Religion's Downside in India, the World's Largest Democracy.

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   Ralph Deedsposted 16 years ago

   "With national elections only months away, India is reeling from a rash of spiteful religious and ethnic clashes, prompting many in this country to ask why their vibrant, pluralistic democracy tends to encourage, rather than avert, the cruelty of neighbor against neighbor."  It's hard for me to see the upside of religion when I read about what's going on in India and when I see what religion is doing here in the United States.
   
   More here:
   http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/world … amp;st=cse

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      mohitmisraposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      We were known for our tollerance.The Parsis fled and came to India for this very reason.It is a sad thing -cruelty towards the neighbor.

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      countrywomenposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      That article is about regional feelings (I.E., A prosperous place like Mumbai attracts people from places like Bihar where there are few jobs).
      
      But coming to the real issue I think certain parties are trying to use religion to cement their political bases. I do feel since late 80's there are strong hindu parties which are trying to come to power using certain methods which are not behoving of the secular country that India is. Being a Hindu I feel correcting a historical wrong doesn't make something right (I was really sad when the Babri Masjid was demolished).
      
      India as a nation was always multicultural and multiracial country. My grandfather used to say that "around the time of christ when the jews were being persecuted by romans then some of them  found shelter in kerala and today they are called as "black jews" around 700 AD when the parsees where being persecuted in persia(present day Iran) they were given shelter by King of Gujarat and so on even 60 years back when Tibetan's were being persecuted by china they were given asylum by India". Hence India has a history of tolerance but slowly in certain parts of the country that noble spirit seems to be eroding.

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   VENUGOPAL SIVAGNAposted 16 years ago

   Religious dissent arises when a person ignores another belief. For instance, a group of tourists from South India visited West Bengal and Sikkim recently. All of us went to a Ganesh temple in Sikkim and snapped photos against the backdrop of the Himalayas. Two days later, we visited the Mother Theresa's missionery of charity in Calcutta and took photos behind the statues of Mother Mary and Mother Theresa. All Hindus in the visiting group felt proud to be photographed behind the divine statues. But Christian elders scolded their younger ones to remove the Ganesh temple photos from their camera. Religious strife starts from ignorant religious believers who do not understand their own religion. Because of the tolerance of Hindus, other religions thrive in India.  If something happens, they are isolated incidents. It is because of the new or neo-christians' ignorance.

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      mohitmisraposted 16 years agoin reply to this

      \
      Because of the tolerance of Hindus, other religions thrive in India.

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         mohitmisraposted 16 years agoin reply to this

         Hindus realised the omnipresence of God since ages.This is the reason why one is allowed to worship God as he or she deems fit.Yet dont try and impose your way onto mine.
         I think it was the saint Tukaram.He was ready to eat food and had gone to wash his hands when he saw a dog snatching a roti from his plate and run away.The villagers were surprised when they saw him running after the dog with his plate  trying to coax the dog into eating more.The villagers thought he was mad but according to him he said God came to eat from my plate and he considered the dog to be God.

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   VENUGOPAL SIVAGNAposted 16 years ago

   Mr.Ralph need not worry about the picture shown in the referred website.  It is the burning of a train by Bihar people in retaliation to the attack on Biharis in Mumbai due to regional interests and not for religious reasons. Please do not colour every happening in India as you wish. Hindus are known for perseverance and will never burn a train for religious purposes.

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