I came to read Destiny Disrupted through a work colleague. This expands on the topic of Islam as a religion that enhanced political connection throughout the so-called “Muslim world”. Laws in Islam as a religious doctrine helped build the political structure to the blank slate of monarchy and apparent anarchy of political battles and killings. This is reminiscent of the Shaivite and Vaishnavite struggle that India had in the past and now for all practicality restricted to some hardcore religious customs which are not physically harmful. I believe this is the way to rule, as used by Tipu Sultan’s forced conversions.
This can be traced more backward to “more barbaric and backward” political motives to use religious sentiments as divisive and ruling force. It is no secret that heavy taxes were imposed on non-core religion adherents, to make their life difficult in Mughal empire. This brings the question that a nation needs money and power to impose itself on the natives to rule. The power could be plain brutal force or that of omnipresent religious customs.
It is a wonder that the the current state of affairs in the educated part of India is not affected by the religious sentiments and thinks more rationally as far as what their tax-payer money brings to them in the form of benefits and social schemes, rather than some arbitrary/customary part-of-the-herd act in election. This freedom to separate political thought from customs can be, thus, considered the height of modern democracy. The freedom of expression , where you have freedom to follow your religion, follow your political ideology is beyond the texts and testaments for individual well being. The evident difference between what is called Hinduism, its practice and other popular religions such as Christianity and Islam is the social component. Since, there is no compulsory religious education or crowd-forced adherence to practices in Hinduism the social context of that is more individualistic rather than socialistic. So, it is not a single book or religious institution applies to all formula, therefore control of socio-political movements based on group-think is minimal compared to more socialistic approach in Islam and Christianity. It is the wonder of Human nature that even those customs are further divided and extremism in any religion of the world is nullified by continuous social interaction, within and beyond the assigned-at-birth religion. The freedom to choose religion, to choose political ideology dwells in the eternal spirit of humanity. Humans as a civilized society, would be individualistic in their freedom of thought and socialistic in their freedom of action. It is this ethereal breakdown that brings peace to any society.
I find nations impose nationality upon humans, humans find ways to tear down walls and artificial boundaries of these nations, by many ways including the system of immigration or Visa, the curiosity of an individual and the fluidity of a society cannot be contained under a single religious or a single political standpoint. In this era of continuous improvement using software updates why is that religion are static old and not up-to-date. How can one religion claim to be superior or of more correct than another if they are no updating. Is it by virtue of being popular or being older that these claims can be socially and politically ratified ? On the other hand politics is an every changing constantly updating scheme of practice where the elections and the newly changed needs of the electoral college demands a constant updates in views, practices and preachment of the candidates and parties that dream of power, rule and social service. This disconnects the link between religion and politics. And one can no more be used to influence the other. This disintegration leads to new elites of power and social following. This may be unreachable to the adherents of the traditional route, one religion, one language, one custom, one nation systems. Any divisions will lead to more unity, like action and reaction are two sides of same coin, this system of currency keeps up, with corresponding changes in the society. This is despite the change in changes itself, obfuscating boundaries and disintegrating divisions.
I believe, there will be peace upon the place which goes by the name of peace.
