INDIAN DEMOCRACY AND RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM, A LURKING                             

                         KOMODO DRAGON IN INDIAN POLITICAL SCENE

                                                 
PART  II

                                    
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

        The Babri Maszid issue has been kept burning
since 1948 and remains unresolved.  The
court case is going on since 1948 and remains unresolved. This probably suits
rulers and every one too. The burning issue finally resulted in the demolition
of the structure at Faizabad and resulted in bitterness and caused divisions in
the society. Every year Muslims in Hyderabad
celebrate the day of demolition as the black day and the local party AIMIM has
exploited the sentiments.

       Apart from the Hindu Muslim conflicts
Sikhs also took to terrorism in the past and Khalistan movement caused great
suffering and even threatened the integrity of the nation. Bhiderwale was
initially projected by Indira Gandhi and he soon became a center of attraction
to the fundamentalist Sikhs. Sikhs and Hindus have family relations and the
families are well knit. However the fundamentalists demanded Khalistan and
unleashed a terrorist movement. This resulted in the operation of blue star and
India army attacked Golden Temple
at Amritsar to
flush out the Khalistan terrorists. In the ensuing battle Bhiderwale and man of
his accomplices were killed. Golden temple suffered serious damage and Sikh
sentiments were affected. This resulted in assassinating Indira Gandhi at the
hands of security guards and the consequent holocaust in Delhi where scores of Sikhs were killed. Till
now the culprits have not been brought to justice.

Sikhs are part of us and they
have contributed very greatly in all fields and walks of life such as business,
education, literature, defense, trade, commerce, sports, and you name any thing
one finds Sikhs excelling in the field. They are the greatest patriots and have
taken the brunt of invasions from West. They have sacrificed greatly for thus
nation.. Majority of Sikhs do not subscribe to the theory of Khalistan and
entire thing is their handiwork of few politicians and mischief makers and
politics played by the rulers. There is saying that when you ride a tiger you
should be prepared to be eaten by it. Pakistan to play its cards in
promotinthe Khalistan cause. Suddenly Muslims across the border became bosom
friends of Sikhs and the misguided Sikhs also forgot all the atrocities committed
in past on Gurus by the Mughals. Peace loving Guru Arjuna dev, Tegbahadur was
put to death while Banda Bahadur was tortured brutally and skilled. Every one
knows the persecution of Sikhs by Aurangzeb. Two young kids of Guru Gobind
Singh were bricked alive by Wazir khan of Sirhind while Guru of his elder sons
in battles. Guru Gobind was also stabbed in treachery by an Afghan, hired
assassin

Of Mughals. The fundamentalist
Sikhs however failed in the mission and the demand for Khalistan has been
buried in history books now.

                 In parts of Orissa   Christian missionaries were put to death
very cruelly by the fundamentalists and now Christians too have taken up the
cudgel. In north Eastern states constant tussle is going on between Hindus and Christians.
Orissa remains a trouble some state. It is alleged that Christian militants
have killed an aged baba in Orissa and consequently there was retaliation by
others.  Hindu Christian clashes have also
become regular in certain parts of country and this is comparatively a new
development. It is generally alleged that the Christian missionaries are
resorting to conversions among tribal luring them with various facilities.Thuis
we see that religious fundamentalism has come to stay in India to destabilize the nation and
create vote banks. Some times incidents in neighboring countries too have
adverse effects in India.  Destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan
by erstwhile Taliban is an example. 
These Buddha statues are on silk route and form world heritage. They are
centuries old atlesat 2500 years old. The crazy Taliban    fired
at them with field guns and caused severe damage to the statues while entire
world watched in dismay. There was indignation in India and other eastern countries. Buddha
is considered as 10 TM incarnation of Lord Vishnu. If one travels throughout India
he would find destroyed and defaced idols in each and every temple as mute spectators
as witness to the Islamic vandalism in the past. They stir up passions and
hatred.  Nations formed on the basis of
religious fundamentalism too are suffering. In Pakistan
native Pakistanis and Mujahirs (Those who migrated from India) are at logger heads, Shia and Sunni
fights are most common in Pakistan,
In fact they kill each other while praying in mosques as targets are easy and
many could be killed. Aurangzeb the staunch Sunni Muslim could not tolerate
moderate Shiite Deccani sultans; He persecuted Golconda and Bijapur kingdoms and annexed
these kingdoms. The dynasties were finished off.  The Deccani sultans   of Bijapur, Golconda,
Bidar, Berar and Ahmed nagar too fought each
other bitterly for supremacy. Christian nations in Europe
fought each other bitterly during the time Napoleon and during world Wars I and
II.Therfore it is a fallacy that the nations found on similar religious fundamentalism
would co exist peacefully. Basically it is craving for political supremacy. An
average Indian is least bothered for these issues and is more worried about
earning bread for his family. Why Bangladesh was formed? Pakistan and Bangladesh were Muslim nations. Yet
they fought each other bitterly.

          It is most essential that all types
of religious fundamentalism should be crushed firmly. In parliamentary
democracy these things have no place. Mutual suspicions must go. Parties based
on religious fundamentalism must be banned. People of all religions should get
opportunities to rise to highest level. Religion should be confined to walls of
the house unlike what we are seeing now. It is being practiced in streets. We
have projected ourselves as a bunch of fundamentalists and become laughing
stock too. The government has no firm policy. The minority appeasement policies
for vote banks have deeply divided the society. The government buckles at the
thought of minority back lash. Imam of Jama Maszid and few more others got scot
free after making anti national utterances and in any other country such men
would have trails for treason. We know what the punishment for treason is. It is
worst than cheating the God.. Govt looked other way as it had no guts, neither
a strong policy except vote bank politics. They are more guided by the outdated
Gandhian thought that has brought nation to dire straits .Any small act
pointing to a Hindu pontiff is highlighted beyond proportion while same is not
true for minorities. There is an organized action in the country to belittle
Hindu pontiffs for gaining cheap popularity. The case of Kanchi Swami has
become famous. The swami was even denied bail as if he was a terrorist and multiple
series killer.  The sinners who
denigrated Sri Rama in the case of Ram sethu have not been punished. Thus
religious fundamentalism in the country is the result of our own actions to a
great extent and failings. The government has been partisan in its approach to
appease a section of minorities and this has also resulted in further rise of
Hindu lobby. Thus we see that Indian society is surrounded by the komodo
dragons of religious fundamentalism trying to pounce to devour the nation at
the earliest opportunity. The pseudo policies  of the rulers 
is the main reason for the present sate of affairs and the nation  has been built on unrealistic false
foundations and  devastation is around
the corner.