will come when these voices will be heard from every corner of the country. I wonder will there be another division? and are we really ready to see and face another barbaric genocide?Our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, Democracy and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal and laid the foundation of the country with the words” It is a birth of freedom -- and that Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.From the very childhood we were taught the definition of democracy as “the government of the people, for the people and by the people” but the eyes of the entire world is looking that how a democratic government is being formed in Kashmir with the leaders being booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) and I was wondering whether I should laugh or not on reading that the public took to streets shouting pro-freedom and raised anti India slogans and imposed curfew in view of the coordination committee call of Jamaia Masjid chalo. This is not for the first time that the people took the street and raised slogans just as the Indians did with the Britisher’s but we have grown up seeing this happening.Is India or Pakistan really serious about resolving the Kashmir issue? And if by the grace of God some solution is reached, I wonder what will be the content of the speeches of the leaders from both sides as they will be left with the topics of Development, Poverty reduction, Employment generation and problems relating to environment and when I say this I am not mentioning only India but both. And if are really serious in resolving the Kashmir problem then just do it in accordance with the democratic values and let the people decide what they want, by this I never mean to say the elections which have been taking place right from the beginning. They have ruined the life of millions of not only kashmiri’s but themselves and surely we have lost our lives and they have lost their dignity. The whole world has now recognized the Kashmir problem as the matter of great concern in maintaining peace South east Asia and recent remarks of President Obama of appointing Former President Clinton as a special envoy to Kashmir is being strongly criticized here in India.