The Hindu Bureau
Transport Minister Antony Raju inaugurating the Structure Day observance organised by the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday .
Former Lok Sabha Secretary-Common P.D.T. Achary has stated that India can’t survive with out secularism and cautioned that any try and make the nation theocratic is sure to turn into a “failed experiment”.
He was delivering the keynote handle on ‘The Indian Constitution and the threat of theocracy in the country’ at a Structure Day observance organised by the Institute of Parliamentary Affairs (IPA) on Saturday.
Cautioning in opposition to threats confronted by the secularist beliefs of the Structure, he stated the situation unfolding within the nation was not encouraging. A theocratic nation, he asserted, would witness social strife and smash itself. Secularism alone can assure the survival of the nation within the twenty first century, he stated.
Fearing that the nation had deviated from the Structure, Mr. Achary stated the thought of secularism implied that the State has no faith and shall not promote any spiritual exercise. “Unfortunately, the country embraced the concept of ‘Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava’ that essentially underscored the need to respect each religion. As a result, religions and religious leaders play important roles in politics,” he stated.
Caste system
He seen the caste system within the nation as an offshoot of the social order that has existed for practically 3,000 years, whereby individuals are born to sure castes. The social system that started in the course of the Vedic interval continues to the current day. “While such practices were largely prevalent in north India, we (the people of Kerala) have not rid ourselves of such a line of thought. We have largely upheld such practices, albeit in a subtle manner,” he stated.
He added that the ideas of equality, liberty and fraternity which might be enshrined within the Structure couldn’t be internalised within the caste system.
Transport Minister Antony Raju inaugurated the observance. Elamaram Kareem, MP, presided over the programme. IPA director basic Biveesh U.C., board of governors member S.R. Sakthidaran and registrar Ratheesh G.R. spoke.
