AS has been found, it is essential for universities and institutes of higher learning to connect education to social and contemporary issues. In today'sera, universities cannot stay cut off from the society or enclosed within their four walls. No matter how controversial the issues relating to social questions are, it is necessary to ?think with a cool and aroused mind?, as said by Deendayal Upaddhyaya. Contemplation on such issues is possible within the healthy and controlled environment of universities. Freedom of religion too is such an issue by pondering over which and by then taking remedial measures, one can look forward to a bright future for the country.
In the year 2006, a two-day seminar was held at the Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University in Ajmer. On this occasion papers were presented on three important aspects?what the Constitution says about religious freedom, what the situation is regarding the differences in opinion about religious freedom as stipulated in the Constitution and the challenge posed due to the religious differences with the international community on the application of religious freedom.
The book under review is a compilation of the papers presented at the meet. Since it is not possible to discuss all the papers, a few important ones have been taken up for a study.
Dr Indresh Kumar of the India-Tibet Cooperation Forum said in his paper that before discussing religious freedom, it is necessary to take the political situation in the world into consideration. He points out that China has occupied large chunks of territory of its neighbouring nations in Central Asia, like that of eastern Turkestan, half of Mongolia, Manchuria and Tibet. It continues to threaten Taiwan and has its evil eyes on India and Nepal too. USA, which got rid of the original inhabitants of the land?the Red Indians?was most vocal about religious freedom. Similarly the Vatican, called the principal region responsible for spreading Christianity or the Catholic religion in the world, is engaged in large-scale conversion. Similarly Saudi Arabia subscribes to conversion and is considered the leader of Islam. Who is not aware of the degree of religious freedom available in these two nations?
Dr Indresh Kumar points out that when the Rajasthan State Assembly imposed a ban on religious conversion, the Vatican promptly started preaching India as to what should be done and what not.
Prof. S. Bhatnagar says that socialism, secularism and all other ?isms? are dogmas, ?frozen concepts? and that Hindu-Indian identity was that of a pluralistic society. ?Hinduism, which can be better defined as Hindutva, is neither a faith nor a religion.
R. Kartikeya from the School of Legal Studies, Jalandhar, says that the unholy mess and politicisation of the issue of conversion is a social factor in India which has been exploited by political organisations to suit their vested interests.
Many other papers were presented by other leading experts to highlight the religious intolerance of certain sections of the society. All agreed on the practice of freedom of religion and the right to propagate it as per the Constitution of India but spoke against forcible conversions.
(Brahmaputra Prakashan, F-70 Kamla Nagar, Delhi-110007.)
