In this era of social media, everyone seems to have some approach to any of the platforms like face books, whats app, Instagram, twitter etc. Among them, a common popular platform is face book, where often people express their views, in form of an article or comments. Not recently, I chanced to notice a comment on my one post. It ran as, ” kindly don’t intermingle religion with politics. Just keep them apart, so the coordination of the society be kept on running soothingly.” Just suggest me! It sounds easier, to give an advice to keep religion and politics apart from each other. whether it is feasible upon the ground.
Religion and politics intermingled
To sever religion from politics, seems to me an impossible task and specifically in Indian context. The “religion” and “politics” are “supplement” to each other. If you ponder over the issue, it emerges up that ‘politics’ is “by product” of religion. In true sense, politics has evolved from the religion. For a given (impossibly) long stretch of period of “evolution” or “process of civilization,” we don,t find any term as politics. Although at the inception “Dharma (ethics of religion as rites propounded by progenitors to run the society or social system), was the mainly instrumental.
In the ancient period, to run the kingdom by a king in pursuance of norms, ethics, duties and rights were settled by old tradition, were nothing but the rituals. Here rituals meant, observance of Dharma or Religion. How and in what shape the governance of a kingdom should be? All these were propounded and ordained by the “religion.” To help run these rituals, priests had a place, in a sacerdotal capacity. No doubt, apart from Priest, king too had had his own separate council to assist him in running the kingdom. But priest, as such played a significant role as a conductor.
State as an entity
When we discuss about the “Theories of existence of ‘State’, ” there comes, an important theory of ” divine theory of existence of state.” In this theory, the existence of the ‘state’ is expatiated, as the Mandate of the God. In the Indian ancient Vedic literature, the king was supposed to be the mortal embodiment of the God. This traditions were accepted and followed by people in various regions, till the dawn of modern democratic pattern of government. The Monarch, a personification of deity, was the basic theme. In the mortal embodiment of the God, the king was also expected to observe the high ethics and social norms in prevalence.
To organize people in shape of “State,” the emergence of the branch of knowledge as “Political science” was not a primary tool. Already, “Dharma or Religion” had fulfilled that task. Religion had had an indelible and strong affinity with ‘miracles’. It was another fact, whether these miracles had a scientific prop or not. May be, at the primary stage of ” evolution of religion,” it took the support of “superstitions.” With the lapse of time and in the process of evolution, with the increase of knowledge and logic, these superstitions got eradicated from the public spectrum. To fill up that space of superstitions, other branches of education, in the form of “sociology ” and ” political science” came into existence.
Religion as the original seed of other fields of knowledge
The practical branch of political science, later on got recognized, identified and practiced as “politics.” But, as in the inception of this article is mentioned, the basic pillar of the “social system” was religion. Out of this main stem, various offshoots of “knowledge” grew up. It,s alike, as from the subject “Biology”, two main branches bifurcate in the name of “zoology” and ” botany.” Further, zoology gives birth to other sections of knowledge, under the name of Eugenics, Surgery, medical science etc etc. Likewise, “religion ” is the original seed of all the other offshoots or divisions of knowledge.
Even today, it’s proclaimed, ” Dharma (religion) is politics and politics is Dharma (religion.)” What does this connote? It simply suggests that politics should be run or observed in pursuance of social norms and values established by the religion or dharma. Dharma is the admixture of highly maintained ideals, hopes, duties, obligations and so on. In fact, problem had its genesis in the long span of period of evolution of human social system. Along with that, various sects and faith came in to existence simultaneously, on different scattered corners of the earth.
With the spread of some specific “sect” and its expansion, on the geographic and demographic basis, it generated some ill results. The followers of that “sect” became infested with egotist feeling of superiority complex. Here the element of “religion” lagged far behind, from the factor of “politics.” Since up to this time the “concept of formation of state” had physically been realized on the ground.
The after effects of formation of “State”
The conceptualization of “State,” brought with it all the virtues and vices. These were in the forms of refined entertainment, frivolity, luxurious life pattern, and an attitude of being victor. This attitude of being victor, had penetrated deep down in to the mind set. These virtues and vices, but natural were anti polar to the already established sacerdotal norms and values. Not this only, the the brutal ethnic crisis, too began to shape up, amidst different races. This crisis, persisted for long centuries and still it persists. All these ethnic crisis had one main “psyche element of being superior.”
After having a keen observation of human mind, still we notice the presence of high ethical values and social norms in its genetic code. These values and norms, induces him to live a life with peaceful co ordination with others. Ever and ever in human history, after encounter with every war, man always longs for peace. This impels him towards the religion or high ethics. The reason for this is evident of the fact that “Religion” is the main stem, of which politics is a scion. Religion is the treasure of virtues, whilst politics a fertile bed for vices.
The admixture of religion and politics can be explained by some instances . First of them is, the influence of Vetican city over the Christian nations. Influences of different ‘religious schools’ of other sects, over their concerned major cultures. Religion plays a significant role in mustering people on a large scale. And subtly, under the mask of religion, a political mandate implicitly get implemented or imposed. It is also evident by the hidden agenda of “conversion,” that apparently is run by “religious sector” but funded, supported and protected by the political establishment . Penned by– Vinay Pharasi…
