The British Prime Minister, representative of the nation, said Britain is a Christian country. Oh boy, did that cause a load of secularist, pluralist, liberals to go nuts and panic. All the PM said is that Britain should be proud of saying it is a Christian country.
Like the BJP feels about India, Cameron feels about Britain – be proud to express your faith. But like all the secularist, pluralist, liberals go nuts at the name of ‘Modi’ so they have in Britain too.
A load of really famous clever people wrote a letter to the Telegraph saying the British PM is wrong. Just as people write in the Guardian that Modi is a crazy religious right-wing sectarian divisive bigot.
This is what they wrote in the Telegraph about PM Cameron: “we object to his characterisation of Britain as a Christian country…Britain is not a Christian country…At a social level, Britain has been shaped for the better by many pre-Christian, non-Christian, and post-Christian forces. We are a plural society with citizens with a range of perspectives, and we are a largely non-religious society…Constantly to claim otherwise fosters alienation and division in our society. This needlessly fuels enervating sectarian debates that are by and large absent from the lives of most British people, who do not want religions or religious identities to be actively prioritised by their elected government.”
You really have to be in denial to think Britain is not a Christian country – what the hell do you think Easter holidays and Christmas breaks are? About bunnies and Fir trees? Or an established Church is. The Queen is not a Defender of Faiths but of ‘The Faith’ – and it isn’t Islam they are talking about. Not seen any Sharia laws recently in Britain.
As for India, it’s also known as Hindustan for good reason. When three quarters of your population follow one faith – Hinduism – to deny it is a Hindu nation, when every corner street has a temple, the country stands still at Diwali – you’re fool to call it anything other than a Hindu nation.
The problem that the followers of Modi and Cameron have is that they want their countries to be more Hindu and more Christian respectively. They wish it was even more proudly religious. The mistake they make is that they’ve won the battle, they will not persuade their enemies otherwise by argument. They should maintain their winning position by keeping quiet about it, doing good works, being good men and women of Faith and making it happen anyway regardless of who is in office. Attracting attention only brings objectors and raising obstacles.
Christ and Ram did not need go proclaiming their religion. They just go on with it. So should the British PM and the most likely next Indian PM. Evangelists are so annoying and hence unpopular. First rule of politics: it is popularity contest. Second rule: When you win, keep power, by staying popular.
Alpesh Patel
Political Animal 