Religion is not to blame for communal tensions.

[Guest guest]

Dear World Family, Namaste. I have been reading the hateful mails in the various groups to which most of us . It is like we are having a communal flare up on the internet. While on the streets the lumpen and the politicians fight, here the cream of India has gone berserk. This is indeed worrying. What do the terrorists want? Just what we are currently indulging in. Peace leads to sanity and growth in all spheres. This is not acceptable to the powers that seek to destabilise our country. A few bombs in critical places is their strategy to disturb the harmony that is found in the larger reaches of India. The common man worries about his bread and is tolerant of his neigbours religious beliefs. He knows he cannot end his poverty by slitting the throat of innocents. It is the corrupt and powerful, the power hungry who harbour such fancies. A riot leads to political realignment which may throw open

the doors to prosperity. So what if a few lives are lost? Why has the situation come to such a head? I will put the blame squarely and solely on the politicised "secularism" of India. Either we could have banned religion or embraced it. We did neither. We preferred to play with ignorant emotions. The move has backfired but it is unlikely that the rules of the game will change. There will be more bombs, more rhetoric, and God forbid, more violence. Just what the terrorists want. Just what our Nation does not want. I have studied in a secular school. But our Hindi teacher did not believe in the warped secularism of the day. He took pains to teach us about all religions and highlighted the similarities within them. He taught us about the need of religion, why the same religion does not satisfy all, and why we should respect the religion of others even while we fiercely protect our own. He pointed out that Hinduism was not a

single religion but was composed of various viewpoints which coexisted peacefully. He urged us to view the non Hindu religions in the same way. This sane approach to religion by building bridges accross communities and creating a generation of hate free productive citizens is anathema to those who seek to profit from communal clashes. These groups do not have the interests of a resurgent India in mind. They are narrow minded bigots who hide under the banner of secularism. Religions do not preach hatred. They preach love and the need for God. They speak of ways and means to reduce our suffering and achieve peace of mind. Religion is not to blame for the current wildfire of hate. The interpretors of religion and its self appointed champions are sowing the seeds of violence by putting words into the mouths of Prophets, words they would shudder to utter. We should see through the hoax and stop being puppets in the hands of

these vile forces. Come let us study all religions and observe with wonder the different pathways to the same God. Let us learn more ways of loving the Lord. Let us enrich our spiritual quotient by adopting the good thoughts inherent in all religions. Hatred will never solve our problems, but uniting through love will pave the way for a vibrant India. Let us show the world the power of love. Let love be the weapon of mass construction for us to conquer the world. Love & Regards, Jagannath. "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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