anjali makaram 2011

India and Her
Secular Ideals
P. Balarajan
From time immemorial India as a State
has been secular in her approach to
individual or personal beliefs. This is no
accident by any reckoning. India as a
civilization also might have gone through
in her early stages of evolution of religious
faith the same rigidity of beliefs in a lesser
form and the same intolerance we see in
comparatively younger faiths even in this
twenty first century. India must have gone
through many millennia to evolve her present
day philosophy of tolerance and secular ideals.
Through ages, India has shown the world
that religious beliefs are personal to each
individual and all beliefs irrespective of his or
her denominational affiliations lead ultimately to
the same goal. The ancient Indian books of learning
proclaim thus, "Truth is one, learned seers describe
it variously (Ekam Sat, Vipraa Bahudha Vadanti)".
India always "Let noble thoughts come to her from
every where (Aano Bhadra Kratavo Yantu
Sarvataha). Knowledge brings enlightenment and
that in turn leads to realization of the truth and
resultant tolerance and welfare. Any rigid
ideology that does not respect others right to belief
is incompatible with the idealism that India
cherishes.
India’s secular ideals are founded on her
religious philosophy. The majority of the people
of India are Hindus and the Hindu religion never
advocated exclusion of anybody for his or her beliefs.
Her Advaita Vedanta proclaims the essential oneness of
humanity. From that philosophy sprung the high ideals
of the rulers that sheltered the Persian refugees (Parsees)
hunted out of their country centuries back. These are
KHNA - 2011
Anjali January
21