RELIGION AND POLITICS

Religious fundamentalism and religious nationalism are more appropriately applicable to religiously singular societies as in European Christian or West Asian Islamic societies. In Christian Europe, religious nationalism is weaker in the periphery where national identity was more secure and less aggressive. Where the origin myths of the nation which connect it to religion (e.g. Anglican Protestantism in the UK), are old and unions of nation and religion more relaxed, when external threat is not strong, then religious consciousness’ generally, as well as its relationship to nationalism are stronger (e.g. Greece, Poland, Belgium, Croatia), there also exist significant countervailing forces in the shape of the earlier institutionalization of secular-democratic discourse. Religion is the system of theological beliefs and dogmas. It is also a vital basis for identity formation. Religion is the moral force, which gives strength to a person or to a nation. Politics is the art of governance. If Politics is the last refuge of scoundrels and religion, the opium of the masses, any nexus between the two is bound to spell doom. Religion is the root of the most of the profound and permanent values of life while politics is about recognition and conciliation of opposing religion. This was the sole reason of introduction of secularism in Indian Constitution. The liberal democratic vision of secularism is generally seen as characterized by three principles:
1) Liberty and freedom of religion
2) Citizenship, and the right to equality and non-discrimination and
3) Neutrality and the separation of state and religion.

The first two principles have posed little controversy in the Indian context. Rather, the right to freedom of religion and the right to equality and non-discrimination are generally recognized as important constitutional values in their own right as well as a foundation of Indian secularism. The third principle i.e. relation between religion and politics, is the main cause of problem. To understand the relation between religion and politics it is necessary to understand the concepts of Toleration, and secularism/communalism.

TOLERANCE: The principle of Toleration is derived from the cultural traditions of Indian society. One of the major issues in the understanding of Indian history is the manner of cultural development and assimilation of various sections in cultural stream. The second is the nature of the state in India during various historical phases. As far as the first is concerned, two ideal prototypes have been put forward – first, the alleged assimilation of Dravidians into Aryans culture, and second, the assimilation of the Scythians, Huns, etc. in the Hindu fold later on. The whole situation changed significantly after the arrival of Muslims in India. In the words of Dr. R.C. Majumdar, “Muslims did not merge themselves into the pattern and the form with Hindus as single type of homogeneous culture.” For him both the communities were permanently divided into two powerful units, which did not prove amenable to a fusion or even any close permanent co-ordination. In the words of M.K. Gandhi, “India cannot cease to be one nation because people belonging to different religions live in it. The introduction of foreigners does not necessarily destroy the nation; they merge in it.” Though the statement given by the legend that it is impossible to assimilate the two religion is somehow, true but still the framers of Indian Constitution of India found the alternative of this problem i.e. Secularism. The Indian concept of secularism is different from Western one because it includes the concept of toleration as another important ingredient. Toleration has been cast as the characteristic of the Majority Hindu Community. Concept of Toleration needs democratization. This requires the delinking of Toleration with that of majoritarian and religious foundation.

SECULARISM: Secularism is the pressing issue in the contemporary Indian political system. In the multi-religious society like ours, secularism cannot be merely explained and understood as the separation of politics or the State from religion. It can neither be understood as an alien, intolerable, and modernist imposition of the Western concept of secularism on the Indian society. The Indian Constitution requires the State to equally tolerant to all religions. The Indian model of secularism, as envisaged by the founding fathers of neither supports the theory of ‘wall of separation’ advocated by Western oriented critics of secularism nor it stands for the theocratic fundamentalism approach or orientation of the statecraft. It is indeed an assimilation of the Nebruvian concept of a democratic state and the Gandhian politics of satya and ahimsa. An ethico-political approach to the statecraft is the need of the hour. A creative synthesis of the basic tenets of religious values and the western democratic norms and outlook can alone reinforce a sense of human solidarity and a common commitment to the core values of human civilization such as respect for life, liberty, justice, and equality, mutual respect, caring and integrity, what Gandhi calls a climate of creative co-existence.

GLOBALISATION AND THE INDIAN ECONOMY

We are living in the age of technology when distances of time and spaces have current and the vast big world of ours has become one global village.

Globalization is a process which draws countries of their insulation and makes them join the rest of the world in the march toward a new world order. It means the growing interconnectedness of the modern world. The increased ease of movement of goods, services, capital, people and information across national borders is rapidly creating a single global economy.

Globalization has witnessed a phenomena expansion in international trade flows and is characterized by the growth of transnational companies which now account for about a third of world output and two third of world trade.

Managed wisely, the new wealth being created by globalization creates the opportunity to lift millions of worlds’ poorest people out of their poverty. Managed badly, it could lead to their further marginalization and impoverishment. Neither outcome is predetermined; it depends on the policy choices adopted by the government intersociety. It developing countries like India are to effective systems of government and action against corruption, they need to ensure respect of human rights, and to promote security, safety and justice for all violent conflicts. Violence must be prevented and markets made work better for poor people.

Globalization gives added urgency to the tasks of strengthens government systems in developing countries.

Private capital is highly mobile and will go to where business can be carried out safely and where it can make the best return. Weak and ineffective states, with problems of corruption, inadequate structure and cumbersome bureaucratic procedure are not attractive destination for that flows. By contrast, those countries that apply rules and policies predictably ensure law and order; invest in human capital (particularly education and health) and protect properly rights, are likely to attract higher level of inward investment and trade to generate faster economic growth.

To successfully globalize, India has to shepherd its economy along two dimensions, building a world scale domestic market by opening its economy to upgrade itself. Both aspects of globalization require an active interaction with industrialized societies and multinational corporations.

India’s experiment with hybrid markets may have created a structural impediment to change. To unleash the potential, the country has to strive to develop a shared mindset and agenda, target some industries for special support, focus on quality as a national priority, allow mergers and acquisitions, allow Indian firms to invest in building , marketing and service infrasture in selected markets, focus on Industrial infrasture accelerate the privatization of the public sector, and pay attention to the political process in industrialized societies. For India to step up growth rates and address problems of poverty and unemployment there has to be strategy and vision. Globalization brings a variety of change, presenting opportunities as well as challenges both in economics and financial systems throughout the world. One fact is quite clear, the undeniable benefits of globalization are only available to the countries that best manage their economies.