Humanism. Tolerance. Reason.

The time has come to detoxify our society of communalism and celebrate the enduring legacy of Gandhi and Nehru to defend national integration

SN Sahu Delhi

There has beenalarming increase incommunal violence in many parts of our country. This is against the very ethos and culture of our country. Our national identity is defined on the strength of diversity. We survive on the strength of our diversity. And we progress on the strength of diversity. India is a land where people professing a variety of religions have a national outlook. Progress and development necessarily generate some social and economic problems. As people become more aware and empowered they assert their rights and demand better amenities. Indeed, such a process sharpens competition among different groups and openly exaggerates the problems we face and multiply the challenges to nation building.

Our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had insightfully said that it would be more difficult and tough to create a just society by employing just means and to create a secular State in a religious society. For the last 61 years we have been able to defend our secular values and secular State to a great extent. However, it is tragic that over the last many decades we have been witnessing separatist, ethnic, communal and political violence in large parts of our country. Naxalism has posed danger to life and property, and our scheme of governance. It seeks to exploit real or perceived feelings of deprivation and neglect in a bid to destroy the democratic process and the State apparatus. It poses one of the gravest threats to our internal security and social solidarity. The Naxal violence has greatly retarded our developmental activities.

Combined with such problems, the menace of terrorism disrupts our social harmony, provoking communal passions and creating a psychosis of fear, insecurity and instability. The recurrent violence targeted against minorities has put pressure on our tolerant ethos and the tradition of peaceful co-existence. The ongoing attacks on minorities in Orissa, Karnataka and some other States tarnish India's image and pollute our composite culture.

Referring to communalism, Jawaharlal Nehru had said: "In its very essence, it is a throwback to a medieval state of mind, medievalhabits and medieval slogans. Let us by all means preserve every single Indian custom and every Indian way of thought; only, let us not go back to something that has no relevance to the modern world."

Today when India is taking its rightful place in the modern world of 21st century and is acknowledged as a major center for commerce and innovation, we need to curb the tendencies which threaten to revive the medieval state of mind. In safeguarding our national integration which we achieved with great difficulty after centuries of struggle, we must take urgent steps to defeat communalism which is a danger to the ideals which define our nationhood and progressive world view. The recent blasts in Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Malegaon and Agartala, Gauwahati, etc. constitute attempts to divide Indian society by spreading communal violence and terrorism. Only recently, separatists in Jammu & Kashmir mobilised the people and tried to subvert our unity and integrity. Thankfully the situation has come under control and we have been able to take measures to address the problem which grew out of proportions.