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From: dilip@milano.UUCP
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: An Independent Sikh State
Message-ID: <2500@milano.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Oct-86 17:23:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: milano.2500
Posted: Wed Oct  8 17:23:30 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Oct-86 01:44:09 EDT
References: <1232@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU> <3735@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Sender: dilip@milano.UUCP
Distribution: world
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 27
Summary: Whence secularism?

In article <3735@umcp-cs.UUCP>, raj@umcp-cs.UUCP (Raj Bhatnagar) writes:
> 
> If you are implying that Indian state has tried to identify itself with
> Hinduism without caring for other religions, you are only 'absolutely wrong'.
> For your information, most of the religion related laws have been enacted
> because of demands from minority religions! Yes, it is unfortunate that state
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I think this gets at the crux of the increasing spectre of separatism
India faces today. In an effort to be evenhanded and fair, I think we
have gone overboard on the other extreme.  Separatist leaders from the
smaller religions are encouraged to press their demands, because the
Government has shown it wastes little time in accomodating such demands
shortsightedly. Would these demands have been met had they been made by
the Hindus? Are we bending over backwards in the name of secularism? 
Does secularism mean we must treat minority religions specially or that
we must treat all religions fairly and equally?

regards,
dilip.

-- 

Dilip D'Souza                         MCC Software Technology, Austin.
dilip@mcc.COM
or [seismo, harvard, gatech, pyramid]!ut-sally!im4u!milano!dilip
(512) 834-3491