Ibonio D’Souza
Secularism as a belief entails justice and fair play free of religious interventions which have repeatedly been a source of divisiveness, oppression and conflict. In our country, secularism is confined to mean concern for religious minorities and nothing else. Whereas our constitutional provision on secularism is not a static doctrine but a dynamic principle for practice. We therefore need to assimilate the expanding ethics of secularism as an effective mechanism for ensuring a wholesome socio-political system as well as our own inner growth.
All religions lay down ethics for their followers in the context of contemporary need, not necessarily with universal applicability beyond time and locality. Religious secularists must rise above the same should it be antagonistic to the spirit of secularism. Atheist secularists must not say like Dostoevsky, “If God is dead, everything is permitted”. Every secularist must be governed by the collective conscience, contemporary necessity and impeccable honesty.
Basically, secular societies spontaneously accept religious diversity and mutual respect for people of different religions and contributing to different faiths including atheism. No one has monopoly over wisdom in a shared society. Hence diversity of faith and practice needs to be respected and not merely tolerated with superiority complex and inward pity as is usually done. This is the hallmark of secular ethics and any compromise in this respect weakens secular credentials. There is no place in secularism for casteism or communalism. It has to be based on the cardinal principle of equality. Today, religious practices tend to be divisive and sectarian to a large extent. But true secularism cannot afford to be divisive, not even to those who do not subscribe to it.
We have people who indulge in corruption or illegal gratification through misuse of power, which is essentially unjust and divisive. Acquiring wealth through corruption to get higher rank and privilege defeats the core principle of secularism. Those who are corrupt cannot claim to be secular. They are divisive and are enemies of secularism. Secular people must be empathetic and philanthropic. They should think and act for common welfare over and above narrow personal gains. They must be empathic to all and be humanistic.
Secularism means rising above religions for justice and fair play but not abandoning the eternal human quest for truth. Introspection and meditation through any path is admissible to secularists. Freedom form bondage of religious ties should enable pursuit of wisdom and well-being of all. Mere religious secularism without acceptance of dynamic ethical principles associated with it sounds empty and is self-deceptive. We must adopt true secular values and ethics for a brighter democracy and better tomorrow in individual and social life.
