The Hindu Business Line : When religion ends, politics begins

A simple prayer that often tags onto many a vedic ritual reads: "Asatoma Sadgamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya, Mrityor Ma Amrutam Gamaya." It translates to: "Lead me from the unreal to the real; from darkness to light; from death to immortality."

It should be heartening that last year, when celebrating Diwali, the Indian Treaty Room at the White House had echoed to the chant of these lines, when Dr Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion from Minnesota, performed the invocation, as www.khazana.com informs. Closer home, it is anybody's guess if, when religious people are arrested, they continue this prayer on their lips, with or without one more line to mean, `lead me from imprisonment to freedom.'

But I'm sure most readers wish there were some clarity soon, to demystify conflicting reports in the media, for and against a `saint' whom the law enforcers seem to consider a sinner.

In the beginning, there were no sinners, we know. Now, `In the Beginning' is a comic strip from Chris Sushynski on, hold your breath, "the lighter side of religion depicting religious characters, events, and issues". Here, not knowing which side to take, cartoonists are cagily caricaturing an unusual subject, or suspect, and their lines are half in deference and half in disbelief.

This dilemma shows in many other places too. Thus, when housewives open their puja shelves these days, they wonder if the exalted place they have given for certain photos needs a rethink.

Too tough a call, because they are not as heartless as veteran accountants who have no qualms about dumping big amounts in suspense accounts till they know if it is theirs or somebody else's.

It happened, I am told, at a neighbourhood school, that when the class teacher asked her students to stand up and pray that the `dark clouds on the horizon' disappear and allow their spiritual leader to shine once again, kids did stand up but skipped the prayer part. With light still far away, ad splash in support seems premature, as if in pre-emption of the due judicial process.

However, loyalists may justify the same as argument in favour, to counter the barrage of apparent mudslinging from the other side. Giving it, therefore, the benefit of the doubt, one wonders if we are taking religion too seriously to look at it objectively.

On the subject of mixing politics and religion, there is a recent article by Rick Anderson in www.thestar.com, where he moans a disturbing development - "harnessing of religious (or pseudo-religious) organisations for political gain." Rick condemns it as a "veritable deal with the Devil" citing the recent rulings in the US about same-sex marriage.

Well, that may not be our problem as yet, but one may ask what's wrong if religious heads strayed into politics when it is okay for politicians to be religious. That's the same old story of a young man in a church with a question, "Can I smoke when I pray?"

Rick cites Janet Buckingham, Director of the Centre for Faith and Public Life of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada: "While believers should be involved in politics, the separation of church and state is necessary, and even beneficial, to allow for perspective and criticism of public policies." In short, let there be distance.

The article cites a Biblical story, of how Pharisees tried a tricky question on Jesus: "Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar?" A poison pill, that was, because, saying no would have meant treason, and saying yes would have made the Son of God an enemy of people who all despised Roman taxes.

Much like the umpire on treachery cricket pitches, Jesus asked for a coin, for he saw through their game. They brought unto him a penny. He asked them, "Whose is this image and superscription?"

They replied: "Caesar's."

Jesus said, what could only be too relevant now: "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

Explaining this story in detail, www.lampandlight.org advises the religious to use the political process, but never to allow politics and politicians to use them.

E&OE@TheHindu.co.in

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