Pluralism and Secularism Embedded in the Indian Psyche
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
24 May 2021
Indians
Respect Girja Ghars, Masjids, Mandirs, Gurudwaras And Jain Mandirs From The
Core Of Their Hearts Because Of Their Attachments With Their Neighbours And
Friends
Main
Points:
1. It is
heart-breaking and shocking to read and listen in the media both international and national that India is divided on the
lines of caste and creed.
2. Actually,
despite some problems, India stands for brotherhood, pluralism and secularism.
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It is heart-breaking
and shocking to read in the newspapers, listen to TV news, both internationally
and nationally that India is divided on lines of caste and creed. But it is a
momentary shock for the people who know Indian cultural ethos. India stands for brotherhood, pluralism and
secularism.
No society
can survive for five thousand years on hatred, jealousy and one-upmanship.
India being a five thousand years old society could not have survived on mutual
hatred. India lives in the villages, as the world acknowledges and villages
breathe on the fresh air and live in a very simple lifestyle.
The cities
of India, like other western cities, are enthusiastic about the development of
science and technology to win the race that rewards materialistic and worldly
luxuries. To acquire material goods is a very good thing.
Being
educated is good. Being bereft of cultural ethos and spiritual learning in
quest of name and fame is bad. In the end, one gets nothing but ‘sighs of
everlasting pain’. This is no education. There are innumerable organisations
that invite for classes and lectures on spiritualism but are those worth
learning spiritual lessons. Did our spiritual teachers go to classes to study
spiritualism and cultural ethos in books? Even the religious texts, like the
Holy Quran, the Holy Bible and the Holy Geeta and Ramayana and all other Holy
Books advocate comfortable existence for human beings.
Indian
cultural ethos is embedded in every Indian’s psyche as this is in their blood
for generations. Innumerable holy men belonging to Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Jainism and various other religions and thoughts did come to India and
preached. They made India their abode. Indian cultural magnanimity can be
gauged from the fact that it has almost every religious festival of the world
celebrated here.
The Holi,
the Deepawali, the Christmas, the Eid ul Fitr, the Eid ul Azha, the Muharram
and various other regional festivals celebrated in India have their spiritual
teaching that attracts Indians of every hue and cry. Just imagine how much the
mix of all the religious and spiritual teachings flowing in the environment
must be creating the ethos of brotherhood and pluralism.
We, Indians
respect our Girja Ghars, Masjids, Mandirs, Gurudwaras and Jain Mandirs from the
core of our hearts as we feel attached to them because of our attachments with
our neighbours and friends. Our pluralism is eternal. Our brotherhood is
unbreakable. We can not be divided along the lines of our religions. We have
been advocates of religious and spiritual ethos. The world recognises and
respects our ‘unity in diversity but puts stress on the divisions and schisms.
This is not right. Indian environment is an environment created by the leaders
of Sikhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Islam. And all these religions teach:
मज़हब नहीं सिखाता आपस मैं बैर रखना
हिन्दी हैं हम वतन हैं हिंदुस्तान हमारा।
We Indians
also may be having some black-sheep in our midst. But that is inconsequential.
No one can guarantee a society that is free of all things evil. For that we
have to remember:
मुद्दई लाख बुरा चाहे तो क्या होता
है
वही होता है जो मंज़ूरे खुदा होता है
।
The signs
of our being alive to the situation as an undivided community are much in
number. All our national and international media needs to do is to read and
spread the lesson of spiritualism, taken from all the Dargahs and Mutts and
lesson of interfaith brotherhood with the ethos of pluralism from the length
and breadth of the great Indian nation that does not only live in the laps of
the people spreading venom of hatred and jealousy.
Please
consider the following that reports a drop from the ocean of Indian pluralism.
There are many such examples from all communities.
In A Remote Rajasthan Village,
Madarsa Opens Doors For Covid Patients
Around 20 patients are currently
admitted in the facility at Jamia Arabia Barkatul Islam Madrasa. (Express Photo
by Deep Mukherjee)
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Kerala: Hindu Doctor Recites Islamic
Prayers For Patient On Death Bed, Netizens Salute Her
Due to Covid, we have now become the
family of these patients, says Dr Rekha Krishnan.
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Robinhood Army Of Young Muslims Help In Last Rites Of Hindu Covid Victim In Assam
Group of young Muslims help in
performing last rites of Hindu Covid victim in Assam.
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Kindness In Despair: This Good Samaritan Ensures A Decent Funeral For Covid Victims
Jatinder Singh Shunty, Former MLA,
inside the Seemapuri crematorium in Delhi; Photo by Bandeep Singh
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Lucknow Gurdwara’s Oxygen Langar Gets Generous Donations From Hindus, Muslims
Along with medical oxygen, the Alambagh
Gurudwara management has also arranged for home delivery of food for Covid-19
infected patients. (Courtesy- Lucknowonline.in)
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Amid COVID-19 Fear, Muslims Help Hindu Man Cremate Father In Madhya Pradesh
A group of Muslims helped a Hindu man
cremate his 60-year-old father in Sagar in Madhya Pradesh after his neighbours
and relatives refused to join due due to the fear of coronavirus. Healthcare
workers carrying the body of a COVID victim (Photo | PTI)
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Hindu-Muslim Come Together To Feed Needy Amid Lockdown In Bhopal
In Bhopal, Hindus and Muslims come
together to feed the needy.
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The Holy Quran says:
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair)
of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know
each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of
you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah
has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Surah Al-Hujurat: 13) - Yusuf Ali
We all,
irrespective of our religious, national or tribal identity, are one. We belong to the same parentage. We are
brothers and sisters. We fight with each other but then we are a family. No one
can divide us, the Indians, on the religious or ethnic lines.
And
Allah knows the best.
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Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic
Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism