At a time when the country is preparing to go to polls again, it is essential to remember that we are, after sixty years of independence, essentially citizens of India first and everything else, be it members of a given religion, caste or community, later.
But does such a mindset reflect our politics? See the unfolding drama of coalitions and divorces on the electoral scene. Even for the minorities, their assimilation into the mainstream is somewhat questionable, for example, on the issue of a uniform civil code. In the Neemrana case involving a father-in-law raping his daughter-in-law, no rape case was registered. Instead, the hapless girl was asked to marry her rapist and leave her husband. Or take the matter of Christians using undue influence in converting people. No media has ever taken an independent survey on the means, methods or reasons adopted for conversion. It is almost as if raising the issue would involve compromising on our secular credentials. Or the role of insiders in 26/11.
So perhaps it would not be entirely wrong to suggest that while Pakistan wears its religious identity proudly, we wear our secular identity which often involves pandering to the lowest denominator like the Antulay episode or Shah Bano or banning Salman Rushdie or sending Taslima Nasreen away. And we are hypocritical and adopt different standards and bars when we evaluate the other community.
Pity! I am in total agreement with VS Naipaul when he holds forth that the destruction of the Babri Masjid was the first assertion of an Indian identity. Pity that it had to take that form. Understandable because of a predominant Western liberal view which admonishes an Indian identity emerging, except when sanctioned by the West.
Hari Parmeshwar, on email
