Times without number overzealous Christians have referred to Meghalaya as a “Christian State” thereby eschewing the secular nature of this country as enunciated in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution. It is important to remind ourselves that India has survived for 75 years as a nation by upholding the tenets of secularism which is equal respect for all religions. In recent years the BJP has been trying to turn this country into a nation of Hindus by preaching the credo of Hindutva. It is important to understand that Hindutva is a political ideology encompassing the cultural justification of Hindu nationalism and the belief in establishing Hindu hegemony within India. Hindutva is far removed from Hinduism, the religion which has been most benign all these decades but which is now sought to be weaponized against minorities such as Christians and Muslims. This is being decried even by moderate Hindus who believe that the survival of India as a democratic and secular nation rests on the pillars of secularism else it will be no different from Pakistan or Bangladesh for that matter where Hindus who are a minority in those countries are persecuted. To do to the Muslims in India what is done to Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh is sheer revenge and will take the country downhill.
It is in this context that an assertion by Christians in Meghalaya that Sunday should be observed as “holy” and there should be no festivals observed on Sunday reeks of religious fundamentalism since Meghalaya is home to about 25% of non-Christians too who do not observe Sunday as a “holy” day. While Christians are free to observe their rituals on Sundays and to persuade their adherents to abstain from any merriment on a Sunday, that diktat cannot be imposed on the Government and its functionaries who are expected to maintain their secular nature at all times.
The warning by certain pressure groups to disrupt the Cherry Blossom Festival because it includes a Sunday is unwarranted, more so when church leaders have distanced themselves from the controversy. That certain political parties whose interests are inimical to the smooth conduct of the Cherry Blossom Festival in an attempt to woo a section of fanatic Christians, is not a good sign for a state that should learn to respect all religious groups and to treat all religions with a healthy respect. Otherwise there is no difference between Christians here and the Hindutva forces that wish to impose religious hegemony on non-Hindus. If Christians assert their superiority in a state where they are the majority, then they should have no legitimacy to call out the Hindutva forces that oppress Christians where they are a minority. Christianity is best demonstrated by examples than by dictums.
