FairPoint: 76th year of Constitution test case for Indian secularists!

New Delhi, Jan 26 There comes a moment in life when one must introspect and move forward with renewed vigour. The same goes for a nation. India is celebrating 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, and it is the right moment to reflect, especially on the concept of secularism.

Is the country really secular today? That is the question that comes to mind when one sees pockets, areas, or regions witnessing either a total wipeout or a drastic decline in the number of Hindus. It may appear to be unbelievable that a country with 80 per cent Hindu population has areas where they do not exist anymore.

Before Partition, Hindus were present in large numbers in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Seventy-seven years later, their numbers have declined dangerously in both countries. This was expected as they are declared Islamic Republics where space for minorities, Hindus in particular, hardly exists.

But what about Independent India, which has a Constitution that professes secularism and equality? If so, then why have some areas witnessed the ouster of Hindus? One of the worst examples is Kashmir, where minorities, especially Hindus, were forced out.

Is Kashmir not a failure of the secular-riddled ethos of the flag-bearers, whether political or social? Haven't they failed the Constitution, or has the Constitution fallen short of protecting the Hindus? It is a question that will be trashed by the secular brigade but should tingle the minds of the majority.

Kashmir is the test case of Islamic dominance perpetrated in the garb of "azadi (freedom)" that saw the gradual annihilation of the Hindus. From being cent per cent Hindus, the decline started with the advent of Islam in the Valley in the 14th century. After continued and often brutal persecution by Muslim rulers, the divided Valley was left with about six per cent Kashmiri Pandits in 1948, when J&K acceded to India.

Over the decades, this percentage further decreased. Pandits moved to other parts of India due to discriminatory policies and attitudes of the Muslim-majority governments, state administration and political class, which was shielded by Article 370. Till the late 1980s, the population had come down to almost two per cent. In the late 1980s, terrorism erupted in the Valley, primarily targeting the Kashmiri Hindu community.

It was during the tenure of Farooq Abdullah -- November 7, 1986 - January 18, 1990 -- that Kashmir witnessed organised attacks on Kashmiri Pandits. The persecution led to genocide and exodus of the minorities, especially the Kashmiri Hindus.

Today, Farooq Abdullah is the 'secular' leader of the 'secular and socialist' INDIA bloc. The two words -- 'secular and socialist' -- are the pet words for a majority of the political entities in the country, whose total electoral politics is based on religion and caste mathematics. For them, 20 per cent of the country's population is the major gateway to the Assembly or Parliament. Hence, fluttering the secular flag is the utmost vital strategy to be sure about the path to the electoral victory.

In this 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution, let these secular entities introspect on what they have done to save the minorities in Kashmir. None of them have stood for the rights of minorities, and no one has demanded a probe or justice for the displaced Kashmiri Hindus.

Crying foul in the name of secularism, the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, AAP or DMK or any other political party have failed to find secularism in the tragedy of the Kashmiri Pandits as the community lacks electoral strength and money power.

The parties are vigorously sentimental about the two words that never existed in the original Constitution. The words "socialist" and "secular" were inserted into the Preamble under the 42nd Constitutional Amendment moved by the Indira Gandhi government in 1976. The amendment changed the description of the country in the Preamble from a "sovereign, democratic republic" to a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic".

The words perhaps were inserted to engrave the concept that the only country in the world with a Hindu majority can never assert its largeness, and the secular addition to the Constitution can pin its strength. Has this concept weighed on the majority, which is gradually seeing its presence dwindle or even be wiped out in certain areas, regions, or states?

Besides Kashmir, there are several other examples like Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, where the Yogi government is trying to set wrongs right; there are places in Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, etc.

Last year, a working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) said the share of the Hindu population decreased by 7.82 per cent between 1950 and 2015 in India, while that of Muslims increased by 43.15 per cent! The paper also mentioned that within India's neighbourhood -- Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan -- the share of the majority religious denomination has increased, and minority populations have shrunk alarmingly.

For secular parties, the decline of Hindus means nothing, as appeasing their vote bank furthers their electoral goals. But, in this 76th year of Constitution adoption, when they debate vehemently for secularism and socialism, let Kashmir be their test case to prove that secularism does exist in actuality and not just in their rhetoric.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

Source: IANS