Role of Youth in Developing Religious Harmony
Rev. Dr. Selvam Robertson
Role of Youth in Developing Religious Harmony
Role of Youth in Developing Religious Harmony
Introduction
This paper is a simple attempt to graphically
highlight a few challenges that affect religious harmony in India and to
suggest seemingly possible space to youth to engage themselves working towards
religious harmony. In the process I have sketchily mentioned some salient
characteristics of youth and why Christian youth should involve in bringing
about religious harmony.
Youth
It
is not easy to exactly categories ‘youth’. However the UN defines ‘youth’, as those
persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. It is a period where persons move
from childhood (dependence) to adulthood (Independence) and realize the
necessity of interdependence. Identity-seeking, choosing peer-group, developing
a passion for social acceptance, confrontations with parents and other
authority figures, and decisions of right and wrong, ‘ are often the pressures
which ‘draw youth to religion’.[1]
Nevertheless the fact remains that the “youth as individuals vary greatly in
their ideological interests.”[2]
As youth is vibrant the church and the society look for their creative and
constructive role in shaping the future. We, therefore, discuss the ‘Role of
Youth in Developing Religious Harmony’.
Why We
Religious harmony is a
constitutional duty bestowed upon every citizen of India. Hence, the starting
point for discussion on religious harmony can be the Indian constitution.[3]
The preamble envisages fraternity, secularism and guarantees religious
neutrality of the state; principle of democracy provides space for our views;
fundamental rights guarantee religious freedom subject to public order, health
and morality; directive principles prevent inequality; and fundamental duties
call for religious harmony.
Religious harmony can be pursued on
the basis of Human Rights and common humanness as well.
We
are concerned with it because our faith mandates. Psalm, 133:1 reads “Behold,
how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” It is written in
Ephesians 2: 14 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has
broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Jesus prayed “that
they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they
also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John
17:21)
I Challenges for Religious Harmony
I shall now discuss a few sketchy
factors, although not exhaustive, that affect religious/communal harmony in
India. The list is short of grass roots issues, but these are the issues that
at higher/intellectual levels trigger disharmony which spreads ripples to every
corner of the nation.
1. Constitution
The framers of the Indian constitution have allowed
necessary space in the constitution to promote harmony among (religious)
communities. The disturbing fact is that there is a call occasionally for a
debate on the constitution to deal with religious/communal issues. It is an
intentionally worked out strategy of the RSS towards imagining a Hindu Nation while
downgrading religious minorities. They say ‘let the Constitution be re-examined
and re-drafted, so as to establish this unitary form of Government’.[4]
This happens in spite
of the provision in the preamble of the constitution, among other things
(justice, liberty and equality), for fraternity. Even after incorporating the word Secular in the preamble of
the constitution, it is often hard to find ‘religious neutrality’ in the
functioning of governments. The point
that religion should not be used for political ends is becoming a rarity.
Even the principle of democracy is misinterpreted as “in a democracy the
opinion of the majority has to hold the sway in the day-to-day life of the
people. As such it will be but proper to consider the practical conduct of the
life of majority as the actual life of the national entity.”[5]
‘In stark contrast B.R. Ambedkar, could say, Hinduism is a
menace to liberty, equality and fraternity and it is incompatible with
democracy. In any given national context, the more politically dominant a
religion, the greater its capacity to undermine democratic values’. [6]
These in fact,
contravene the spirit of directive principles of the constitution which
envisages spirit of equality and justice to everyone. Call for a national debate on article 25 is a
well calculated plot to paralyze freedom of religion in India. This in turn
contributes to disturbance among different communities.
Replacing secular
state with Hindu state, framing anti-conversion laws against freedom of
religion and democracy being compared with Hindu majority point of view are
real challenges to religious harmony.
2. Rejection of Plurality
Rejection of the existence of many/different religions is a
major threat to religious harmony in India. One of the RSS ideologues
maintained that “we
are Hindus even before we emerge from the womb of our mother. We are therefore
born as Hindus. About the others, they are born to this world as simple unnamed
human beings and later on, either circumcised or baptized, they become Muslims
or Christians.”[7]
Superiority claims, arguing/debating for higher status on grounds of religion
and provoking minority religions perpetuate religious disharmony. In the words
of Ravi Tiwari “the fact of plurality
of religion, in which Hinduism is merely one among many, has been very
uncomfortable to the propounders of neo-Hindu ideologues.”[8]
3.
Nationalisms
Territorial/geographical
nationalism versus religious nationalism is another contentious debate that
causes religious disharmony in India. It distinguishes between independence
struggle and real nationalism. The advocates of such debate say anti-British
activities are different from real nationalism (Hindu nation). People who adhere to other faith traditions
are discarded from this communal nationalism. Establishing a Hindu nation is
called as world Mission of RSS.[9]
Using religious symbols
or images for nationalism is a real challenge for religious harmony because
this does not provide space for other religious communities to identify with.
Even their contributions towards nation-building and transformations are
undermined, belittled or misinterpreted.
India’s nationhood was intimately tied to a religious, and
specifically Hindu, imaginary. ‘As independent India’s first Prime Minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru, summed up in his Discovery of India, “That mixture of
religion and philosophy, history and tradition, custom and social structure,
which in its wide fold included almost every aspect of the life of India, and
which might be called Brahminism or (to use a later word) Hinduism, became the
symbol of nationalism’.[10]
‘Clearly, this Hindu conservatism, whose nationalism is a
curious amalgam of revivalism, xenophobia and triumphalism, can never attain
respectability except in a self-contained discursive ghetto. Indeed, it is an ideology which consigns a few
hundred million non-Hindus to second-class citizenship.’[11]
That is why, “religious nationalism” is a genuine fear
among the country’s minorities’.[12]
Suchitra Vijayan writes, “In a
secular democracy, citizenship is the civic religion. Religious nationalism is
the antithesis of this principle and excludes the notion of a secular state,
and denies equal participation of those who do not identify with the dominant
religion.”[13]
Further ‘the disastrous marriage between religion and
nationalism will ultimately subvert the values that have held this nation
together.[14]
4. Mono Culture
The beauty of Indian culture is
plurality (of cultures). Religion is integral part of any culture. Talk of
monoculture, rather majority culture, in place of multi-culture is another
source of discrimination that leads to disharmony. We are faced with the claim
that the Hindu Rashtra ‘stands for cultural and religious unity’.[15]
This is further expanded as our concept of Hindu Nation is ‘essentially
cultural’.[16]
It
implies that only a particular set of teachings, morals, standards and
practices are the final and similar other resources do not have relevance. The
followers of such resources, because minority in number, have to adhere to the
values of the majority otherwise they do not find place in India.
Jawaharlal Nehru
refuted such notion and wrote “a Buddhist or Jain in India is a hundred per
cent product of Indian thought and culture, yet neither is a Hindu by faith.
It, is, therefore, entirely misleading to refer to Indian culture as Hindu
culture. In later ages this culture was greatly influenced by the impact of
Islam, and yet it remained basically and distinctively Indian.”[17]
Further, ‘it is, therefore, incorrect and undesirable, to use ‘Hindu’ or
‘Hinduism’ for Indian culture’.[18]
The monoculture
advocates are unaware of the reality that in some parts of India their so
called “Hindu Culture” is strange, not-known and irrelevant.
5. Sanskrit
Language is the
vehicle that carries the rich resources of different religious traditions. Any effort to promote one language and
undermine the value of other languages is another form of religious
discrimination. The value of Urdu for Muslims cannot be substituted. It applies to
the scriptures of all the other religions also. There is a need in India even
to credit the religious resources that mainly depends upon oral traditions.
Unmindful of these stark
realities it is often argued that “Sanskrit
is to this day one of the greatest cementing factors of our national life.”[19] And it shall become ‘lingua franca’, in
India. [20]
The spirit of
absorption particular to Hinduism is vivid in the declaration that ‘the theme
present in the Tirukkural is the same old Hindu concept of catuvidha-purushartha’[21]
It is a fact that in some parts of
India people are unaware of Sanskrit and there is no necessity for them.
Sanctifying and promoting a particular language and ignoring other can lead to
dissension and disharmony.
6. History
and Education
We are faced with the aspiration of rewriting Indian history and
Hinduvising of educational system. The
notion behind such aspiration is that the existing histories are based on
different periods (Hindu, Mughal, British, etc) and the education system in
vogue is not based on Indian (Hindu) values. The new history is expected to be in
line with the heroes (mainly religious) of India and the education system is to
be framed after the Hindu literatures. The idea behind the new history is that ‘Hindus are the only
people who have succeeded in preserving their history which began from the
Vedas’.[22]
Similarly, “the
raising of Godse’s statue is not an isolated act by fringe elements. It is a
political maneuver, aimed at rewriting the history of the Indian polity, and
its principles of secular, pluralistic statehood.”[23]
That is why it is said “India’s future lies in pluralism,
parity, reasonable and principled cosmopolitanism and not with settling scores in
history.”[24]
There is an observation that “It is no secret that the Bharatiya
Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has been
struggling to find intellectuals to head various academic and cultural
institutions.”[25] RSS had even set up an informal committee to
come up with saffron-friendly candidates for some 680 positions. But it could come up with only 160 names. None
of these names has inspired much confidence in the constituencies these bodies
serve. Many have charged the NDA with not just saffronising but also degrading
the country’s premier institutions by appointing under qualified candidates to
the post’.[26] This
is also called “the closing of the Indian mind”, and viewed that “the present
government despises writers, scholars, artists and film-makers.”[27]
There is a fundamental distinction ‘between intellectuals
and ideologues. Intellectuals contribute to the growth of knowledge, whereas
ideologues are “more interested in promoting their political or religious
beliefs”. Most of the so-called intellectuals, including RSS sympathizers on
the Narendra Modi team, would automatically fall into the category of
ideologues.’[28] An
ideology which relegates a few hundred million non-Hindus to second-class
citizenship can ever form the basis of serious scholarship.’[29]
It is true that ‘the BJP Government
in Gujarat, MP, Rajasthan and Haryana are introducing Hindu religious texts in
schools and making Saraswati Vandana and surya namaskar Hindu rituals
compulsory on schools’.[30] The entire exercise is aimed at imposing a
particular point of view without space for other views. This then leads to
discrimination and disharmony.
7. Muslims and Christians
Often the patriotism of Muslims is suspected
and they are accused of enjoying the benefits of a minority religious
community. [31]
Another allegation is that there is no true religion in them they are only
trying to further their political ambitions.[32]
Christians in India
are also subjected to criticism like, “together with the change in their faith,
gone is the spirit of love and devotion for the nation.”[33] They are also warned that, if the Christians
do not subscribe to the ideology of Hindutva ‘they will remain here as hostiles
and will have to be treated as such’.[34] In
a way, these two minority communities are pictured as ‘working against the
nation’, a dangerous charge that can bring about hatred among religious
communities.
Sense
of insecurity is another cause of disharmony. The majority community fears
that, the increase in the number of Christians and Muslims is ‘a political
strategy’ under the garb of religious propagation’.[35]
Hence ‘it (Hinduism) feels threatened’.[36]
Savarkar ‘defines the Hindu identity
based on inclusion and exclusion. He includes Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs as
inheritors and partakers in the legacy of Hinduism, but he clearly excludes
Islam and Christianity as foreign ideologies brought from outside.’[37]
Disharmony, hatred
and disturbances are often manufactured ‘through riots, destruction of
religious sites such as churches, organizing religious conversion camps, beef
bans, rewriting textbooks, censoring works of history, literature and fiction
that challenge the ‘Hindu’ version of history, appropriating political icons,
and raising monuments’.[38]
8. Reconversion
The effort of converting people back to Hinduism is differently
called as Home
coming/ Ghar Vapsi/ Reconversion/Suddhi, a process began with Dayananda
Saraswathi continues even to this day. This is to reconvert people to Hinduism
from the religions where the dalits, discriminated and neglected of this
country found liberation, respect and acceptance. For the RSS, ‘this is only a
call and request to them to understand things properly and come back and
identify themselves with their ancestral Hindu way of life’. [39]
Security concerns is often
attributed to other forms of religious mobility, saying “conversion of Hindus
into other religions is nothing but making them succumb to divided loyalty in
place of having undivided and absolute loyalty to the nation. It is dangerous
to the security of the nation and the country.”[40]
Jawaharlal Nehru refuted this false allegation and said ‘Indian converts never
ceased to be Indians on account of a change of their faith’.[41] Attempt to cloth re-conversion with nationalism is another
dangerous threat to religious harmony.
9. Politicization of Religion
The
serious threat to religious harmony comes from political parties that use
religious sentiments to polarize the society. It is now a reality that election manifestos
of some political parties include highly inflammable and sensitive and
controversial religious issues. It is also becoming a reality that just before
elections communal riots are instigated. It was seen in Uttar Pradesh before
the general elections. Gujarat became a strong BJP stronghold, presumably, after
an ugly communal clash. Earlier, even a few political leaders became popular
after demolishing a mosque. Another new trend that has developed is the ones
who make incriminatory and provocative communal attack on minority communities
are given attractive positions in the government.
‘Mobilizing the masses using
religion and religious symbols for political ends started along with
independence movement (Bharat Matha).
And “almost fifty years later, the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi campaign
employed similar strategies to mobilize popular support for its vision of Hindu
nationhood.”[42]
These mobilizations are aimed at constructing the Hindu nation.[43]
Such acts ruthlessly undermines the existence and rights of religious
minorities to the point of extreme hatred and mistrust.
10. Suppression of Voices
The
process of politicization of religion targets people who help the victims of
communal hatred. ‘In an interview to the Hindu Teesta
Setalvad said that under the Modi
regime the future is dark for activists’.[44] She
was ‘the face of the fight for justice for the victims of the Gujarat
riots in 2002. She has tirelessly fought scores of cases, provided legal aid to
the survivors through her non-governmental organizations and played a role in
securing conviction of 120 perpetrators. But today, she is accused of forgery
and criminal breach of trust, facing multiple inquiries and six FIRs. Her
organizational and personal accounts were frozen in early 2014, and a travel
ban was imposed recently’.[45]
This is a
sign of growing intolerance towards others and intolerance towards
transformation-social, religious. People who voice for justice are treated with
contempt. Without justice, there cannot be peace or harmony.
II Role of Youth
In
the context of these issues we can look at some measures that the youth of the
country who have a love for the
nation, desire to serving, passion for
righteous life and leading purpose driven life may engage in promoting
religious harmony. One way of doing it is by “opinion building”. This can be
done among the peer group, in working places, worship places and in all the
places.
1. Protecting Constitutional
Provisions
The youth can mobilize towards
protection of constitutional provisions that guide religious harmony in India.
All efforts to do away with secularism should be handled diligently. If there
is no religious neutrality the minority religious communities may have to live
at the mercy of the majority. Such a state will lead to more tensions and
suspicions. Religious harmony will be almost impossible. Similarly, we cannot
lose our democratic provisions which help representing our views. It is said “one of the important values that religions will
have to promote is democracy or a reverential attitude for others.”[46]
Not
to ignore the values of equality and justice the guiding principles that are
enshrined in the directive principles. With all the democratic tools alone we
will be able to realize the vision of fraternity that is enshrined in the
preamble of the Indian constitution.
As opinion builders the youth can be
proactive in exploring various possibilities to uphold the sanctity of the
constitution as it is the only firm foundation for establishment of religious
harmony. In order to protect our
constitutional rights we need to learn to work with secular political parties
and ideologies as well.
2.
Fulfilling Fundamental Duties
One of the fundamental duties of every Indian citizen is to promote
(religious) harmony: [Part IV, Article 51-A(e) “to promote harmony and the
spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or
sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women;”] There cannot be any blame or insult when we fulfill our constitutional responsibilities.
The avenue of fundamental duties can be more authentic for youth to pursue
religious harmony because it is free from religious stigma. Majority community
cannot accuse us of desperate attempt to promote religious harmony. Youth can
discuss and involve their peer-group so actively if the concern for harmony
emerges from fundamental duties as found in the Indian Constitution.
3.
Right Perspective on Freedom of Religion
The youth should develop right and clear
perspective on freedom of religion. Article 25 provides for freedom of
conscience, freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion. It is
often mistakenly claimed that, the article allows conversion of others. In fact
what is guaranteed is freedom of religion and not freedom to convert others.
Everyone has freedom
to convert him/herself to any religion of his/her choice. Nobody has right to
convert others. But every Indian citizen has freedom to choose his/her choice
of religion. A right understanding will eliminate unnecessary controversies
with neighbors of other faith and help promote religious harmony.
What
is at stake is the freedom to choose any religion. This freedom is hindered
through freedom of religion bills. The present government’s effort to have a
national debate on conversion is to ban freedom of religion as a whole. A
blanket ban on conversion will be the final death blow to freedom of religion
in India which will generate so much of unrest among communities. The youth of
our country should rise to the occasion and should not fall prey to such
deceptive political schemes.
One more aspect that
needs our careful attention is that freedom of religion is not absolute freedom
but subject to public order, morality and health. This implies that the state
is in its limit to control freedom of religion when it feels necessary. It
applies to both majority and minority religions. When there is suspicion over
state actions, it is appropriate to seek legal remedies. The youth should be
educated in this process. This can promote religious harmony and avoid hatred
towards each other.
The Supreme Court has
often stressed the need to ‘stamp out’ religion from civil laws.[47]
The court has said what was protected under Article 25 was the religious faith
and not a practice which may run counter to public order, health or morality.
What the State protects is religious faith and belief. ‘If religious practices
run counter to public order, morality or health or a policy of social welfare
upon which the State has embarked, then the religious practices must give way
before the good of the people of the State as a whole.[48]
According to pope
Francis ”One does not have the right to offend and ridicule the fiath of others
in the name of freedom of religion.”[49]
Shallow understanding of crucial facts
can lead to fundamentalist attitude and hatred. This can be overcome if we
place ourselves within the ambit of the constitution. No reasonable human being
can oppose religious harmony if pursued within the framework of the
constitution.
4. Legal Remedies
Religious freedom has
an important role in unifying a country. Unless religious freedom is complete
there cannot be any effort for religious harmony. When everyone is equal before
the law, those equals can come together to utilize their potentials for
religious harmony and resulting public good.
In the contexts of
religious conflicts ‘without justice and
fairness’ we cannot strive for reconciliation and harmony. Swami Agnivesh
points “Peace without justice will be simply a euphemism for reinforcing the
social and economic status quo.”[50]
We live in a country where worship places are razed to the
ground by a mammoth mob under the leadership of communal political leaders, in
the full view of cameras and security personals. No one is punished. Thousands
of people belonging to a particular religious community are killed as genocide
under the banner of communal conflicts and the responsibility could not be
exactly fixed. Increasing number of elected
members of the parliament makes provocative and communally sensitive statements
and goes unpunished.
It
is true “Justice is a necessary precondition for the existence of unity and
harmony at every level of society.”[51]
The youth of the country who are committed for religious harmony have to
explore the possibilities of bringing about fairness in justice delivery
system. All issues that affect harmony need to be legally resolved. Justice can
promote harmony.
5.
Legislative Process
Another option opened
before the youth to establish religious harmony is through legislative system.
The drawback to this process is that there is less number of legislative
members from minority communities compared to the larger number from the
majority community. Court rulings that are to be set right for healthy and
harmonious future can be done only through legislative process.
For example the
Supreme Court has ruled that freedom of religion bills legislated by different
states do not infringe the freedom of religion. In reality these bills have
made the choice for Freedom of Religion more difficult and complicated. As
human beings are becoming more civilized and global the possibility to change
religion should become simple and individual’s affair without government
interference as long as it does not violate the constitution of India. This can
now be achieved only through reasonable legislations.
Another pretentious effort to curb freedom of religion and to
endanger peaceful coexistence is the effort to initiate a national discussion
on conversion. This is a willful attempt to completely seal freedom of religion
and promote hatred and disharmony in the place of unity and harmony. The youth
need to build opinions in the political arena to nullify those efforts.
The Supreme Court has earlier declared Special status to
Sanskrit as the ancient Indian literatures are in Sanskrit. This shows the
subjective consideration of issues and the unpalatable nature of the verdict in
our context. It requires a legislative process to set right matters. Similarly
the presidential order disallowing government privileges to scheduled caste
Hindus converted to Christianity needs a bold legislative correction. A united Christian
persuasion along with other minorities, political parties and ideologies can be
of help to achieve this end.
While respecting the Courts it is worthwhile to look for
better environments for harmonious living. The youth must be empowered to take
up these challenges by providing necessary resources so that religious harmony
can become a reality.
6.
Human Rights
Religious
harmony cannot be devoid of human rights; it is the respect for human rights
that will curb religious disharmony. Youth can explore this possibility as
well. There are many young and old who have chosen this process to work for
harmony. The point of caution is that in
the UN’s declaration of human rights “religious freedom now emphasized the
right to change or maintain one’s faith, not the right to convert or proselytize
other.”[52]
Felix Wilfred writes ‘no social harmony is possible without
recognition of the dignity and rights of people’. ‘By defending human rights
Christianity will effectively champion the cause of peace in the Asian
societies’.[53]
As per UN declaration, freedom of religion is a fundamental
human rights. When it is recognized as inalienable it automatically implies
that irrespective of different religious affiliations people need to live in
harmony because no individual is wrong as he or she adheres to the faith
tradition to which he or she is affiliated. Human rights channel can bring
together youth from any number of religious traditions for the sake of
promoting religious harmony.
7.
Humanness
One way of youth working towards religious harmony is to recognize
the common humanity behind the many religious followers. What is common is
humanness not religion. Religion is a choice. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam writes “in
whatever field we work, be it science, technology, medicine, politics,
policing, theology, religion or the judiciary, we have to remain in the service
of the common man whose well-being is central to all human knowledge and
endeavor.”[54]
According to Raimon Panikkar “What religion needs to do is
to make the human beings realize their common humanity and strengthen the bonds
of friendship and affection.”[55]
Plurality of religions should be celebrated but should not become obstacle to
harmony. Harmony is not possible without differences for a specific oneness.
In promoting religious harmony “some of the principles
that are to be looked onto are the fundamental principles of the oneness of
humankind, not just in the form of an intellectual acceptance but also
observing it in practice in one’s day-to-day life.”[56]
Realization of a
common humanity behind the multiplicity of religions can inspire young minds to
build teams to bring about religious harmony among people of different faith
orientations.
Poverty is a mass
killer of humanity in spite of following different religions. Felix
Wilfred remarks “the pervasive threat to peace is caused by poverty.”[57]
As poverty is a common human concern youth can rally around towards eradication
of poverty. This will bring them together as harmonious lot.
8.
Change
Paul
F. Knitter affirms, “Study, prayer, interreligious dialogue, and action to
promote justice, peace, liberation, and the integrity of creation have changed
me.”[58]
He also maintains “A new way of understanding other religions implies a new way
of understanding Christianity.”[59]
It is true that “we must all remember,
very often we tend to forget that religion is an accident of birth except
perhaps for that minuscule minority which might adopt it by choice. It is,
therefore, essential that we realize that the purpose and objective of every
religion is to foster peace, harmony, brotherhood, and not to quarrel
needlessly.”[60]
The perception that religious
minorities are threat to the nation requires conscious correction/adjustment
from us to instill trust in our programs. We also need conscious paradigm to
present untainted Christian image free from political.
From the point of
theology we need an ecumenical theological vision. No theology is absolute. We
need to honor the possibility of multiple interpretation and perspectives for
positive harmony. Our priority should be
the ‘Life sustaining vision of Jesus’. His life and work was to make life
meaningful and not to make religion rigid. His ministry was extended not just
for Christians alone. We are to transcend our imaginary dogmatic barriers to
bring about “a new heaven and a new earth”. We cannot be passive as we are
‘salt, light and city on the hill.
Elisha
granted permission to Naaman to go into the house of Rimmon with the king, even
after declaring that there is no god in all the earth but in Israel. Jesus
appreciated the faith of the Roman centurion who constructed temples for the
Jews. Change of theological viewpoints and mutual openness and respect shall
contribute to religious harmony.
9.
Dialogue
We have the habit of
organizing prayers for our own groups in work places, offices, etc. We need
extra effort to form dialogue groups/ friendship groups with friends/colleagues
belonging to different faith traditions. This has to be done with utmost
sincerity. In the words of Ravi Tiwari “no
experience of dialogue is worthy if it is conducted, or engaged in, without
sincerity and integrity of purpose.”[61]
Further, “the
purpose of interfaith dialogue is not to argue and win but to listen and
understand the true teachings of other religions.”[62]
Dialogical, living
and witnessing is essential for a plural society like ours. For example ISKCON is taking initiatives to
have dialogue with Christians in spite of both being mission oriented
traditions. It is a unique experience.
A
youth leader ‘Builds healthy relationships’, has ‘Passion for harmony’, is ‘A
team player’ and ‘A mobilizer of young people’. Hence he/she should play a
proactive role in maintaining communal and social harmony.
There
is definite need for dialogue for the sake of peace and harmony among
religions. Communal harmony should become passion for the youth.
Godwin R. Singh
writes “Communal violence reveals the stark fact that there is communication
gap among individuals and among communities. One possible way of bridging this
gap is through dialogue which enables peoples of various communities to come together
and to think out for themselves the implication for the life which they live as
communities in a pluralistic context.”[63]
Pope Francis: “While
there will necessarily be a variety of religious convictions, honest and
transparent expression of the same would bring out what unites and divides the
believers,”[64]
10. Creating Awareness
We may use our
communication and educational channels to raise awareness about the importance
of religious harmony. Wise, meaningful
and innovative use of social/ media is essential to create awareness about
religious harmony. “The search for communal harmony will be futile if the
approach is not geared along with participation of the people in realizing
their objective. Particular attention has to be given to the growth of awareness
of the people; and to help them to translate their awakened consciousness into
action at grassroots level.”[65]
Awareness programs should be used for
opinion building. Youth must rise above fear, jealousy and hate
on opinion building towards respecting plurality and diversity. “No expert or social scientist, not even a
religious leader or a prophet will be able to solve the communal problem unless
the masses join hands to accomplish it. Peoples’ participation is the crucial
element in this search.”[66]
That is why we read statement like:
“I think that in all
our educational institutions, it is necessary to form interreligious fora so
that our children, the growing generation, who have to mould the destiny of our
country, know the essential teachings of different religions.”[67]
Awareness
about politicization of religion has to take place as well. This is evident
from the role of communal programs behind electoral success in Up, Gujarat,
Karnataka.
Creating awareness to
continue with works of social transformation can be another effective way of
dealing with religious harmony. The reforms brought about by early missionaries
and secular ideologies like Dravidian Movement was quite impacting. We need to
incorporate these aspects along with other forms of Christian witness.
Conclusion
There may be numerous other challenges
to religious harmony than the ones discussed. Similarly there may many more
methods for youth to engage in religious harmony. Though the possibilities
discussed are very essential for working towards religious harmony an actual
encounter with different situation will help understand the other causes of
disharmony and solutions for harmony. It is an ongoing process. Hence,
continuous study/research, engagement and explorations are necessary for a
fruitful search for harmony.
Religion and Dialogue
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Harmony and Peace, edited by T.D. Singh (New Delhi
& Kolkata:Delhi Peace Summit & Bhaktivedanta Institute, 2005), 185.
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Sorabjee, “Interfaith Education,” in Towards a Culture of Harmony and Peace, edited
by T.D. Singh (New Delhi & Kolkata:Delhi Peace Summit & Bhaktivedanta
Institute, 2005), 120.
[57]
Felix Wilfred, Religion and Culture for
social Amity (Bangalore: ECC, 2006), 15.
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[65] Godwin R. Singh, In Search of Communal Harmony (Delhi:ISPCK, 1985), p. 62.
[66] Godwin R. Singh, In Search of Communal Harmony (Delhi: ISPCK, 1985), p. 62
[67] P.K.
Shamsuddin, “Religion and Harmony,” in Towards a Culture of Harmony and Peace, edited
by T.D. Singh (New Delhi & Kolkata:Delhi Peace Summit & Bhaktivedanta
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