Religious fundamentalism as a deterrent to inclusive development

Religious fundamentalism as a deterrent to inclusive development

Overview
Socio-economic development stands for the advancement from the current
state of an individual to a better one. Further, development must also
indicate progress in thought, word and deed. And that is supposed to be
meant for everyone irrespective of gender, faith (religion), caste,
financial status, occupation, professional and academic skills and
qualifications, age, physical and mental abilities, ethnicity et al. One of
the definite signs of progress of any society, community or group is that
it happens with everyone. Otherwise, the progress is incomplete and the
means by which it is achieved are faulty. As a matter of fact, it should
not even be termed as progress.

Of course, this may be easier said than done in a nation like India. That
is because the real situation especially in this country is very different.
It is well known that people here continue to experience discrimination on
grounds of a number of social attributes such as religion, gender, caste,
economic status, physical and mental abilities, etc. in spite of the
Constitution of India stating otherwise as per Article 14. Further specific
affirmative action, commonly referred to as reservations, in government
jobs, higher education, rural and urban governance structures et al, which
have been provided on the basis of religion, caste, physical and mental
abilities, gender and financial status have not led to the socio-economic
advancement of most people who need and are entitled to particular
benefits.

A part of the reason for such a situation is the lack of awareness about
the benefits by their potential recipients. However, it is also owing to
the discriminatory attitudes and practices of persons (employees of the
government like officers and clerks) who must reach out to intended
beneficiaries of the reservations and assist them in availing the pertinent
schemes. In addition to this, many of the representatives of the government
tend to redirect or misuse relevant funds and positions for their personal
gain. The reasons that can be attributed to such behaviour are prejudice,
insecurity, unwillingness to accept due to an absence of exposure or an
unsavoury experience. Although harmful (the lack of access to the schemes
could have an adverse impact on the well being of the prospective
beneficiaries), illegal and unjust in many ways, the fallout of such
attitudes need not be drastic or impossible to change. Nevertheless, that
can be achieved only with the will power of the state and society to admit
the existence of the various forms of discrimination that are a hindrance
to the inclusion and progress of all and implement the corrective measures
to the extent possible.

This objective of this paper is to highlight the role played by religion in
various spheres and how religious fundamentalism has become an obstacle to
inclusive development. It also offers recommendations to alter the
situation.

Significance/Influence of religion
All religions are broadly similar in the message that they convey through
their respective texts - that of the oneness of all life and the need for
love and peace between living beings. And, many times religion provides
solace particularly to people who are in a state of distress (financial,
mental, emotional, physical). However, that must not compel or convince to
have blind faith or allegiance to or so called gurus or leaders who tend to
be self-proclaimed. Further, religion is considered to be a part of daily
life for many people especially in developing economies. In fact, carrying
out religious activities becomes so ingrained in their routine that the
practitioners seem to do them involuntarily. However, in many of these
cases, the role of religion has a greater importance than can be imagined.

Most often, people adopt religious practices without applying much thought
to their outcome. That may not cause any intrinsic harm except in cases
when it becomes a bottleneck to the well being and advancement of society.
For instance, the assumption
that the polio vaccine could have adverse effects is one such. Rational
human beings would either ignore such a thought or question it, at the very
least. However, they do not out of fear of offending someone and facing
severe repercussions. (The only acceptable argument for the stoppage or
delay of the administration of such a vaccine is when there could be side
effects or allergies that can have an avoidable impact on the health of the
child). This proves that rationality and religion are believed to be in
conflict with each other as was evident from the assassination of Prof.
Narendra Dhabolkar and attempts on the life of Sanal Edamarku, the founder
of the Rationalists Society of India. But, it is crucial to understand such
deeds as examples of religious fundamentalism which is mistaken as religion
itself. Otherwise, life would stagnate and regress.

Unfortunately, not many people are able to make out the distinction between
religious fundamentalism and religion and the hurdles to inclusive
development that the former can create, per se. Even among those who do,
there are not many who express their point of view in a forthright manner.
That is perhaps because of the fear of backlash and ostracization that
speaking out against acts of religious fundamentalism, can bring out. It is
a painful reality that many choose to remain silent in spite of the turmoil
that such intolerance and exclusion can bring about.

'Organized' discrimination
On the other hand, what can have a lasting consequence, is the poisoning of
minds especially of the young that could lead to large scale riots in the
name of preservation or safeguarding of the interests of persons belonging
to a specific religion, community, region or speaking a particular
language. Politicians and other elected or self-appointed representatives
of people (who frequently turn out to be narcissists and sycophants)
exploit religion to create a sense of insecurity in the minds of their
followers or practitioners of the ideologies that they support. That can
result in social instability if it is not addressed in a mature and timely
manner.

Acts and statements that convey fundamentalism and intolerance by the likes
of the followers of fundamentalist forms of religion such as Hindutva
(commonly thought to have its roots in Hinduism), Wahabism (derived from
Islam), Mormonism (influence of Christianity), Zionism (originated from
Judaism), Buddhism that has been adopted by some persons in Sri Lanka and
Burma typically result in damage or destruction of lives, livelihoods,
dwellings, possessions and results in mental, physical and emotional
distress. Further, it dents confidence, disrupts peace and thereby
inclusive development which has been or yet to attained. This is regression
by all accounts.

Let us take into account acts of physical and oral violence like riots,
vandalism, killing, destruction of property and hate speech. Why, when and
where do they occur? Who is behind them? What makes people commit them?
Although they are blamed on one or more specific incidents that are
supposedly a result of the enmity between persons belonging to particular
communities, religion or caste, they are planned well in advance and
executed by persons who often try to gain political mileage out of them.

So what is this political mileage and why is it important? Well, it is
usually done a few months ahead of an election is the building up of one or
groups of supporters who are most likely to cast their votes for the party
or individual that they identify with. The strategy that is used could
consist of genocide, targeted elimination or displacement. Obviously, this
involves loss of life, possessions and could result in physical injuries,
mental trauma, break down of families and communities. And each one of
these disastrous outcomes could last forever. However, the people who carry
out activities that result in these tragic circumstances do so with
ruthlessness, single minded obssession and blind faith. It would not be
wrong to say that the perpetrators of such deeds tend to be inhuman and
irrational.

All the riots and incidents of violence that had occurred in: Delhi in
1984, Bhagalpur in 1989, Mumbai in 1992-'93, Godhra and other parts of
Gujarat in 2002, Assam in 2012, Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) in 2013,
Laxmanpur Bathe in 1997, Bathani Tola, Villupuram (Tamil Nadu) in the
1970's, Kandhamal (Odisha) in 2008, Khairlanji (Maharastra) in 2011,
Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu) in 2012, Dakshina Kannada in 2009 had a few
aspects in common. They were targeted at people belonging to a specific
community/faith namely, Sikhs, Muslims or caste, that is, Dalits by
religious and dominant caste zealots. They have been attributed to
retaliation against assassination of a politician, falsification or
exaggeration of instances of elopement or marriage between a Dalit man and
woman of another caste, love Jihad, forced conversion, desecration of place
of worship by throwing of carcasses of animals et al. The fact that these
incidents were spread over more than two days and accounted for the death
of or injuries to anywhere between one and a few thousands is proof that
the government and the police were in collusion with the wrongdoers and
even gave them support.1

Further, the lack of justice for the people injured, dispossessed,
displaced and the families of the dead even after decades goes to show that
the state does not care for their plight. If at all a court finds some
guilty and awards punishment, a higher court usually acquits them for want
of evidence. At most, the government shifts the people on whom communal
violence has an adverse effect to relief camps which are overcrowded and
have minimal facilities for living, resting, sanitation, physical and
mental healthcare apart from food and water. Such shelters have a dearth of
options for productive occupation and recreation which would go a long way
in helping the survivors deal with the trauma. In addition to this persons
who suffer a loss of housing, livelihood, property and other possessions
get fairly disproportionate compensation and with a lot of delay. It is
believed that members of the targeted community who may not be necessarily
direct victims of any of the incidents seek revenge on who they believe are
perpetrators or those who provide them direct or indirect ideological or
material support. Of course, such brutal acts of vicarious vengeance cannot
be justified in any way. All these are signs of moral regression and have a
lasting negative impact on the social development of not just the affected
populace but the entire region and nation.2

All these are obstacles to inclusive development. The socio-economic status
of Muslims (13.4%), Dalits (16%) and Adivasis (8%) as evident from the 2001
census of India and report of a detailed study done in 2005-'06 by a
committee headed by Justice Rajinder Sachar are valid examples of the lack
of advancement of these communities. Further, it is they who lose the most
during riots or targeted acts of violence. Perpetrators often go unpunished
or with fairly little penalty. But when, Muslims are under mere suspicion,
they are treated unjustly, incarcerated3 and considered to be "guilty until
proven innocent" which contravenes the fundamental provisions of relevant
laws and the constitution of India. Many of them are incarcerated for
extended periods on false or exaggerated charges. As they cannot afford
legal recourse, they tend to remain in jail. Although this is not a
justification for retaliation, it has become one of the factors for revenge
by one community against another.

Patriarchal dominance
In most religions, the sexism prevalent in the different denominations
largely prevent women from becoming priests, entering temples or
participating in rituals when they are menstruating and at times if they
are widows or between menarche and menopause. Some places of worship have
segregated spaces for women as they are considered to have a distracting,
polluting effect on the worshippers. In some communities women are rarely
present at the lighting of the funeral pyre or the burial and play only a
secondary or supplementary role in religious rites. Some are encouraged to
eat from the plate or the leftovers of their husband and follow traditional
practices such as the observance of fast during Karwa Chauth, wearing of a
sacred thread and carrying out religious rituals on the occasion of
kaaradiyaar nombu (practised mainly by Tamil speaking Hindus), varalakshmi
or varamahalakshmi vratham (largely done by women in families that speak
Telugu, Tamil or Kannada). These festivals tend to deify the husbands and
are dedicated to praying for their well being and the woman remaining a
'sumangali' or a married woman until her death. A few of these also meant
for an unmarried girl to pray for a suitable husband in the future.

Many individuals, families and communities quote religious texts to insist
that a woman should be a virgin until she gets married and exhibit sexual
and emotional fidelity to her spouse. However, no such behaviour is
expected of a man whether it is before or after his wedding. In addition to
this, a woman is expected to get married early to a man chosen by her
father and give birth to at least one son. Further, women are still
believed to be responsible for the sex of the foetus and sometimes blamed
or thrown out by ignorant families if they conceive girl babies or children
with mental or physical disabilities.

The identity of a woman is never independent but defined based on her
relationship with a man who accords her socio-economic status and security.
She is tied to her father before marriage, her husband and later her son.
Even now, it is almost blasphemous for a woman to choose to remain
unmarried or childless after marriage. And, if she bears a child out of
wedlock, she is considered to be of loose morals or a prostitute. In fact,
morality are applicable only to women and girls and the burden of
preserving the honour of a family or community is imposed on women. Oral
and physical threats, acts of stoning, lashing and murder are carried out
particularly of girls and women who choose to marry on their own or outside
their caste, religion or community. These have come to be referred to as
honour killings. And then there are couples who are meted out similar kinds
of harsh punishment or death for having chosen to marry within their own
"gothra". The latter is a social attribute that supposedly declares the
woman and man as belonging to the same dynasty and therefore renders them
as siblings. Even if there is a scientific basis for advocating against
this relationship or consanguineous marriages, that can be done in a manner
that takes into account the age and sensibilities of the persons involved.
Whatever the situation, there is no justification for the use of force or
violence in any form.

On the other hand, in states such as Rajasthan and Haryana and certain
religious sects, polygamy and the marriage of a child to an older married,
divorced, ill, infirm, wealthy or encumberanced man receives social and
cultural sanction. This is in spite of the existence of legislations that
prohibit the marriage of a girl until she is at least eighteen years old.
Further, religious texts and laws also do not all unless they have the
consent of and can provide for all their spouses and children. It is
pertinent to highlight the courageous commitment of Bhanwari Devi, a barely
literate Dalit lady from Rajasthan who continues to advocate against the
marriage of children in spite of being raped by men hailing from a family
that belonged to the dominant caste. Bhanwari Devi, a Sathin (meaning
friend) appointed by the government reported to the police that the men
were trying to carry out the wedding of a minor girl. In a similar manner
one must appreciate the tenacity of Shah Bano who was perhaps the first
Muslim lady in the last few decades to pose a challenge to triple talaq,
i.e., the use of oral divorce by Muslim men who wish to remarry or leave
their current wives. Also there are instances of men from other faiths
converting to Islam to remarry with or without the consent or knowledge of
their existing wives. These are nothing but the exploitation of provisions
of various religions in a sexist and regressive manner.

Apart from this is the sexual exploitation of women under the Devadasi4
system where a girl is dedicated to the Goddess Yellamma at birth. When,
she attains puberty, she is declared wedded to the local deity through the
performance of rituals. After that she is compelled to go to bed with the
highest bidder who often turns out to be a much older married man. This
stems from the misconception that sex with a virgin is pleasurable and a
cure for ailments such as erectile dysfunction.

In older times, the tradition of promoting Devadasis and Tawaifs
(courtesans) was an ancient tradition in which women who excelled in music
and the performing arts entertained members of contemporary royal and
wealthy families. Even if those women might have had personal relationships
with male patrons, they did it with the awareness of the consequences.
Further, they had social acceptance, were financially well off and had
children whom they raised in households headed by women who also received
support from the men in their lives. But due to the intervention of social
reformers like Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, the lives of Devadasis underwent a
transformation. Legislations like the Devadasi Act in the early 20th
century by the British and later in the states of Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka outlawed the tradition and helped some of the former Devadasis to
a certain extent. And some of the women from Devadasi households such as
the legendary vocalist M. S. Subulakshmi and actor Pushpavalli managed to
enter the film industry where some of them faced sexual and other kinds of
exploitation.

This is an interesting and important point to note as socially reformative
actions are supposedly carried out with the intention of making the lives
of at least certain people better. But they sometimes have consequences
that are contrary and perhaps detrimental. This is perhaps because reform
is often done from the point of view of the dominant social norm rather
than the needs and preference of those it is intended to benefit. In this
case, social-cultural reform did not result in the elimination of the
Devadasi system. Rather it degenerated into a tradition of exploitation of
women who are at the margins of society and economically weak, such as
Dalits. Although it is illegal, its practice exists in the states of
Karnataka (Koppal district), Adoni in north western Andhra Pradesh, in
spite of rehabilitation schemes by the government and non-profit
organizations.

The forcing of women and girls to wear a veil or piece of cloth that covers
the head and face such as the ghoonghat, hijab and niqab, the discontinuing
of their education or employment, early marriage, lack of freedom to pursue
their interests, or restricting of their movements and interactions in the
name of religion are nothing but signs of regression. Similarly, the
practice of Sati where women are forced to immolate themselves on the
funeral pyre of their dead husbands which is despite the efforts of social
reformers like Raja Ramohun Roy. Also, the remarriage of widows encouraged
by Veeresalingam Pantulu in Andhra Pradesh or the opposition by Savitribai
and Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra to the isolation and shaving of the hair
of widows irrespective of their age are noteworthy. However, it is tragic
that in spite of these steps, widows in Vrindavan who supposedly dedicate
their lives to Lord Krishna, experience sexual and other kinds of
exploitation and social ostracization. Of course, if women must be at
liberty to live according to their convenience and pleasure and must not be
criticized, assaulted or coerced into following social norms whether they
are considered progressive or not. This implies that women must have the
personal freedom to make choices about their occupation, clothing,
expression and other aspects whether they wear short skirts and work
outside or drape veils and remain at home. This would be an example of
inclusive acceptance.

For many women, marriage is ends up like a legitimization of sexual slavery
as their husbands force themselves on their wives according to their desire
as per an article published in October 2013 in the magazine Tehelka. At
times, they are forced to have sex with male relatives of their husband.
They even face the prospect of being forced into prostitution. The Criminal
Law Ordinance of 2013 dropped the clause which recognized marital rape as a
form of violence against women that deserved serious attention and
punishment – a sign of male chauvinism and regressive mindsets. Further,
actions like these by legislators are in direct contrast to the benefit and
inclusion of women achieved by the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005
and the judgment in favour of Mary Roy who in 1986 contested the Travancore
and Cochin Christian Acts of 1916 and 1921 and Indian Inheritance Act 1925
which denied inheritance rights to Syrian Christian women.

A combination of sexist mindsets and religious fundamentalism deny or
restrict the reproductive rights of women, prohibit abortion even for
survivors of rape and incest, promotes and forces sex selective abortion
and female infanticide. Gender based stereotyping and cultural conditioning
believes in the virility of the male species, advocates dominance of men in
society and looks at the role of girls and women as docile progenitors,
caregivers and home makers. The concept of a son as being the natural
inheritor of the family name and wealth and the one being responsible for
the care of parents and household elders including their ascendancy to
heaven by lighting their funeral pyre. Daughters are considered a burden
for having to be married off in spite of them having qualifications skills.
Apart from this Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer
(LGBTIQ) persons also referred to as sexual or gender minorities are
excluded and discriminated against in their homes, neighbourhoods, places
of education and employment. These people are also criminalized by the
state and its representatives like the police and judiciary through laws
like IPC section 377 and section 36A of the Karnataka Police Act.

Superstitions and irrationality
The belief in supernatural phenomena often arises from religious
superstition. As it is evident from the recent incidents of digging for
gold based on the supposed dreams of a self-declared religious leader,
irrational deeds were carried out. In reality, spirituality professed by
many 'God men', 'gurus', 'sadhus' et al is accessible only to the wealthy,
well connected and powerful. It often ends up in the exploitation of naive
people who are blinded by faith. Incidents of sexual assault, molestation
and rape especially of children continues to occur in many religious
institutions like church in the United States and Ireland, various Maths
like that of the Shankarachaya in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, Nityananda
ashram in Bangalore or mosques. However, most of the guilty are not
punished or penalized easily nor do the express regret.

Blaming of natural calamities on sins of the past is irrational. In a
similar fashion, black cat crossing a path, sneezing. Children are often
compelled to follow these beliefs and discouraged from raising questions
against them. Religious superstition leads people to believe that physical
or mental disabilities or acute ill health of any kind are often thought to
be a curse for some sin or misdeeds carried out by the individuals or their
families. People who are able cope with such circumstances are often
supposed to have done so primarily because of their faith in God. While the
latter may be true to a certain extent, it is also important to acknowledge
that the courage and will power of the individual and her or his loved ones
enable the person to lead an independent life. All these are signs of
stagnation or regression.

The negative impact of religion on the work of Galileo Galilee and other
scientists in Europe the 15th and 16th century. It is also believed that
the theory of evolution propagated by Charles Darwin which pointed out
examples of "the survival of the fittest" species in some ways sowed the
indirect seeds of socio-cultural exclusion of some groups by the dominant
majority. In fact it is possible that people like Adolf Hitler who is
supposed to have believed in the superiority of the Aryan race was
responsible for the elimination of Jews that resulted in their genocide. In
a similar manner, Europeans who colonized Australia, New Zealand, countries
in Africa and North, South and Central America plundered the lands and
lives of local indigenous communities with hardly any consideration or
respect for their preferences, and practices. It is evident from historical
records that the colonizers did that with an intention of political
conquest, social domination and spreading their cultural habits and
religious beliefs. It logical to infer that the invaders might have been
insecure about being taken over by unknown people but that is no
justification for the barbaric acts of the colonials. It is not surprising
that genetic cloning of human beings has been declared unethical and
illegal as allowing such experiments might lead to preferential selection
of the genes of a particular race.

Overt intolerance
Some people commit deeds of discrimination, vilification and violence
against individuals or groups of people on the grounds of caste, religion,
language, socio-economic status, gender orientation, political ideology,
physical and mental abilities et al. None of these must go without
condemnation and punishment. In addition to this, there are people who
pronounce bans and threats in the name of religion against artists,
writers, speakers, scholars, musicians, dancers, actors, cultural
performers and others who may give specific opinions, critiques or
interpretations of beliefs, practices, teachings, narratives, events,
characters or other contents that appear in religious texts. Some people go
further by engaging in acts of vandalism, physical assault on individuals,
damage or destruction of libraries, books, artefacts and similar spaces and
objects.

What was done to the essay titled 300 Ramayanas by the late poet, writer
and scholar, Professor A. K. Ramanujam, the books Lajja by Taslima Nasreen,
Satanic Verses by the author Salman Rushdie and Such a Long Journey by
Rohinton Mistry, the paintings of M. F. Hussain, the sculptures of a
student of M. S. University. Even if these works contained aspects that had
hurt the sentiments of one or more persons, there is no justification in
issuing life threats, prohibitive diktats or carrying out deeds of violence
or destruction. Those who had objections to the content of the work in
question can express their displeasure or criticism through oral, written
or graphic means but without using words or representations that can be
provocative as was done by a group of writers and scholars in the case of
certain comments by Ashis Nandy or the cartoons of Keshav Shankar Pillai.
This would be a sign of inclusion and progress. It is disheartening that
such as the Universities of Delhi and Mumbai, curators of exhibitionsand
organizers of events like the Jaipur Literature Festival and Kolkata Book
Fair succumbed to the pressure exerted by intolerant persons. One must also
hold the government of India and the relevant states for allowing the
miscreants to have their way instead of offering relief or protection to
the individuals who brought out the supposedly contentious work and warning
or penalizing the bigots.

It has been well established that religious fundamentalists plotted and
killed Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Graham Staines and Indira Gandhi
accusing them of favouring a specific religion, disrespecting and
desecrating places of religious worship or proselytizing, wantonly. While
the allegations may have been true in the eyes of some, there is no
justification for the murders and the retaliatory violence that followed.
Similarly, the inflammatory speeches by Varun Gandhi, Subramaniam Swamy and
the Owaisi brothers have been rightly condemned as being discriminatory and
exclusionary.

Exclusionary tactics
There is evidence of attempts to (re)interpret and misrepresent occurrences
and individuals in the history of India before and after 1947. This has
come to be known as saffronization of textbooks in Karnataka. Madhya
Pradesh and Rajasthan especially when right wing parties have been in
government. In fact this is attributed to concerted efforts of persons like
Murali Manohar Joshi who is with NCERT and CABE. It is nothing but the
insertion of the biases of individuals, their political parties or groups.
Hence it can be termed a partisan, unilateral recording taking into
consideration the exclusion or minimal mention of contribution of people
from the north east, the aggressive occupation of Sikkim, Kashmir and other
reneging on relevant promises. Also, these people are termed as belonging
to China or Pakistan. In fact, areas with large Muslim populations such as
Juhpura in Ahmedabad or Anekal taluk in Karnataka are sometimes referred to
as chota (small) Pakistan.

Muslims are believed to support the Pakistani sports teams especially in
hockey and cricket. Mir Ranjan Negi, the goal keeper of the Indian hockey
team in the 1982 Asian Games was accused of having engineered the loss to
Pakistan in the final by accepting a bribe from the rival team. The
portrayal of Negi as a person named Kabir Khan in the Hindi feature film
Chak De! adds a dimension of religion to it. The movie portrays that Khan
took it upon himself to become the coach of the national women's hockey
team and guide the outfit to emerge as the victor of the World Cup, in
response to this baseless allegation of being a traitor based on his
religion. Not everyone against whom false has the wherewithal to clear her
or his name. Strictly speaking, there is no necessity for them to prove
their allegiance and situations that force them to, should never arise.
Regressive religious, caste and gender stereotyping is highly prevalent in
forms of popular entertainment and is rarely questioned, opposed or
penalized. This is definitely not a sign of inclusive development.

Further, reality is tragically different. The killing of Ishrat Jehan in
Gujarat, youths in Jamia Nagar in Delhi and Chennai and young men who have
been incarcerated in Bangalore, Hyderabad and other parts of the country
are examples of profiling5 persons who belong to specific religions like
Islam. Although some of them have been released after the manufactured
charges against them were dropped, they and their loved ones have lost
peace of mind, valuable time in their lives and been stigmatized. This is
nothing but a sign of exclusion and regression in society.

In a similar manner, opposition to and prevention of the slaughter or
consumption of the meat of cows, pigs or other animals is unacceptable.
Further, the act of throwing of the remains of animal carcasses especially
near places of worship, religious institutions or in neighbourhoods where
people of specific religions reside. It is important to bear in mind that
they are cost effective sources of nutrients like proteins or healthy fat.
Further, most people who consume diary products or make use of leather
goods should be aware that they could naturally contain other products of
the animals. One can keep away from people or places that produce or
consume poultry, meat, dairy or other animal products if she or he desires
but need not impose their thoughts on the former. Of course, one could
educate others about health and hygiene in a manner sensitive to the
cultural preferences, habits and soci-economic abilities of others. The
latter would be a sign of social advancement.

In this context it is pertinent to note that the decision to convert to
another religion is the choice and right of an individual. One could try to
understand the reason(s) for a person to opt for the conversion and address
them if possible. However, such conciliatory measures must not be extended
with the expectation that they will prevent the conversions. In reality,
any attempt to stop or delay it must be viewed as coercion and lack of
respect for the independent thinking and preference of an individual.
Stated in other words, social inclusion and development will not occur if
there is no acceptance of individuals, groups or communities of people with
their specific faith, loyalties and allegiances irrespective of whether
they are constant or undergo any change.

Another outlawed yet relentless form of exclusion of communities is carried
out by the firm belief and practice of the caste system which is considered
a aspect of Hinduism. However, it has sadly been observed in other
religions such as Sikhism and Christianity. It is perhaps one of the
oldest, inhuman, unacceptable and overt forms of exclusion. People who
belonged to the dominated castes in Hinduism are believed to have converted
to other religions to escape the indignities by persons of the dominant
castes. But it is ironical that they faced similar harassment and
discrimination in the religions that they went into, although in a less
pronounced manner.

The poor socio-economic status of Dalits and Adivasis in spite of the
existence of policies of affirmative action in their favour is concrete
evidence of the exclusion and discrimination that they continue to
experience on a variety of fronts. It also proves that a large part of the
state and society does not care about including Dalits and Adivasis in the
mainstream and perhaps stands to gain from these communities remaining on
the margins. Therefore, it is not surprising that the practice of
untouchability, segregation of utensils, meals and spaces in schools,
roadside eateries and tea stalls, restriction of entry into places of
worship and the allotment of the task beating of the drum and performance
of funeral tasks, tanning of leather, manual scavenging, cleaning of roads,
residential areas, wells and taps, public spaces, sewage drains, septic
tanks to Dalits continues to exist across India.

Conclusion and Recommendations
Through reliable facts and figures, this paper has brought into focus
various incidents, beliefs and practices of religious fundamentalism that
are a hindrance to inclusive development. This paper has also used these
items to demonstrate the poor response by society and government to these
episodes.

The reality is that religious fundamentalism in the guise of decrees and
scriptures is used as a tool of oppression and particularly suppresses
voices of sanity. It almost always originates from people with the motive
of control, domination and to gain social and political status. Further,
religious fundamentalism is based on the convenient (mis)interpretation of
religion by a few who are typically unilateral, narrow minded, conservative
and discourage independent thought and deed. It is important to realize
these realities and oppose them openly with courageous commitment and logic
to ensure the mental and socio-economic advancement of all. Otherwise,
society and the world at large will remain underdeveloped on many fronts.

References
1 Caste Violence in India
2 Kandhamal fact finding
3 JTSA report
4 Devadasi system
5 Jyoti Punwani
6 Sanal Eda

lawyerscollective.org/womens-rights-initiative

Christian Law of Succession and Mary Roy's case by Sebastian Champapilly
ebc-india.com/lawyer/articles/94v4a2.htm

censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/India_at_glance/religion.aspx

voicesagainst377.org