Religion and politics: Navigating the fine line
Should politicians use religion to garner votes from their constituencies in secular democracies? It is a million-dollar question with no real answer. While it is challenging to separate religion from politics, politicians could aim to help their constituents gain a deeper understanding of their core religious beliefs, which will foster harmony between followers of different faiths.
Most western countries observe a strict separation between church and state. This separation is well-entrenched in modern western philosophy and was reiterated by several thinkers at different points in time, including the enlightenment advocate John Locke, who said that the state should primarily deal with administrative aspects such as material security, and French philosopher Voltaire, a critic of religious intolerance and intertwining of church and state.
The idealism of western philosophers, however, at times ignores people’s intrinsic beliefs. Consequently, while the strict separation between church and state remains the core governing principle, office-seekers increasingly appeal to religious sentiments to get support from voters. For instance, in a secular democracy such as US, while campaigning for the American election, Republican candidate Donald Trump vowed to protect Christian values and declared that he was a proud Christian.
Acknowledging contributions of various religious traditions and addressing followers’ concerns are sure-shot ways to drum up support that could translate into votes.
In Indic governance systems, religion provided the guiding principle, and individuals were to act according to their ashramas –Brahmacharya, Grihasth, Vanprasth and Sannyas – and follow dharma. A learned brahmin was appointed as Raj Guru so that Raj Dharma, duties of the king/emperor, could be appropriately observed. Yog Vashist refers to an incident when King Dashrath turned to his Raj Guru Vashist because his young prince Ram had withdrawn from the material world and was depressed after returning from a pilgrimage. Vashist invited Ram to discuss his anxieties, and their conversation is called Yog Vashist.
Another example of a conversation between sage and king is the Ashtavakra Gita. It is a spiritual dialogue between Sage Ashtavakra and King Janak that deals primarily with Self-realisation, nature of the Self, and liberation from material attachments.
In pre-Independence India, MK Gandhi sang bhajans and provided a platform for multifaith prayers. He said, “The root of religion is ‘that which binds’. The root meaning of its Sanskrit equivalent dharma is ‘that which holds’. When morality incarnates itself in a living man, it becomes religion because it binds, holds, and sustains him in the hour of trial.”
Thus, man and religion cannot be separated. Still, netas who use religion to achieve power must govern responsibly by enabling individuals to understand the true import of their religion and ensure that there is no discrimination in dispensing their primary duties – governance and policymaking.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
END OF ARTICLE
