RELIGIONS -

India was the cradle for various religions, such as, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

1. Census Report ( India ) – 2001

Religion Population 10 years growth %
( in crores )

Hindus 83 20.3
Muslims 14 29.5
Christians 2.40 22.6
Sikhs 1.90 18.2
Buddhists 0.80 25.5
Jains 0.40 26.0
Others 0.60* 103.1
Religion not
specified 0.72**

Total: 103 crores ***

Notes

*6 million belong to ‘Other Religions and Persuasions’ which are not part of the six main religions stated above.

**About 7 million persons have not stated their religion

***The total being 103, the percentage of people of different religions is only a shade lower than the figures given indicating the population.


Comments:

*‘Other religious persuasions: This could be tribals and nomads. Yet the number indicated would appear to be on the higher side

** In a country like India, where people would loathe not to indicate their religious persuasion, it is difficult to accept that over 7 million people had not indicated their religion.

Hindus and Sikhs have the lowest population growth in terms of %age, while Muslims are having the highest growth in %age.


2. Number of adherents to various faiths in the world

Christianity .. 1.9 billion
Islam .. 1.1 “

Hinduism .. 781 million
Buddhism .. 324 “
Sikhism .. 19 “
Judaism .. 14 “
Bahai faith .. 6.1 “
Confusionism .. 5.3 “
Jainism .. 4.1 “


3. Brief description of various religions in India

· Hinduism

There is no clear cut evidence, either anthropological or historical as to when Hinduism as a religion started in India. Hindu religionists have taken the stand that Hinduism is 5000 years old, though some of the experts on the subject are of the view that Hinduism is 2500 to 3000 years old. It is not a practicing religion as Islam or Christianity, in the sense one can claim to be Hindu because he or she is born in a Hindu family, but not practice any of its rituals. In that sense it is an amorphous religion. Secondly, as against one God each in other religions, Hindu religion has got pantheon of Gods, with people of the faith following any one or more Gods. It is probably the only religion with Goddesses also. Often considered a "way of life" rather than a religion, Hinduism differs from many religions in not having a single founder, a specific theological system, a single system of morality, or a central religious organization.


Islam

Islam in India is the second-most practiced religion after Hinduism. India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world ( after Pakistan and Indonesia ). Islam is a practising religion and members of the faith have to strictly adhere to the various rituals prescribed.

Contrary to popular belief, Islam came to South Asia long before Muslim invasions of India. Islamic influence first came to be felt in the early 7th century with the advent of Arab traders. Arab traders used to visit the Malabar region in Kerala, became the carriers of the new religion and they propagated it wherever they went. The first Indian mosque was built in 629 A.D in Kerala. In Malabar the Mappilas may have been the first community to convert to Islam.Sufis (Islamic mystics) played an important role in the spread of Islam in India. They were very successful in spreading Islam, as many aspects of Sufi belief systems and practices had their parallels in Indian philosophical literature, in particular nonviolence.
Islam has two major sects, i.e., Sunni and Shia.



Though Muslim rulers for a few centuries ruled India, mainly from Delhi, the spread of Muslim population was not so much in Central India as was the case with Western India (Pakistan ) and Eastern India ( subsequently Bangladesh ) and to a lesser extent in Kerala. Had Islam in India been converting local population by sword during their reign in India, then there should have been more Muslims in the Central India than in other places indicated above.

· Christianity

The first Christian religious person arrived in India in Kerala in 52 AD. Spread of Christians in India started in earnest around 5the century. Areas in India which have large number of Christian population are: Kerala, Goa and Nagaland

Most of the adherents of Christianity follow two sects, i.e., Catholics and Protestants. There are also other sects, but not very significant in terms of followers.

Christianity is also a practicing religion.

· Jainism

Jainism as a religion started in India in 5th BC. In many respects Jainism is akin to Hinduism. Whether and to what extent Jainism is a practicing religion, the answer can be that it falls in between Hinduism ( non practicing ) and Muslim / Christianity (practicing ) religions.







· Sikhism

Sikhism was established in India in 1500 AD. It was established in the North-West of India ( before partition ). Even now it cannot be said to be a pan India religion, as is the position of other religions, though small numbers of Sikhs have settled down in various parts of the country. Sikhism is by far a practicing religion. There is wide spread belief among non Sikhs that Sikhs tend to be more brawns ( and hence easily get into brawls ) than brains. This is not true at all, though Sikhs themselves like the term of their being full of brawn.


· Buddhism

Buddhism as a religion started in India in 3rd BC. There are no precise estimates of the Buddhist population in the world. 250 to 350 million people follow Buddhism. 89% and 70% of the people of Mymmar and Sri Lanka respectively are Buddhists. Other countries having large population of Buddhists are: India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Cambodia. In the recent times the number of people from Western countries who are opting to Buddhism is increasing. Buddhism by far is not a practicing religion. By nature Buddhists are peaceful in nature.


· Zoroastrianism (Parsis )

Parsis came to India around 1000 AD and initially settled in Gujarat. In the subsequent period, a large number of Parsis migrated to Maharashtra, particularly Mumbai. Zoroastrianism is a practicing religion, though not as strict as in the case of Islam. Parsis tend to mind their own business of religion and seldom cross swords with other religionists in the matter of faith and religious practices.


· Judaism (Jews)

Jews started coming to India 2500 years back. They mainly settled in Manipur and Mizoram. This was followed by their settlements in Mumbai and Kochi. The number of Jews in India is quite small. It also in a way practicing religion, though not as strict as in the case of Islam.


4. Non institutionalized religions

All the above are institutionalized forms of religion. But there are a bewildering array of communities both outside and within the faith with varied cultural and religious practices. Those outside the faith have their own deities and religious practices. This is more so in the case of tribals. They have their own Gods. They never think of themselves as part of Hinduism or any other religion.

5 Points to be noted

* Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are the religions which originated from India.
* However, in view of the long period of existence of the other religions in India, i.e., it cannot be said that these are religions of other countries. They are as much Indian religions as Hinduism or Sikhism is.
* There is caste system in all the major religions, i.e., Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. To some extent this is the case with some of the other religions also.



* Large scale conversion of people of one faith to another had happened in the bye gone era, but not in the recent history. Off and
on conversions from one faith to another take place on a small scale. Some of those who got converted to major religions are those who are not adherents of any of the major religions, e.g., some of adivasi tribes. Hence conversion charge against Muslims and Christians by Hindus is by and large off the mark.
* Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism are akin to Hinduism in many respects ( some would even term these as co-religions )
* In the recent history there have been no conflicts between various religions, except between Hindus and Muslims and occasionally some minor strife between Hindus and Christians.
* There have been religious wars between Christianity and Islam for hundreds of years in Europe starting from 7th century.
* There were wars between various other religions also but largely in the bye gone era, i.e., Judaism, Zoroastrians, etc.,
* Though Buddhism originated in India, in the subsequent period, it is some of the other countries, such as, Mymmar, Sri Lanka, etc., which had large %age of Buddhists among their population.
* The number of Jews in India has been continuously going down.

6. The United Religions Initiative, USA

This organisation was founded in 1996 inspired to bring people of diverse faith into cooperation for peace by the example of the work of nations of the world through United Nations working to bring peace. It established United Religions Initiative Charter in 2000. The URI is composed of 400 Cooperation Circles (member groups) in 70 countries worldwide as of November 2008. "The purpose of the URI is to promote enduring daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings."




7. Metamorphosis of religions

Each of the religions took birth / started by an emancipated person to show the people the right way of living. Some of the religions were also started to depart from the degeneration of human beings or because the then existing religions had been essentially converted to rituals. All religions preached brotherhood, good way of living and search of God However, tragically, over a period of time all religions degenerated in varying degrees. Goodness was slowly replaced with rituals. Brotherhood was replaced by alienation and enmity. Followers of each religion slowly got convinced that their religions are far better than other religions. Peace ( with the neighbour / brother ) advocated by all religions was replaced by disfavour, suspicion and enmity of other religions. And the so called spiritual leaders by and large departed from the original teachings of the religions. Instead they preached rituals, separatist feelings and suspicion of other faiths. There is a Catch 22 syndrome here. Disciples want to hear the good things about their religions and not interested to hear the plus points of other religions. Aware of this position, religious leaders cater to the demands of disciples, lest they lose the disciples. And disciples’ belief that their religions are better than other religions gets confirmed again and again whenever the spiritual leaders speak.

Tragically the above mentioned indoctrination has reached such an extent that adherents of most religions co-exist with members of other religions largely on the basis of ‘when needed’. Followers of one religion hardly ever take interest in understanding other religions.







8. Related points and issues ( disjointed comments )

· Main charges of Hindus against Muslims: .Muslims oppose uniform Civil Code ( in respect of marriage and property inheritance by daughters ), do not practice Family planning ( and hence their number may overtake Hindus!!!!), kill cows which is venerated by Hindus, their loyalty is to Pakistan rather than to India, they start communal strife, many of them are terrorists, they are violent, etc.,.

· Counter of Muslims: Why should we all the time try to prove our patriotism and nationalism in respect of India. Hindus destroyed Babri Masjid. Our religious tenets are opposed to Uniform Civil Code. Growth in our population in India is only a shade higher than that of Hindus and why should they make it an issue. We have repeatedly said that terrorists have no religion. Many Hindus consider us ( and occasionally treat us also ) as not being Indians.

· As per original communist ideology, religion should not have any place in the lives of human beings. However, while proclaiming adherence to this ideology, communists have been as religious as other believers are, though outwardly they take the stand of being irreligious.

· Revival of Hindutva movement and demolition of the Babri Masjid led to hardening of the position of many of the Hindus against Muslims particularly and to some extent against Christians also. This has led to increasing polarization of these communities, occasional violence between the communities, increasing distrust between the religionists, etc.,

· Unfortunately, instead of counter acting this development, religious leaders started backing such divisive tendencies. This has led to more emphasis being given by followers of different religions in celebrating rituals, construction of temples, etc.,

· There are not many agnostics and atheists in India.

· That many of the protagonists of Hindu religion, make all out efforts to get admission for their wards in Christian Missionary educational institutions, is not an irony but a double standard.

· Religiosity is being inculcated from childhood – this is one of the unfortunate outcomes of the communal strife or widening of the gulf between various religionists occurred in the recent past.

· Increased organization of rituals is being unwittingly advertised as becoming more religious.

· Religious strife has in the recent past been largely confined between Hindus and Muslims. Should not followers of these two religions look into the reasons for the lack of strife between other religions and also between other religions on the one side and Hindus or Muslims on the other side.


5. Religious intolerance

There are two main forms that intolerance takes. The first is when people who have not gone deeply into the real meaning of their religion and hence don’t practice it in an authentic way, use it as a rallying flag to arouse sectarian, ethnic or nationalist passions. The second is when people who practice their religion sincerely are so deeply, though incorrectly, convinced of the truth of their beliefs that they think any means are justified to impose them on others, since by so doing they are helping them. Their conviction in their faith is admirable, but it is what follows that is so wrong. They don’t know how respect other people’s religious traditions and the diversity of human being.

Dialogue need to start between religious experts and leaders of different faiths on how to achieve ‘ live and let live ‘ between followers of different faiths. The participants in the dialogue should not be politicians or Government, because they have all the time their own agendas.

Why there is a Ministry for Minority Affairs in the Union Government. More so in the charged atmosphere that has been created in the country during the last few decades by the leaders of various major religions. In such a situation, if the Ministry does anything which is perceived to be helping followers of one religion or the other, however justified the action may be, the same is bound to be condemned by other religions. For example, financial assistance for Haj pilgrimage was being give by Government immediately after formation of the Government of India. It is O.K. till the recent times. But now Hindutva leaders have started questioning the action.


According to Anil Thakkar:

‘Cultural myths that is more the norm than an exception today.
The societal penchant for myths is introduced at an early age through fables and fairy tales that form an integral part of a child’s education. Unfortunately, they may be inculcating biases and prejudices instead of the positive life lessons they are supposed to engender. A recent study conducted by at Western Illinois University highlighted the role of physical attractiveness in fairy tales. And along with that, they teach that unattractive people are more likely to be evil. That is as false a lesson for a child to learn as it is pernicious.”

The role of myths in society can expand to fill a much larger space for adults, linked with religion as it often is. There is a twin danger here; that it undermines the tradition of rational and scientific thought and that it can be used as a tool in societal conflicts in a way that exacerbates religious or racial divides. In a country such as India with a multiplicity of communities, this myth making can get out of hand. The results may be mundane – such as an excess of public holidays, many of them based on obscure events of dubious historical and religious relevance – but no less harmful for that. ‘


Concluding remarks

1. Initiative has to be taken by leaders/spokes-persons of different religions, intellectuals, writers, sociologists and persons of repute (and not Government ) to form a loosely knit body comprising of representatives of all religions, like the United Religious Initiative (URI ) formed in USA in 1996 ( Please see ‘ Points to be noted above ) . URI is composed of 400 Co-operation circles ( member groups ) in 70 countries. Alternatively, the Indian chapter of URI could be energised to formulate guidelines to be followed by all religions in ensuring peaceful ‘live and let live’ between followers of different faiths.

2. Governments should maintain strictly equi-distance policy on matters relating to different religions.

3. Changes in law relating to any religion should be based on advice / recommendations of that religion, which should be discussed in URI before Government stepping in with legislation.

4. Activities, such as, demonstrations, violence, denigrating a religion, propaganda against another religion, etc., should be firmly dealt with by Government.

5. Fourth estate should play a crucial role in improving relations between religions. It should be cautious in covering religious activities, inter-religion strife, etc., to ensure that involvement of fourth estate goes to improve inter and intra religious problems.

6. Those who want to avoid religious strife and hatred, should play a positive role in counseling their own Godmen, when the pronouncements of the latter do not help in harmony between religions.

7. School and college text books should be vetted and if required amended to ensure that wittingly or unwittingly the written words go against religious harmony.

8. Community groups should be formed consisting of elders of different faiths whose members are part of the community to ensure that minor differences between members of different faiths do not widen the gap between people and more importantly such differences do not escalate to physical violence or vandalism.

9.Parents / elders in the families should make efforts to educate their wards to follow a path of ‘ live and let live.’


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