Conference on religion and politics Srinand Jha HindustanTimes.com » IndiaWednesday, February 21, 2007
New Delhi, February 20, 2007: The “Hindu Rashtra” idea is perceived as a “pale imitation” of the concept of theocratic Pakistan and its unacceptability amongst large masses of Indians originates from the fact that it is seen as promoting a “mad and an anti-Hindu” worldview.
This is Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer’s rationale for upholding the “sanctity and preciousness” of the “civilizational values” of democracy and secularism that India stands for and promotes. “It is time for India to take the lead on the world stage to offer concepts and solutions for social and political upheavals being witnessed in different parts of the globe”, Aiyer said in his plenary address on the concluding day of a two-day seminar at New Delhi on Tuesday.
Jointly organised by the University of Cambridge and the India International Centre, the conference - entitled Politics and Religion in India - generated seminal discussions on the role of religion in the evolution of politics in India and Pakistan.
Religion continues to retain important space in India, but it is the adaptive and flexible concept of the Hinduism that has remained relevant and acceptable, Aiyer said. In his hour-long and erudite speech, Aiyer sought to draw the difference between the ideas of Western secularism (meaning disassociation from all religions), as against the concept of Indian secularism (meaning tolerance and acceptability of all religions).
Presenting his background paper at one of the sessions, former director of the centre for political studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aswin Ray said that the “breakdown of the Nehruvian consensus” during the period of emergency in India was the important-most factor contributing to the growth of communalism in India. Former bureaucrat NN Vohra and strategy affairs expert Bharat Karnad were the other speakers at this session.
This is Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer’s rationale for upholding the “sanctity and preciousness” of the “civilizational values” of democracy and secularism that India stands for and promotes. “It is time for India to take the lead on the world stage to offer concepts and solutions for social and political upheavals being witnessed in different parts of the globe”, Aiyer said in his plenary address on the concluding day of a two-day seminar at New Delhi on Tuesday.
Jointly organised by the University of Cambridge and the India International Centre, the conference - entitled Politics and Religion in India - generated seminal discussions on the role of religion in the evolution of politics in India and Pakistan.
Religion continues to retain important space in India, but it is the adaptive and flexible concept of the Hinduism that has remained relevant and acceptable, Aiyer said. In his hour-long and erudite speech, Aiyer sought to draw the difference between the ideas of Western secularism (meaning disassociation from all religions), as against the concept of Indian secularism (meaning tolerance and acceptability of all religions).
Presenting his background paper at one of the sessions, former director of the centre for political studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aswin Ray said that the “breakdown of the Nehruvian consensus” during the period of emergency in India was the important-most factor contributing to the growth of communalism in India. Former bureaucrat NN Vohra and strategy affairs expert Bharat Karnad were the other speakers at this session.
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