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Mahabharata katha London
2012
India is the only country where we have had Presidents, PMs, CMs and ministers of both genders and all religious backgrounds including Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists as well as atheists. These men and women are voted into power by the population of India who are 80% Hindu.
Show me any other country in the world where this level of access to power is possible for minorities! In the middle-east, non-muslims stand no chance of becoming even ministers, let alone prime ministers. Even in the USA, even today, Americans can't imagine a non-Christian becoming a President. Thought of a Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or Sikh becoming a president of USA is unthinkable! Despite several centuries of democracy, even now a female president is only a remote possibility in USA.
Yet, in India, which many western countries claim to be repressive to women and minorities, its majority Hindu electorate have voted in women and people of various minorities into highest political offices on a regular basis. From 1947 till 2015, in the independent republic of India, Indians have elected men and women from all walks of life into various positions of power and prestige.
Of the 13 Presidents so far, we have had four Muslims and one woman.
Of 15 Prime Ministers so far, Indians have voted in two Sikh presidents who
ruled for over 11 years and Mrs Indira Gandhi ruled for over 16 years.
Mrs Sonia Gandhi, an Italian born Catholic, has been in charge of India’s
biggest political party, Congress, for the last 16 years. With her son and
daughter, she has ruled from behind the throne during several Congress ruled
governments of India.
Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, atheists, dalits and tribals have become
ministers, chief ministers and governors of various states of India. They
have even graced the position of being a defense minister of the republic.
Literate, illiterate, old , young, rich, poor and even reformed criminals have
become Ministers and Chief Ministers of various states. Only in India a
fisherman, farmer or even a former tea-boy can achieve their dream of becoming a
President or Prime Minister. Capitalists, socialists, communists,
fundamentalists and even nationalists have come to rule various states of India
and yet all of them have upheld the secular nature of Indian constitution.
No other nation in South East Asia or indeed the world has afforded such trust, generosity and faith to all its citizens, regardless of their gender, background or religion. Even in the west, where liberal democracy is well rooted, no one can imagine a non-Christian becoming a Prime Minister or President of a Christian majority country. No one can ever imagine a non-Muslim of holding any position of power or authority anywhere in any Muslim majority country. Infact, in Fiji, a Prime Minister, duly elected through democratic process was removed by the military only because he was of Hindu, Indian ancestry. Sadly, western world watched this injustice in silence. Same western countries felt it was OK for them to criticize India which had a Muslim and Hindu ruling side by side as President and Prime Minister.
India’s electorate regularly elects and promotes people of all class, castes,
creed and ethnicity because of India's tolerant Hindu traditions. Hinduism
has always promoted and supported diversity. Of all the cultures in the
world, Hinduism is the only culture that has never tried to enforce hegemony of
any sort. It is sad that the world’s media focuses on voices of minority
dissenters while ignoring the voices and actions of majority of India.