School home work on religion…

I recollect in school we studied about social ills apart from other things I recall purdah system and lavish marriages. Why I recall these is purdah (or veil) has now done an about turn and has become part of culture!!. This has more to do with Mullahs we cannot avoid and so has to be tolerated. How a patriarchy symbol makes it as 'culture' is intriguing. Since Indian elite has embryonic relation with Britain, recent happenings here have consolidated these regressive mindsets and so has given credence to these ills. It is a quite a sore sight to watch women packed and paraded like this, symbolizing religious freedom!!. More than sore sight or indecency it is violation of public space (the reason the move by France is such a respite since these disgust were attempted to be sacred). In recent times there is a trend to treat religion as untouchable, an entity in itself beyond the purview of the State, the Media seems to also insisting on this….surely this is seen as an extension of ‘personal choice’(which at crass level defines Market). Again this has become rallying point for fringe elements in Hinduism, the backlash of feeding organized religion and their sacred ‘culture’. The recent is the way temple entry issue is being handled. Temples or any places of worship are definitely not beyond the rules. That would be illegal and undemocratic. Religion as extra constitutional entity is not how secularism is understood or practiced in this society, that is western idea and as can be learned from recent happenings is flawed and if not contained would end as serious threat. It is also the reason why democracy is so fragile in Islamic nations and individual rights threatened or the rising credibility of far right in west (despite per high capita income). If the civil society finds a tradition condemnable then it cannot be condoned since it is under purview of religion. Religious heads (mostly for the reason of hereditary and archaic traditions) cannot bypass the rule of land as it encapsulates rights of people. Religion as long as it has social-political construct will have to pass the test of laws of democracy.

(plz go to depalanhere for lavish marriages….its trashing time folks!!)