Mizoram, its political leaders and secularism

By Paritosh Chakma

This is in reaction to the Hindustan Times report “Mizo CM under attack over ‘Hindu celebration’” of 18 October 2011 (online edition).

The principal opposition party in the state, Mizo National Front, or MNF, has slammed Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla for attending Hindu religious festivals Durga Puja and Dussehra in Kolkata recently.

I slam both the MNF and the Congress parties for their double standards with regard to the freedom of religion.

MNF’s take on religion:

MNF's Vice President R Tlanghmingthanga is reported to have stated “We strongly condemn Lal Thanhawla for attending the [Hindu] celebrations and hope that he will seek forgiveness from God.” Mr Tlanghmingthanga further allegedly stated that Lal Thanhawla was also “guilty” of breaking a coconut (a Hindu ritual) while inaugurating the Tuivawl Bridge in Mizoram on 24 January 2011 and the Mizoram House in New Delhi in 2010.

The MNF allegedly called the CM’s acts as “betraying his God and forsaking his Christianity”.

How ludicrous!

The MNF must know that State has no religion under the Constitution of India. The state of Mizoram is represented by the Chief Minister who as the constitutional authority also has no religion in carrying out his official duties and responsibilities.

Constitution apart, a good Christian can never dishonor other’s religions.

Congress’ take on religion

The Congress party has defended its Chief Minister. A Congress party spokesperson in Aizawl replied “In a secular country, a chief minister has no religious barriers. Besides, the Kolkata programme was of a cultural nature.”

“The MNF must have forgotten that their leader Zoramthanga had entered a gurdwara [Sikh religious place] outside Mizoram sporting a turban,” the spokesperson added.

While the Congress may have taken the moral high ground for being more secular than the MNF, but there is a question mark when the present Congress government in Mizoram deleted “Buddha Purnima” from the official list of holidays for 2012 calendar. This is despite the fact that “Buddha Purnima” is a gazetted holiday in India. Read, http://paritosh-chakma.blogspot.com/2011/09/faux-pas-buddha-purnima-is-no-longer.html

India is a Secular country. State has no religion under the Constitution of India. Secularism means that the State is equidistant from all religions and therefore has the constitutional obligation to protect the rights of persons belonging to any religion or faith in this country in equal measure. Discrimination on the basis of religion alone is prohibited by law.

Therefore, whether the exclusion of the “Buddha Purnima” is deliberate act or an inadvertent error, the state government of Mizoram and its “secular” Chief Minister must answer.