On the 3rd of December, I took my students of DPS Indonesia to the Indian embassy in Jakarta to participate in a speech competition held on the occasion of National Integration Day. We were told by the embassy staff that they had also held an event in the third week of November on the occasion of Communal Harmony Day. Since then, I have been reflecting on the vexed issue of communal harmony in India and how, historically, the lack of social harmony and peace led to the partition of India in 1947.
As a matter of fact, issues related to national integrity and communal harmony are closely connected. The dictionary meaning of communal harmony is: peaceful and friendly relations among people from different races, religions, or linguistic groups. It is interesting to note that communal harmony is a concern of modern times; it was not a problem in earlier times. To appreciate this fact, let us look at this issue first from a historical perspective.
In ancient times, humans lived in tribal groups—each group physically as well as psychologically isolated from other groups. Although occasional clashes occurred between tribal communities, within each community there used to be near-perfect harmony, since its members shared one language, one culture, one religious faith, and one leader. As human civilization gradually progressed, crystallized walls of isolation began to collapse--leading to the increased interaction among different racial, religious and linguistic groups. Inter-group interaction had both positive and negative effects. The positive outcome of inter-cultural and inter-racial interaction was the rapid growth of human knowledge and enrichment of existing cultures. As a result, in the course of time, nations emerged which, in most cases, comprised more than one ethnic group. Narrow-minded conservative thinking gave rise to conflicts and hostilities between various communities living within one nation. Humanity cannot take a retrograde step now and go back to its primitive mode of living in smaller, exclusive groups to regain the same social harmony. Along with mass human migrations, faster modes of transport and communication have truly reduced this vast world to a global village where people of all races, religions and languages have no choice but to live together—willingly or unwillingly, with harmony or with hostility. Today, one finds expatriates or immigrants living in nearly every country of the world coming from every other country. Hence, we have the Indian diaspora in America and the Chinese diaspora in Australia. Thus, it is not only America and India that are pluralistic democracies but almost all countries of the world today have pluralistic societies. The question in my mind is: if all these ethnic groups in a country cannot live in harmony, is there any other way for them to survive? The answer is obviously ‘No’. That is why there is increasing awareness among the educated people about the urgency of bringing about a global culture in the world rather than Eastern (Asian) or Western (European) culture, or for that matter, Hindu, Muslim or Christian culture. The secular thinker, the late J. Krishnamurti, crusaded all his life to promote a new kind of human culture that is based on rationality and oneness of mankind--free from all religious and social prejudices that essentially divide humanity. Several New Age teachers today emphasize an approach to living that is spiritual rather than sectarian. In fact, all organized religions in the world are parochially biased in outlook, and hence divisive by their very nature. Krishnamurti famously spoke of the 'religious mind', and went on to define it as a mind that is free from all beliefs in religious dogmas.
In ancient times, humans lived in tribal groups—each group physically as well as psychologically isolated from other groups. Although occasional clashes occurred between tribal communities, within each community there used to be near-perfect harmony, since its members shared one language, one culture, one religious faith, and one leader. As human civilization gradually progressed, crystallized walls of isolation began to collapse--leading to the increased interaction among different racial, religious and linguistic groups. Inter-group interaction had both positive and negative effects. The positive outcome of inter-cultural and inter-racial interaction was the rapid growth of human knowledge and enrichment of existing cultures. As a result, in the course of time, nations emerged which, in most cases, comprised more than one ethnic group. Narrow-minded conservative thinking gave rise to conflicts and hostilities between various communities living within one nation. Humanity cannot take a retrograde step now and go back to its primitive mode of living in smaller, exclusive groups to regain the same social harmony. Along with mass human migrations, faster modes of transport and communication have truly reduced this vast world to a global village where people of all races, religions and languages have no choice but to live together—willingly or unwillingly, with harmony or with hostility. Today, one finds expatriates or immigrants living in nearly every country of the world coming from every other country. Hence, we have the Indian diaspora in America and the Chinese diaspora in Australia. Thus, it is not only America and India that are pluralistic democracies but almost all countries of the world today have pluralistic societies. The question in my mind is: if all these ethnic groups in a country cannot live in harmony, is there any other way for them to survive? The answer is obviously ‘No’. That is why there is increasing awareness among the educated people about the urgency of bringing about a global culture in the world rather than Eastern (Asian) or Western (European) culture, or for that matter, Hindu, Muslim or Christian culture. The secular thinker, the late J. Krishnamurti, crusaded all his life to promote a new kind of human culture that is based on rationality and oneness of mankind--free from all religious and social prejudices that essentially divide humanity. Several New Age teachers today emphasize an approach to living that is spiritual rather than sectarian. In fact, all organized religions in the world are parochially biased in outlook, and hence divisive by their very nature. Krishnamurti famously spoke of the 'religious mind', and went on to define it as a mind that is free from all beliefs in religious dogmas.
India in Historical Perspective
In ancient India, a rigid caste system prevailed which classified people into the four categories of Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. As a salient feature of the social structure, this was adhered to by all which, in turn, ensured general peace and harmony in society. This was one of the reasons why India touched the zenith of culture and civilization. I should not be misconstrued as supporting the caste system. (To my mind, all Brahmins working in the Indian defence forces are Kshatriyas and all Kshatriyas earning a living through commerce and business are Vaishyas. The provision of reservation in the Indian constitution for the socially backward people indirectly perpetuates caste system—for the worse or for the better.) Here I only wish to affirm that India enjoyed social stability, which helped it make tremendous progress in various fields such as science, art and literature in historical times. It is little wonder, then, that Indian culture spread far beyond its borders, as seen in the Hindu temple at Borobudur in Indonesia and the Buddhist temple Angkor Wat in Cambodia. So accommodating, secular and liberal was Indian society that it accepted waves after waves of refugees and settlers right from Jews and Christians from the Middle East to Parsees, Sufis and finally Baha’is from Persia and Iran. Indian society was accommodating, secular, and liberal enough to welcome successive waves of refugees—from Jews and Christians of the Middle East to Parsees, Sufis, and Baha’is from Persia. I do not include the British or Muslims in this list, since they did not primarily arrive to seek refuge. The first Muslim invaders indeed came as raiders and plunderers but subsequent groups--such as the Afghans, Mongols, Turks and Mughals went on to successfully establish kingdoms. This phase of Muslim rule in the history of India left a lasting impact on Indian languages, architecture and culture. Today, its legacy continues to be an integral part of India's cultural landscape. Its contribution to the growth of Indian languages and culture is too vast to adequately deal with within the scope of this article.
I am not a historian yet it is widely recognized that the first major blow to India’s communal harmony came at the time of Partition of India, and history has repeated itself again and again ever since. However, it would be unfair to say that communal disharmony exists only between Muslims and Hindus. The fact is that any small incident is enough provocation for religious fanatics. In 1984, the assassination of the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, sparked terrible riots in the northern parts of India. Thousands of Sikhs were attacked, their homes and businesses looted; many people were killed—some of them in ways so brutal and inhuman that they defy description. According to the Nanavati Commission's report, as many as 2,733 Sikhs were killed in Delhi alone. This anti-Sikh widespread violence in the aftermath of Mrs. Gandhi’s assassination came as a revelation to many social scientists. It demolished the myth that only Hindus and Muslims can be deadly enemies. One cannot deny that every religious group has noble tolerant souls who risk their own lives to protect members of other faiths in times of crisis. Ultimately, religion, race, or caste are not the true causes of communal strife; they merely provide a pretext for the intolerant to unleash their darker instincts.
Today, the greatest threat to the survival of mankind comes not from global warming or ozone layer depletion but from a divided humanity. This division is in our minds, not outside. The outside differences of race, religion or language are only the diversity through which Nature expresses its intrinsic creativity. Looking at this phenomenon from a universal perspective, we cannot help but marvel at the immensity of this diversity. As a rational human being, I must salute this divine creativity reflected in the diversity of mankind rather than curse and blame it for my irresponsible bigoted behavior towards those who are different from me--not as their own choice but simply because of being born into a different community or place—a fact obviously beyond their control.
The Way Out
What is at the root of all religious and cultural barriers dividing humanity? The bone of contention seems to be people's dogmatic and stubborn claim that my way of worshipping (or flattering?) God is more legitimate than yours— and that is precisely what religious chauvinism or intolerance is all about. Personally, I see only two ways for this human predicament to come to a welcome end. If God is at the root of all this, then let us bid Him/Her a final farewell. "God is dead", wrote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his classic work Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In Buddhism and Jainism, two ancient Indian religions, there is no concept of an almighty God who governs human destiny on earth, and who must be pleased or appeased through prayer or worship for the reward of a place in heaven or to avoid punishment in hell. Similarly, in the two ancient religions of China, Taoism and Confucianism, there is no personal, omnipotent God who grants worldly favours or offers the ultimate boon of salvation. Western philosophers such as Kant, Spinoza, Voltaire, Rousseau, Locke, Kierkegaard, and Mill saw religion’s worth in its power to inspire moral behaviour, conscience, and ethical living, rather than in ceremonies or rituals to worship God.
International Arena
Looking at the international
arena beyond the borders of India, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians perished during the Thirty Years' War in Central Europe in the 17th century. This war was fought primarily between Catholic and Protestant states--two major branches of Christianity. In the Islamic world, it is difficult to
estimate the total number of casualties resulting from the centuries-long conflict between Shia and Sunni groups--spanning communities as well as nations. In the Iran-Iraq War (1980--1988) alone, about 500,000 to over a million people were killed. The seemingly unending Gaza-Israel conflict has essentially been a crusade-like war between
the two Semitic religions--Judaism and Islam.
Notwithstanding complex geopolitical factors, religious and sectarian fundamentalism is at the root of some vexed global conflicts threatening world peace. Religions--with their respective baggage of dos and don'ts--might have evolved to discipline humans and thereby ensure peace in society. However, in a globalized world, the same religions become a factor threatening peace in a pluralistic, multi-ethnic society and the world at large. On an anecdotal note, during my seven-month teaching stint (2009-2010) in a school for Indian expatriates in a Middle Eastern kingdom, I witnessed curious propaganda to project a particular developed republic in the West--known for upholding democratic principles--as the greatest evil on earth after Satan. This propaganda had percolated right into the very ethos of the school, prejudicing and poisoning the minds of its students. So powerful was the effect of this hate propaganda that during my interaction with students in class I saw that they had been intellectually crippled and robbed of the ability to think for themselves and find out the truth of something on their own—an essential spirit behind any meaningful education. The students gullibly believed that it was sheer falsehood maintained by that particular nation that two of its astronauts walked on the moon. Needless to say, a teacher like me-- always passionate about nurturing rational inquiry and critical thinking--couldn't last more than seven months in that Middle Eastern country.
What is at the root of all religious and cultural barriers dividing humanity? The bone of contention seems to be people's dogmatic and stubborn claim that my way of worshipping (or flattering?) God is more legitimate than yours— and that is precisely what religious chauvinism or intolerance is all about. Personally, I see only two ways for this human predicament to come to a welcome end. If God is at the root of all this, then let us bid Him/Her a final farewell. "God is dead", wrote the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his classic work Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In Buddhism and Jainism, two ancient Indian religions, there is no concept of an almighty God who governs human destiny on earth, and who must be pleased or appeased through prayer or worship for the reward of a place in heaven or to avoid punishment in hell. Similarly, in the two ancient religions of China, Taoism and Confucianism, there is no personal, omnipotent God who grants worldly favours or offers the ultimate boon of salvation. Western philosophers such as Kant, Spinoza, Voltaire, Rousseau, Locke, Kierkegaard, and Mill saw religion’s worth in its power to inspire moral behaviour, conscience, and ethical living, rather than in ceremonies or rituals to worship God.
In recent times, New Age spiritualists emphasize self-transformation through meditation, which involves self-knowledge through self-enquiry, self-awareness and mindfulness—not to mention non-religious forms of Yoga and Pranayama. I wonder if humans will ever have the moral strength and wisdom to either leave God alone and live with the dignity of their spiritual autonomy, or alternatively, to not allow the doctrines and dogmas of their inherited religion to interfere with their own personal intimate relationship with God. The mystic English poet William Blake (1757–1827), writer of All Religions Are One and There Is No Natural Religion, said, "I must create a system, or be enslaved by another Man’s." Critics say that Blake's prose writings clearly convey that to follow the tenets of an organized religion is to surrender one's intellectual and spiritual autonomy. On a personal note, as part of my own philosophy of life, I reject all organized religions at one stroke. However, reading between the lines and seeing a central thread running through them all, I appreciate their fundamental teachings of man's potential for an inward spiritual transformation. I was thankfully born into a religious tradition in which everything is divine and yet nothing too sacrosanct to question; besides, there are absolutely no concepts of heresy and sacrilege, nor is there any sanction for religious indoctrination--no room for proselytising or persecution. There is no authority of a particular saviour or prophet nor that of a single scriptural book. Thus, I can't blaspheme this religion, no matter how severely I criticise some of its traditions in practice.
The only other alternative
that comes to my mind is to introduce the study of world religions into our
school curriculum in order to broaden students' horizons. It will go a long way towards promoting among children an appreciation and natural tolerance of other people’s religions and cultures. This new academic discipline, known as Religious Studies or Comparative Religion, is the secular, multidisciplinary study of religious beliefs, behaviours and institutions. It describes,
interprets, compares and explains various major religions—emphasizing
systematic, historically-based, and cross-cultural perspectives. An objective analysis
of the world’s major religions will reveal parallels running across them, explicitly
or implicitly. Appreciating the sum total of these parallels can equip the 21st century humans with a broader perspective with the help of creating a mind that is global in its outlook and rational in its thinking. Many thinkers have envisioned a world inhabited by such intellectually healthy humans capable of living in perfect harmony with one another. Such global citizens--who perceive the unity of all mankind and appreciate its diversity--alone can bring out a lasting world
peace. In such a world, people's actions will be guided by shared human values that rise above narrow sociocultural, racial, and national divisions while honouring the rich diversity of human traditions.
“Your consciousness is not yours. Your consciousness is the consciousness of all humanity, because what you think, your beliefs, your sensations, your reactions, your pain, your sorrow, your insecurity, your gods, and so on, are shared by all humanity. … Outside he may be different, but inwardly he shares the ground of all humanity. This is a fact. … You are the world and the world is you.” --J. Krishnamurti (From Mind without Measure)
