News: Stung by fire incidents in various parts of Bihar due to searing heat conditions, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered officials to issue an advisory to ask people not to light fire between 9 AM and 6 PM and observe havan and puja before nine in the morning.
Source: Hindustan Times
Secularism is perhaps the most misused word in India. It has been torn and twisted, misrepresented and maligned to transform it into something completely different from what the word actually signifies. Secularism in its true from implies the separation of Religion and State, that Religion in no way shall interfere with the affairs of the State and the State shall provide Freedom of Religion as long as there’s no violation of the Fundamental Rights of human beings.
With time, Indians have forgotten to make the distinction between the Western form of Secularism and the Indian interpretation of the term. In the West, the word Secular implies three principles: Freedom of Religion, equal citizenship to everyone regardless of their Religion and the Separation of Religion and State. However, in India, although there’s Freedom of Religion, there’s no equal Citizenship to everyone regardless of their Religion as Muslims have their own set of Personal Laws and there’s no Separation of Religion and State. Instead we have equal participation of State in all religions which has become a tool in the hands of ‘Secular’ politicians who have gleefully manipulated the loopholes prevalent in our Constitution for Votebank Politics.
Prominent journalists and Secularists like Sadanand Dhume and Taslima Nasreen have repeatedly exposed the Indian interpretation of Secularism for the sham that it is. As Taslima Nasreen has correctly pointed out, “”Most secular people are pro-Muslims and anti-Hindu. They protest against the acts of Hindu fundamentalists and defend the heinous acts of Muslim fundamentalists”.
Recently, there was a rather obnoxious order issued by the Secular Nitish Kumar led Mahagathbandhan Coalition in Bihar which prohibits Temples from practicing Havan and Puja from 9am till 6pm. The reason cited was Havan and Puja cause Fires and hence needed to be stopped to avoid the risk. The reason cited is bewildering and seems extremely illogical as no evidence has been provided by the government to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that such Hindu practices cause a disproportionate percentage of Fire.
One is also forced to wonder if Havan and Puja can cause outbreaks of Fire, then why haven’t candles been banned in Churches for the same reason? And why have they been banned only from 9am to 6pm? Is the Bihar government trying to imply these practices do not pose any threat outside the mandated time period? We can only wonder what exactly was the rationale behind such ignoramus diktats. One plausible reason might be that Liquor was banned in the State recently and it’s quite possible that Nitish Kumar and his college are suffering from Withdrawal Symptoms.
Also, the diktat of the Bihar government seems unconstitutional on the face of it. Article 26(b) of the Constitution maintains that subject to Public Order, Morality and Health, all Religious Denominations shall have the right to manage its own affairs. I presume we can all agree that Havan and Puja do not pose any threat to Public Order, Morality and Health. If this law doesn’t safeguard the rights of the Hindu Religion, then it’s seriously time for us to reconsider the purpose of such laws.
Also, it seems like the sort of quick fix solution that Liberals usually come up with that fixes the symptom and not the disease. If Havan and Puja did cause some outbreak of Fire, then the Temple authorities responsible for the gross negligence should be punished. Banning the practice altogether is not the solution. And suddenly, all the Liberals who claim that Banning does not work have gone into hiding. Pretty similar to how they had dug themselves a grave and buried themselves in it when the Bihar government had banned alcohol. The obnoxious duplicity of Liberalism is once again at blatant display in all its glory for all to see.
With every passing week, it’s getting extremely difficult to dismiss the concerns of a certain section of disgruntled Hindus who claim the great Hindu Civilization is under threat as paranoia. If the Secular Constitution can authorise the government to ban essential Hindu practices such as Havan and Puja, what guarantee is it that State Governments will not ban any other crucial Hindu practices? It’s becoming extremely apparent that Hindus not only have to protect themselves against the rampant mass conversion by the Abrahamics but also have to protect their Dharma against a Secular State which seems desperate to destroy their practices.
Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar is busy projecting himself as the Prime Ministerial candidate for a Secular coalition in 2019. Well, Mr. Nitish, if you think you can become the Prime Minister of a country which comprises of about 79% Hindus after mischievously offending their Religious Sensibilities over such a trivial reason, then I wish you the best of luck in your fruitless endeavor.