India’s rich history and culture are deeply rooted in religion, resulting in the birth of some of the world’s major religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
This religious diversity and religious tolerance are established in the country both by the law and custom and a vast majority of Indians associate themselves with one religion or the other.
Ancient India has shown that separate religions can co-exist together in harmony. Many great works of art, literature, breakthroughs in medicine, science, among other things have been the end result of this peaceful lull in history.
However, due to the invasion of foreigners over the past few centuries, there has been too much bloodshed to ignore the fact that not everyone wants to live in harmony anymore. Theologies of the invading religions are in stark contrast to the already existing ones, wanting to assimilate and repress the native thoughts of process. This is reached by any means possible: from forceful conversion in the past, threatened with torture and death, to emotional blackmail of the present, sweet-talking their way into house and home until it is too late to realize what is being destroyed. Both of these conversions have brought in too much hatred and segregation to want to really, truly understand what the MAIN concept is behind each religion or thought behind the concept of God.
If Ancient India could co-exist peacefully and produce amazing achievements, then what is stopping Modern India from emulating the past and do the same again?
In your opinion – the READER of this post – how would you like to see India advance? Is religion now only a hindrance? Can we do away with the hatred created over the past centuries so we could live in harmony instead, looking at others NOT as a Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Muslim etc., but as a HUMAN BEING FIRST?
