Secularism: The beauty of India

The Beauty of India | http://MikeGhouseforIndia.blogspot.com

A few weeks ago, I wrote a note to Amalda and his friends, that Indians will always unite, and rightfully unite when an unfortunate  calamity hits India. It does not matter who it is, when Gujarat earth quake hit hard, all Indians came together, and one of my aunties in Bangalore sold her Jewelry to donate to the victims. When Kargil was attacked, all Indians came together, when Tsunami hit the shores of Tamil Nadu every one was out there to rescue. There are innumerable instances where all of us were on the same page, and we will continue to do that.  The sad situation in Tamil Nadu has once again united us, Temples, Mosques, Churches and Gurdwara's are opened to all people in need of help.

That is the spirit of Indian secularism that I salute!

Jai Hind

Mike Ghouse

Here is a good piece by my
 
Secularism: The beauty of India

Khaled Almaeena

The rains that poured across Tamil Nadu and especially in Chennai brought unprecedented hardship to the city. However, as the skies opened up, the deluge caused another opening which was that of people’s hearts.

Following the news on TV from Jeddah, reading the tweets and checking Facebook, I could not help but notice how this calamity also brought with it cohesion. It created a people’s movement. The floods created a race for survival as rising water levels submerged cars and trucks and reached first-floor apartments.

But the deluge and the battering winds did not dampen the spirit of the people. They stretched out their hands and banded together to face this natural onslaught. Temples, mosques and churches welcomed people of all faiths. Houses, offices and any safe place of refuge received with open hearts and arms those escaping the raging waters. People shared their limited resources with strangers. No names were asked; whether you were a Ram, Rahman, Joseph or Singh you were accepted.

This is the beauty of India, a vast country of various languages and ethnic groups. In times of adversity, the Indianness comes out. And perhaps this adversity can lead to further unity and be a showcase and a mirror to other parts of India where the harbingers of hate and division are stoking flames that could engulf the country in a situation that may, God forbid, cause irreparable damage to this beautiful mosaic.

India belongs to all. No one has a monopoly as the Indian Constitution clearly states. The beauty of India lies in its secularism. However, for friends of India, it has been painful to observe events and utterances by some self-styled “leaders” who are beating the drums of communalism and superiority. They talk about patriotism as they burn and loot. They chant this mantra as they lynch innocents. They forget that as Samuel Johnson said: “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”.

And that is what they are. Any Indian, of any faith, who works against the overall interest of a progressive India is a traitor to the ideals of Gandhi and is making a mockery of all the people who lost their lives in the struggle for freedom.

As Chennai has shown, unity, compassion and empathy are the need of the hour. The real challenges of India are poverty, disease, corruption and the deteriorating environment. That is what the focus should be on.

Overcoming these challenges can only be done when everyone feels that they are part of this great nation, forged together as a unit and proud of the heritage of centuries.

The people of Chennai have set an example for the rest of India to follow.
Let India embrace their ideals.

http://www.mareeg.com/secularism-the-beauty-of-india/

The writer is Editor-at-Large. He can be reached at kalmaeena@saudigazette.com.sa and followed on Twitter: @KhaledAlmaeena