Religion, in some cases, religious differences will play an important role in shaping national identity.
Religious sentiments have also been raised in the fight against colonialism. Religious rhetoric can still unify and inspire.
What is religious fundamentalism?
Religious fundamentalism is a larger movement that believes in the absolute right of a community (or individual) to their religion or beliefs. They are true believers of their religion that their religion is beyond any fault and hence it should be imposed on others.
For religious fanatics, religion governed every aspect of their daily lives, for which they decided to use their religious power to incorporate the entire society into their self-assured system.
There is no room for examination or critique of texts based on logical reasoning and scientific evidence.
Most of the religions on earth are associated with extremist elements. Hinduism can also be a part of several groups of beliefs supported by a large number of sacred texts, including the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and thus the Brahmanas.
Therefore, the universal beliefs of this religion still undermine the thinking of some of its fundamentalists.
Islamic fundamentalists believe in the interpretation of the Holy Quran and Hadith and decide to apply Sharia law to all aspects of Islamic life.
Origins of Religious Fundamentalism
As a movement, modern religious fundamentalism is believed to have originated among our conservative Presbyterian theologians in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, by 1920 it was spreading among Baptists and other religions.
The main aim of the movement was to reaffirm five theological principles, which included the impurity of every word in the Bible; the virgin birth of Jesus; The physical resurrection of Jesus, the death of Jesus as the atonement for sin, and the historical reality of Jesus' miracles.
Those who start supporting the five fundamentalists are called fundamentalists.
However, the term was later used for Protestant Christians with a different view of modernity. But today most of the religions on earth are associated with fundamentalist elements.
Religious fundamentalism in India
The Indian subcontinent has a long history of communal conflict and inter-religious divisions, which have played an important role in its socio-political landscape. In the pre-partition period, the British policy of 'divide and rule' was the main reason for the inter-religious division.
After Partition in 1947, India emerged as a diverse society in the world with strong separatist influence.
The Indian government has addressed separatist tensions and demands in several ways. In response to the tensions of linguistic minorities, the States Reorganization Act was enacted in 1956 and the Government of India decided to create states on a linguistic basis after an investigation by the States Reorganization Commission.
When the founders of the Indian Constitution became aware of the confusion of India's socio-religious structure, they saw India as a secular state.
In the context of secularism, Nehru meant "the free play of religions, not merely their interference with each other or subject to the essential principles of our state."
Dr. BR Ambedkar was of the opinion that a secular state meant that "this Parliament cannot impose any particular religion on others".
But nowadays Hindu extremist groups and parties like BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party), Shiv Sena, RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Singh), VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) – these political parties have not got any chance to create caste in national politics. , Capitalizing Hindu votes for their political gains.
Nevertheless, the Indian National Congress party remained committed to secular values until Nehru became Prime Minister, and his successors avoided resolving caste differences. But later the demolition of Babri Masjid gave rise to extremist sentiments in Indian society.
The demolition of the Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992 cannot be the result of the anger of Hindus against the alleged desecration of a temple.
The 1997 Coimbatore riots were the first major clashes between Hindus and Muslims in South India. This was not the highest in Gujarat state in western India in 2002 when killings were reported.
Conclusion--
All these incidents paint a bleak picture of 'Secular India' unless immediate efforts and action are taken, the article research, this significant socio-political misconduct always challenges the Indian society. It will not be easy for them to get rid of this problem. So there is a need to re-understand the meaning of Nehru's secular idea and Gandhi's Satyagrahi.