A very persistent question that has been the subject of age-old controversy is: “Should religion keep away from the field of politics or should it play a role in the affairs of the state?” When one reviews the relevant events of the past few years or even the current events that are taking place across the country, one feels like saying that religion should keep its arms off politics.
But going deeper into these events and having an overall review of the present world situation, we feel that if religion is kept out of politics, then, the state is deprived of a more benign and humanitarian role. The state is then reduced to a mere law-making, law-enforcing agency, or to financing, and distributing agent and defence keeping sentry. One also comes to the conclusion that the events that recently took place in some parts of India are due to dirty politics rather than real religion.
Religion, in all these cases, was made a tool but the real forces at work were the feelings of hatred, and the real intent was the motive of political gain. Some detached thinking would further reveal those unprincipled politics has penetrated religion and that religion which, in its pure form, inspires having, good-will towards all, and for employing justice, fair play, and non-violence in one's dealings, had become unthrottled by politics so that it can neither raise its voice against man's criminal tendencies nor is it free to clear politics of its cobwebs of secretive machinations and corruptive influences.
True religion aims at developing the qualities of universal love and the feelings of brotherhood and compassion. That which creates hatred, communal bitterness, and public disturbance of riotous acts is not at all called religion. These are exactly antagonistic to the spirit of religion. So, religion, in this sense, has a positive and important role in society, and hence it would be wrong to remove such religion from politics. We should remember, well that politics is concerned with law, with a view to regulating human conduct whereby human well-being can effectively be ensured and maximum amount of public good and individual welfare can be secured.
Thus, it can be easily said that politics and religion are two inseparable aspects of the same human personality, and one naturally overflows into the other and that is why the two cannot be completely separated.
(The writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal & UK. You can reach out to him at: nikunjji@gmail.com/ http://www.brahmakumaris.com/)
