From: ssankara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sornam Sankara)
Subject: Re: Mandir/Maszid/Girza/Gurudwara
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 21:44:16 GMT


In article <1gg85tINN6cd@roundup.crhc.uiuc.edu> sunder@grusin.crhc.uiuc.edu (Sr
inivas Sunder) writes:
>S. Sankarapandi says:
>
>|> >How about a pentagon with a fifth corner devoted to atheists like me ...
>|> >We need to be represented too.  We need a place where we can meet and disc
uss
>|> >the stupidity of the people who follow `religious books' rather than think
...
>|> >
>|> >-aluru
>|>
>|>      The same feeling always bothered me when I was watching any religious
>|> programs in Indian TV.  When the TV telecasts all the festivals, religious
>|> preaching etc,  why not they allow the atheists talk (atleast within some
>|> guidelines not hurting any religion perticularly) something rational in ord
er
>|> to reform the people.  I am sure atheists are also a good percentage of
>|> population and why not they are not given any freedom of speech in the govt
>|> controlled media.
>
>Why not instead get the Government OUT of religion altogether, and
>make the Govt. agnostic? That way, neither will different religious groups
>complain that one or the other is the beneficiary of special treatment, nor
>will the atheists complain of being left out.
>
>This will involve not only a Uniform Civil Code, but also returning every
>single religious institution that exists in the country back to the people
>(possibly left to local governments at the lowest levels like Panchayats
> or city corporations or independently selected boards of trustees). The
>latter scenario could spark off inter-caste conflicts if not carefully handled
>though.
>
>|> S. Sankarapandi
>--
>Srinivas Sunder                                         sunder@crhc.uiuc.edu
>
>If my employer shares these views, I'd be most surprised.
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

     I agree with you because true secular government should be agnostic.  That
is not the case in India and it is never going to be because not only the
political parties which form the government but also the 'state' filled with
all the permanent beauracracy has to become agnostic which is imposssible.  IOn
fact the state influences the government in many ways and the minorities feel
comfortable with the opportunist political parties but they will always feel
uncomfortable with the state.

     Religion is a personal affair. Why all the government offices have
the religious pictures, sloagans and symbols hanged on the walls.  Why the 
governement servants celebrate "ayutha pooja" etc inside the premises.  Why the
president or pm or ministers visit the temples or religious mutts with so much 
fanfare in public.  The moment a person is elected to a high office to serve 
the people of all kinds should keep all his personal faiths, beliefs etc in his
home and see to that his beliefs are known to everybody in public. Even the  
GOD he prays will appreciate this attitude.  But is it going to be the case ?  
NO.  Otherwise allow the rationalist also to fight the stupididty of religions 
in the govt controlled media.

     S. Sankarapandi