Religion: A Purely Personal Affair!

I have said this before, and I say it again, two things need to happen in our country for our social fabric to become and stay healthy:

1. Educational institutions (schools, colleges, universities) need to drop religions from their names. Naming an institution after a saint of any religion is fine, saints welcome everyone and don't polarize. Educational institutions can also have subjects on comparative religions : that depolarizes. But no more Banaras HINDU University, Aligarh MUSLIM University, Madras CHRISTIAN College, KHALSA College, ...

2. Likewise for political parties. If you enter politics and form a party, do so for all citizens of this country and the good of the world at large. But no political party should emphasize any one religion over others. And this must start from the name of the party and all its documentation, starting with its constitution. Any political party that is in violation of this principle, or affiliates with any group that violates this principle, needs to be put on notice. Some examples of such parties are the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (translation: All India Council for Unity of Muslims), Shiromani Akali Dal, Indian Christian Front, and of course the present ruling party BJP's affiliation with RSS, an organization that openly champions the cause of making our country a "Hindu Rashtra" (something that will make non-Hindus lesser citizens than Hindus - how is that better than equality of all citizens?). We cannot legitimize such religious polarizations in our political sphere. This is senseless and only breeds trouble.

Religion has to become a completely personal affair if we are to get out of the trap of religious divides and polarizations.