The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 107
The Gulf Crisis & The New World Order and there are many other similar areas in which we can catalogue the various dangers. When we consider these examples, we are amazed to see how explosive and how volcanic these issues are. They remain buried in various places and they can be resurrected at any time. I will put a few examples before you. Religious and political dangers in India is one example. First of all, the Sikh nation has adopted a separate identity on the basis of religion demanding separation from other nations in India. This demand is somewhat similar to the one having to do with the concept of the creation of P akistan. It was not purely a political demand. Rather, religion and politics together created prejudice and as a result of it, a tendency was developed for separation from other nations. On the contrary prejudices have also emerged to suppress this demand. Neither side in this conflict has asked that we should put our heads together and should settle these differences in the light of justice and see as to what extent these matters should be subservient to the demands of justice. If the Sikhs are in fact faced with threats then these threats should be removed. But the same voice is being heard from both sides. The Sikhs say that we face a danger in living in India and living in India will destroy our religious and national identity; India says that if we accept this demand, the country will then become fragmented into factions to such an extent that there will be no stopping it. Both voices appear to carry a lot of weight but as I have said,if you look for the ultimate cause, you will see that there is selfishness and prejudice on both sides. Prejudices have played a major role in the way India has treated the minorities since partition of the country. Hindus are in a large majority and despite the fact that the State of India was not established on the basis of religion, Hindus have adopted a nationhood and because of their large numbers and majority, the power is in their hands and the smaller nations do not share that power. All the authority for decisions have remained entirely in the hands of the Hindus. Even if they continue to call India a secular state, the fact remains the same. These powers (of decision making) have not only remained in the hands of the Hindus but in the hands of only one cast of the Hindus, known as the Brahmins or the higher caste. These are the prejudices which have then given birth to further disputes. Fundamentally, politics was at work but prejudices were buried under that apparent foundation. This 107