Unfortunate reports of healthcare workers being manhandled, spat at and even being attacked by angry mobs with sticks and stones have surfaced.
Healthcare workers are not the only ones bearing the brunt, a police officer’s fingers were chopped off in Punjab by a  Nihang.
Elsewhere, hindu devotees defied lockdown to participate in a chariot pulling ritual in Karnataka
A common thread running through all these events is an undertone of religious orthodoxy.
This backdrop gives us a perfect excuse to reassess what secularism in the Indian  context means.
Perhaps there’s no better person to  comment on this than the celebrated jurist Shri Ram Jethmalani.
In a discussion on commitment to India’s Constitution in the Rajya Sabha (237th winter session, 2015) he enlightened the country about his views on secularism that I’ll reproduce verbatim-
“Secularism is not negation of religion, it is ultimately the triumph of education over illiteracy, it is the triumph of knowledge over ignorance, it is the triumph of science over religion”
He further added-
“The secularism means only one thing the efficiency and superiority of education over illiteracy, superiority of reason over blind faith and superiority of science over religion”
He mentions how Article 44 is a constant reminder by the Honourable B.R. Ambedkar  to work towards uniformity of laws and override every religious text to the contrary.
Thus, Religion was to be tolerated not encouraged. Such religious orthodoxy thus, has no place in a secular democracy like ours.
There seems to be a direct relation between religious orthodoxy and people’s financial condition.
This can be illustrated by taking the example of 19 out of 20 richest countries in the world, majority population here identifies as athiests  the only exception being USA
While in the 20 poorest countries of the world 98-100 percent people believe in supremacy of a God.
The psychological reasons for this are beyond the scope of this blog.
Thus ameliorating  the financial conditions of people is of prime importance.
Secondly it is time that discussions about theology and faith become a part of the curriculum and mainstream media  to develop logical individuals who can differentiate between the good and the bad aspects of their religion. Inter faith dialogues should be fostered, celebrating intricacies  of all religions.
According to the erudite historian Bipan Chandra, it is the feeling of religous  incompatibility which over time manifests into religious tensions, these inter faith dialogues will help people appreciate that the rudimentary concepts of every religion are similar and all strive for peace
This would  help avoid development of this feeling of religious incompatibility and hence religious tensions.
Lastly there seems to be an intellectual stagnantation in the world of religious leaders. Throughout history religion has been able to keep pace with the changing times because of genius religious leaders.
The most shining example is perhaps that of Al-Farabi who made efforts to link rational philosophy with tenets of Islam, his mission was carried out in an  exemplary fashion by Avicenna (Ibn Sina) in the 11th century. Hence Islam, which is viewed as  radical and rigid appreciated the realities of changing time and progressed with it, this ideology of keeping pace with changing times played a big role in this time period being the golden age of islam.
St. Augustine portrays a similar example, merging the ideas of Neoplatonism and Christianity.
Tulsidas almost single handedly ended the difference of opinions amongst the Shivites and Vaishnavites.
The implementation of the Uniform Civil Code will send the right message in the country about the Constitution being the  holiest book, subservient to none, the main pre requisite is the political will.