Keeping the Faith-Rejoinder
Reference the article “Keeping the Faith”
by Srijana Mitra Das, appearing in the “Times of India, Bangalore edition” on
21st Oct 2011, the effort to highlight the validity of integration
of spirituality in politics is quite laudable. However, the article seems to suffer
from the widely prevalent fallacy of
confusing religiosity with spirituality. It is the same mistake that people
make in confusing “politics” with “electioneering”. Both “Politics” and “Spirituality”
are about providing frameworks for a meaningful harmonizing of individual
welfare with the larger order of things- society in one case and
universal/nature in the other. In recent times both politics and religion have
become tools for exercising power and control over people’s minds and bodies.
The need is for the philosophers and
spiritual leaders to be given an institutionalized space to play their
legitimate role in defining and guiding the political discourse so that the
individual, society and the government are well integrated and in harmony with
each other while the religious preachers and keepers of the places of faith
e.g. priests, moulvis etc. are focused on facilitating the individual with
respect to his/her needs for practicing socio-religious rituals and traditions.
The distinction between the “Rishis” and “Pujaris” on one hand and the
“Political Thinkers” and those involved in running or monitoring governments
has to be reinforced and necessary frameworks defined and strengthened. The
ancient Indian traditions provide enough ideas for implementation in this
regard. Even those wearing trousers and sporting eau-de-cologne can be
spiritual. It is the thoughts and beliefs and not the outward form which is
important.
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