The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India c12.s8.3

c12.s8.3

In Muslim countries the nature of the state is generally Islamic if not totally theocratic. Secularism is prevalent in most advanced countries of the world. India too is a secular country. The Indian state gives equal status to all religions. It means that people of all faiths can practice their religious rites with equal freedom and without interference from others or the state. Secularism should not be a tool for demanding privileges, asserting rights, claiming more jobs (in proportion to population, whether qualified or not) and establishment of a minorities finance development corporation with an initial asset of Rs. 100 crore. Some political parties encourage such demands for gathering votes. All this makes India the only country in the world where reservations in jobs and not merit counts, thus making small a country otherwise great. This is one side of the coin. The other is that secularism in India is a stick to beat the majority community with, as it is an instrument for the appeasement of the minorities. For all practical purposes, secularism in India is very welcome to the Muslims. With Islamic regimes established to the east and west (Bangladesh and Pakistan), secularism means that the Muslim minority in India can have the cake and eat it too.