ESSAY
Rajiv
Gandhi - A Secular Political Leader
Rajiv
Gandhi was an outstanding political leader who combined
in himself the rare qualities of a visionary and a system
builder. He had the unique privilege of having grown up
with the cultural and political milieu of Jawaharlal Nehru
and Indira Gandhi. This heritage combined with his own orientation
towards modern history and values enabled him to have a
pragmatic approach to life and facilities. He understood
India’s glorious past, was aware of the demands and compulsions
of the present and was concerned about the future. He dreamt
of an India of the 21st century. Young and dynamic, Rajiv
Gandhi had a fresh approach to problems.
Rajiv
Gandhi was quite secular in his outlook like his mother
Indira Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru. His faith
in and commitment to secularism was not doubted even by
his avowed critics. He was more of a humanist than anything
else. He was deeply concerned for human life and well-being
of the individual. The family environment in which he was
brought up contributed towards the formulation of his views
on religion, politics, man and society. His rationalistc
and scientific approach to life made him an ardent follower
of a non-religious approach to politics. His understanding
of the India situation and its history convinced him that
in India no nation-building could be possible except that
which was based on secularism. As a true heir of Nehru’s
vision, he acknowledged the fact that inspite of diversity,
India is a compact unit. He was not a mere spectator looking
from outside, but he was an active participant in the process
of promoting the concept of unity in diversity.
Rajiv
Gandhi believed very strongly that democracy and secularism
were the two pillars on which the Indian edifice could rest
itself squarely. He stressed that whereas democracy is one
pillar of our nationhood secularism is the second one. Secularism
described the sum total of Indian values and principles.
As a social revolutionary, he devoted his attention towards
a harmonious union of democracy and secularism. Truly faithful
to dynamic democracy, he visualized essentials of democracy
in secularism as well. Rajiv Gandhi’s own exposition of
secularism includes all the essentials of humanism in the
form of reverence, sympathy, tolerance in the behavioural
patterns of different people lead. As he elucidated :
"Democracy
is one pillar of our nationhood. The second pillar is secularism
which is our contemporary, shorthand word to describe the
sum total of our values and principles; those values and
principles which have ensured the continuity of our civilization
for over five thousand years. Secularism for us is the pursuit
of truth in conviction that truth will truimph: ‘Satyameva
Jayate’. Secularism for us is the self-confidence of our
civilization which makes us open to the best of influences
from elsewhere, to seek a cross-fertilization of cultures
and ideas which enables us to move forward. While maintaining
our continuity with the past. Through history, we have been
the great sympathisers, so absorbing and assimilating what
comes from outside that it gets transformed into our own,
not as an alien graft but as a part and parcel of our heritage.
Secularism for us is tolerance — the ability to respect
the customs and beliefs, the rights and rituals, the philosophy
and ways of life of others. Associated with tolerance is
compassion, the capacity to sympathize with the suffering
of others, to find satisfaction for the self in the selfless
service of others. All these human capacities are resumed
in the capacity to see all human beings as one large family
and all the world as one’s own".
Rajiv
Gandhi regarded secularism as the cardinal principle of
Indian culture. He once observed:
"The
essence of our present day nationalism lies in the greatness
of our ancient culture. In order to exist as a nation, we
will have to preserve our cultural identity. For this we
should give equal respect to various aspects of our national
life. Therefore, secularism is the cornerstone of our existence
as a nation. People of various religions, various languages
and various dialects have made India their home. In fact,
cultural plurality is what India stands for. Each one of
these diverse characteristics is important in its own way.
Their identity is inseparable from that of India’s identity,
rather it is this plurality, this composite culture, which
forms the basis of our identity as a nation, and in turn,
each one of these parts maintains its uniqueness as part
and parcel of this great Indian nation."
The
above-cited statement of Rajiv Gandhi makes it abundantly
clear that Rajiv Gandhi had a clear understanding of the
Indian social structure. Therefore, it was his considered
view that secularism with its links with our traditional
values of truth, non-violence, tolerance, compassion, etc.
should be the lifestyle of India and political or any other
colour should not be given to it.
For
Rajiv Gandhi, India was one great land in the lap of which
the diverse religious groups have always flourished in vigour.
As he once rightly commented:
"Our
secular traditions began with the vedas and the epics. The
concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, futher developed by the
Buddha and Mahavira, were the basis for the development
of Indian civilization and of our society. We welcomed Judaism
in Kerala, we welcomed St. Thomas and Christianity; we welcomed
zaroastrianism and today we have the largest Parsi community
in the world; we welcomed the great Sikh Gurus from Guru
Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh. We synthesized Islam and great
Sufi traditions of Amir Khusro and Kabir and Baba Farid
and Shah Abdul Latif. Our religious festivals are festivals
not of one community but of all Indians and all communities.
We celebrate them together."
A
multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society
has a lot to do with the problem of humanism and this is
what Rajiv Gandhi considered as the most positive of India’s
secularism. He reiterated the spirit of humanism for national
cohesion in a very characteristic fashion:
"The
essence of India’s civilization is its secularism. Our civilization
is unique in its manifestation are the values of compassion
and tolerance. These are keys to the unity of our country.
These are keys to the continuity of our civilization. These
constitute the legacy of our freedom fighters and our freedom
struggle. They are today the bedrock of our nationhood."
He
further stated:
"A
secular India alone is an India that can survive. India
and secularism must remain synonymous to assure the glory
of our civilization and the future of our country. Secularism
is a condition of our existence. It is the essence of our
tradition. Secularism and nationhood are inseparable."
Laying
emphasis on "unity in diversity", Rajiv Gandhi
once declared:
"We
are a multi-religious society, we are a multi-cultural society,
but we are not a multi-national society. We are one people,
we are one nation, we are one country and we have one common
citizenship. Most civilization posit nationhood and diversity
as antithetical. The single greatest contribution of India
to world civilization is to demonstrate that there is nothing
antithetical between diversity and nationhood. Through five
thousand years of long experience, we have demonstrated
to the world that our unity in diversity is a robust reality."
Rajiv
Gandhi’s concept of secularism allowed national cohesion
to be nurtured in the essential values of humanism inherent
in the dissemination of the inner excellence of mankind.
As he said:
"First
and foremost, our secularism is not anti-religious or irreligious.
We have a deep and abiding appreciation of the rich view
of spirituality that runs through our culture, that runs
through every religion of an Indian. The rich view of spirituality
is the source of our moral values, of our ideals and our
standards, of our goals and our objectives. We venerate
this spiritual tradition. We cherish its moral values. We
respect all the different forms in which the spirituality
manifests itself. The cardinal principle of our secularism
is equal respect for all religions: ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhava’.
Rajiv
Gandhi was critical of those who approached politics through
religion. Even though he was aware of the hold of religion
on Indian masses, he was not willing to make use of it for
political reason. He stated:
"We
cannot replace religion by secularism. There is place for
religion, there is place for secularism. Our secularism
is not ‘non-religion’. Our secularism in ‘Sarva Dharma Sambhava’,
which means a place for every religion, but religion must
not be mixed with politics. This is perhaps the most important
thing."
Rajiv
Gandhi was fully alive to the problem of the scourge of
communalism which was carroding the vitals of India’s secular
fabric. He believed that mixing religion with politics was
totally against the wisdom of the Indian constitution and
the cannons of civilization. In one of his speeches he stated:
"Throughout
our history, communalism has weakened us. Our genius throughout
the ages has been the way in which we have assimilated,
in which we have absorbed, the way in which we have synthesized,
how we have tolerated differences, how we have produced
a harmony out of different groups of people in our country.
Communalism is a danger that is common to all in India.
It is a danger that attack all equally, whether big or small,
whether big countries or small countries. Our strength will
lie not in allowing this to flourish but in seeing that
everyone’s interest is fulfilled by reducing communalism".
While
talking about communal parties, Rajiv Gandhi observed:
"Nazism
and fascism are two faces of same thing. Communal parties
are no better than fascism. And if anyone thinks that these
communal fascists are against only one minority, then he
is very much mistaken, because after this minority, they
will turn to the second minority and, then to the third
and this will continue as Hitler first attacked the Jews,
then the communists, the church, and then democrats. We
have to put up an allied force against the modern day communal
fascists, their defeat is important for the unity of India".
Rajiv
Gandhi was deeply concerned about the communal interpretation
of Indian history. Drawing attention to this fact he said:
"Our
history is very old but the concept of unity has always
dominated it. We had fought the British imperialism which
had distorted our history. British imperialism and capitalism
had exploited our people and that the communalism or the
two Nation theory was their gift to us. Imperialism had
injected the poison of communalism into our educational
system. This gave rise to the feeling of separate identity.
We Indians have always had faith in secularism, and we cannot
forget for a moment that we have, in the poisoned and bloody
atmosphere of communalism held the flag of secularism high
so that our country does not seek cracks".
Being
fully conscious of the communal and divisive forces that
eat up the vitalities of humanism, Rajiv Gandhi explicitly
observed :
"The
battle against communalism is not a battle that can be fought
strictly and only through constitutional, legal, policy
or administrative means. The battle has to be fought primarily
in the minds of our people. The values of our constitution,
the traditional values, have to be inculcated in the minds
of younger Indians, in the minds of a generation that was
not touched by the freedom struggle, a generation which
unfortunately has not been educated in the values of the
freedom struggle and the values of India civilization. The
battle has to be fought with political actions".
Addressing
the teachers of Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University
and Jamia Milia Islamia University, Rajiv Gandhi advised
that the educational system should never allow communalism
to poison it. Communalism should not be allowed to corrupt
the younger generation which holds the key to the future.
The battle against communalism, as Rajiv Gandhi correctly
pointed out has to be fought in the minds of people. It
is the battle of mind against all evil and divisive forces
of communalism. And for this, India’s own characteristics
which amply contribute to the positive forces of humanism
must be nursed with all care and attention. While underlying
the challenges facing Indian polity and pluralistic society,
Rajiv Gandhi repeatedly called upon each and every Indian
to rise above the narrow barriers of casteism, communalism
and parochialism to unite and live in a spirit of brotherhood.
The views expressed by him in this regard are worth recalling:
"In
modern day world, perhaps India is the first experiment
in the form of pluralistic society. You look at any other
country. I do not think any other country has accepted such
a challenge. Therefore, it is not just as a challenge before
us alone, rather it is our example for the whole world that
despite all diversities, humanity as a whole can live as
a family without any parochial barriers or schism. It is
an ideal before the world that the values enshrined in our
ancient philosophy depict the best way of life for India
and the world as a whole".
Rajiv
Gandhi had an eventful five years as the Prime Minister
of India. What stood out in his tenure as the Prime Minister
was his revulsion against all forms of oppression. His instructive
revulsion against any forms of oppression was a trait that
he shared with Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. Referring
to the qualities of a good Prime Minister, he declared :
"I
think dedication and commitment to the nation, being totally
non-partisan on any regional, caste, religious, linguistic
lines and an ability to carry everyone together".
To
Rajiv Gandhi nothing was above India’s unity and integrity.
Thus, after becoming the Prime Minister of India, he initiated
the process of strengthening and consolidating the forces
that stood for India’s unity and diversity and endeavoured
to obliterate the forces that were out to sow the seeds
of disaffection and disharmony and thus, strike out the
vitals of India’s unity and integrity. Stressing the significance
of a strong and united India, he maintained:
"Nothing
is more important than the unity and integrity of our nation.
India is indivisible. Secularism is the bedrock of our nationhood.
It implies more than tolerance. It involves an active effort
for harmony. No religion preaches hatred and intolerance.
Vested interests, both external and internal, are inciting
and exciting communal passions and violence to divide India.
Answering communalism with communalism will help only those
subversive and secessionist forces. The combined might of
the people and the government will thwart their designs".
As
a humanist Rajiv Gandhi never believed in eradicating the
disruptive forces of national disintegration through the
strategy of fire fighting operation. Rather his humanistic
vision was to chalk out plans and programmes for furtherance
of national cohesion right from the grass-root level of
action. The fundamental strategy of such an action was to
launch development programmes of activities in key areas
of the country. For instance, elimination of poverty and
work opportunities to one and all are the vital strategies
he regarded to be introduced in right earnest for national
cohesion. He had taken strong note of atrocities committed
against the weaker sections.
As
far as the welfare of minorities the real test of a healthy
secular democracy, he had been solitious all along. The
15-point programme for the upliftment of the poor and minority
communities was aimed at ensuring their fuller participation
in all aspects of national life. Special consideration in
the recruitment to public services, in the state governments
as well as the Centre, attending to their educational needs,
and receiving all the benefits equally from various development
programmes including the 20-point programme. He had been
suggesting consistently that the old schemes and programmes
which had fallen dormant, had to be revitalized and implemented
with vigour. During his stewardship of India, Rajiv Gandhi
launched many Centrally-sponsored and federal schemes for
the betterment of the weaker sections of the Indian society,
especially in the sphere of education.
To
sum up, Rajiv Gandhi firmly stood for a secular India. For
him secularism meant the pursuit of truth in the conviction
that truth will triumph. He dreamt of and worked for a strong
India, a secular India, a humane India and well-developed
India where every section of the society would reap the
benefits of development. He worked hard to realize there
objectives. In his opinion, India stood out as a unique
and multi-faceted society, because of its unity in diversity
since antiquity. The manifestation of values like compassion
and tolerance is matchless. These characterists are the
basis of the continuity of Indian civilization.
They
are the foundation of Indian nationhood on which democratic
traditions have to be built. Rajiv Gandhi’s quintessential
strength lay in his personal uprightness and a dynamic modern
mind. He was earnest to do his best, if need be, single
handed to sort out the intricate problems of the largest
democracy in the world. For him India was indivisible in
whose lap diverse religions, cultural and linguistic groups
could blossom with equal vigour and equal right. His vision
of India will continue to be a source of inspiration. Rajiv
Gandhi was often misunderstood for his down to earth involvement
in national solidarity and peaceful change of approach to
humanity. In this connection one might endorse the noted
historian Professor Bipan Chandra’s significant observation:
"Rajiv
Gandhi was prescient enough to see dangers ahead. He raised
the question of governance and stability as the most important
question in India at present. Stability is needed to face
the challenge of communalism and casteism and the hatred
and violence they have generated. It was needed so that
hard decisions on the economic front could be taken and
implemented. It was needed above all that popular forces
to defend the nation state and to fight for social change
and social equity could be energized, mobilized and organized.
But precisely the twin slogans of stability and governance
were rediculed by many who saw it as a mere electoral ploy.
The more radical intellectuals felt that any programme of
governance and stability was bound to mean defence of the
status quo and established social order. They were myopic
in failing to see the difference between the revolutionary
and counter-revolutionary situation, both being product
of the breakdown of administrative and political structure.
Where is the radical, not to speak of revolutionary challenge
in India today? The choice is between keeping united such
a diverse and immense society and political break down funneled
not by the action of popular forces but by casteist, communal
and ethnic conflict and violence leading sooner or later
to dictatorship or fascism".
References
:
1.
Rajiv Gandhi, Democracy Socialism, Secularism - The Three
Pilars of our Nation, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,
Govt. of India, New Delhi, October 1988, pp. 6-8
2.
Rajiv Gandhi And Parliament, Edited by C.K. Jain,
Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi, 1992, pp. 63-64
3.
Rajiv Gandhi, A Secular India Alone can Survive,
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India,
New Delhi, May 1989, pp. 5-6
4.
Rajiv Gandhi, The Battle Against Communalism, Ministry
of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, New Delhi,
November 1988, pp. 1
5.
Rajiv Gandhi, A secular India Alone can Survive,
op.cit.pp. 1
6.
Ibid.
7.
Ibid., pp. 5-6
8.
Rajiv Gandhi, The Battle Against Communalism, op.cit.
pp. 6-7
9.
Lok Sabha Debates, New Delhi, 28 July, 1986. C. 354
10.
Rajiv Gandhi And Parliament, Edited by C.K. Jain,
op.cit., pp. 244-45
11.
Ibid.
12.
Rajiv Gandhi, The Battle Against Communalism, op.cit.,
pp. 1-2
13.
Rajiv Gandhi And Parliament, Edited by C.K. Jain,
op.cit., pp. 64-65
14.
The Telegraph, Calcutta, 25 May, 1991
15.
Bipan Chandra, ‘Intellectuals Ignored the Positive side
of Rajiv Gandhi’, The Telegraph, Calcutta, May 31,
1991
By
Dr. Saleem Kidwai,
School of International Studies
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi
