Yogendra Yadav, the founder- president of Swaraj India, a political party which aspires to usher in probity and accountability, has said that ‘Secularism’ as a core principle of India’s Republic is both sacred and hypocritical. He uses the Hindi word ‘Pakhand’ for secularism. And yet he feels that it’s the key idea without which India cannot thrive as a nation.
In an interview with Pervaiz Alam for Cine Ink, the London based digital platform for news and views, Yogendra Yadav, a politician, psephologist and an academic, says that secularism is a part of India’s Swadharma.
“India has two options, either to be secular in the right terms or forget its existence, as without it, the religious diversity cannot blossom as a unity,” says Mr. Yadav.
He feels that the policies, politics and intellectuals have made secularism ‘fraudulent’. He cites the landmark Shah Bano Case, when Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, faced with mounting anger from Muslim groups, used parliamentary procedures to set aside the court judgement. Mr. Yadav explains this is how the politics of secularism has become a tool for the appeasement of the clergy of the minority religions. In a hurry to pacify the orthodox Muslim clergy, the Congress government changed the constitution of the country overnight, he adds.
Yogendra Yadav laments that instead of focusing on deplorable conditions in the education sector, employment and housing discrimination against Muslims, the debate of secularism revolves around symbolic issues like ‘Triple Talaq’ or ‘Urdu’ language being made compulsory or restoration of the minority character of Aligarh Muslim University. To read further details about Mr. Yadav’s interview on Secularism, please read Supreet Aneja’s blog
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