In the past 25 years I have seen India undergo massive political change, suffer terrible natural disasters and take itself to the edge of complete economic collapse. During those times I have always believed India would survive. I have also believed what India would never survive was a communal divide. If our minorities—close to 180 million in strength—cannot see themselves as equal and honourable citizens, India will tear itself apart.

Unfortunately, our own bloody history does not haunt us. But contemporary events in the Balkans should serve as a warning. Religious and ethnic divides broke a small country like Yugoslavia into four nations. India lives with divisions far more complex and its varied population is intermingled and evenly spread. The worthy and workable social consensus of tolerance and goodwill is in danger of breaking down—like in Gujarat apparently with tacit help from the state.

What is beyond doubt is that religious fundamentalism has very little to do with theology and is purely a political tool. Whether it is bjp leader L.K. Advani’s rath yatra or the fear psychosis drummed into Muslim minds by Samajwadi party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, the language is the same. It is the cynical tongue of vote-bank politics.

There is no better time to demand a separation of the State and Church. The ground rules of Indian political life have to be redrawn and religious medievalism needs to be exorcised from its public discourse. In another context former chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan proved that if the law is applied impartially and forcefully, it puts the fear of god in politicians.
Our cover story this week tries to understand a disturbing and growing communal schism in India. As a guiding principle, secularism is abused by our politicians and mocked by the fundamentalists. But it remains the bedrock of our nation. India will soon choose between two futures: that of a thousand Bosnias emerging from the debris or a modern, forward-looking state where religion belongs to gods and not flawed men.

(Aroon Purie)