Pseudo Secularism ....

Secularism is one of the main ideals of our Constitution and it implies equal respect for all religions and no discrimination against anyone on the grounds of religion alone.Nothing wrong with the principle of secularism but the selective application of it raises questions.Secularism, for all purposes,has come to mean minority vote bank politics indulged in by all parties.How else can one explain Congress Party aligning with Muslim League in Kerala and still claiming secular credentials.Samajwadi party is another champion of secularism,its ministers routinely issue fatwas on every irrelevant issue.The Left parties,the most secular of all,do not have anything to say when Hindus are massacred in Kashmir and so on.BJP has never claimed to be pseudo-secular,but it is also not without faults.The point is that the political parties have distorted the concept of secularism to such an extent that now only minority community identifies with it.
The murderous attack on Taslima Nasreen is a case in point.The exceptional thing about this attack was that it was led by three MLAs belonging to Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimen (MIM).Instead of these hoodlums being put behind bars,the Andhra Pradesh govt. booked a case against Taslima Nasreen.Even the protest by intelligentsia and especially the left parties has been muted as compared to the furore raised when Hindu groups are involved.So much for secularism.