Creeping Shadow of the Lamp

It is difficult to decide whether to be dismayed or heartened by the fact that there is in this country still a small section of people which is startled and anguished at the periodic reminders of the ubiquitousness of religion in our national life and part of it. This section will carefully follow the ascendancy of the Jan Sangh in the Hindi-speaking North and even its induction into the Governments of States and yet be surprised when there is organised killing of Muslims in Ranchi or when the police stand by and let the killers get on with their work. So hypnotised is it apparently by the external trappings of Western style democracy, replete with a secular constitution which exorcises by a stroke of the pen religion from public life. …