SECULARISM

[In response to a FB post, at                                                                   

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/lets-debate-secularism-not-rubbish-it/article6086156.ece] 

How one wishes that Hasan Suroor’s optimism stays and is proved justified. Honestly, I am by and large satisfied with Modi’s restraint post elections, so far. But one cannot afford to be complacent, given his track record, and viewing his whole history.

When Pakistan was turning right many thought that it was a temporary flirting with religion and that grass roots politics would put fundamentalism down. From Zulfikar Bhutto to Ziaul Haq things changed within a few years and have ever since deeply impacted Pakistan’s governance.

Although fundamentalists did not actually secure power in Pakistan, the nature of their politics itself became nearly completely green.

RSS that was capable of infiltrating all the secret services of the country even in the Congress rule, of which fake encounters and Modi’s access to federal secrets are just two examples, what would restrain it from colouring the army, paramilitary forces, school education, UPSC, judicial appointments, and the media?

Yes, I never expected large scale rioting, much less genocide. post Modi. But these are minor excesses compared to what they can do when they hold unquestioned power. Rioting is for gaining power. After this begins the institutional subversion. We need to watch against this and be ever vigilant.