True Indian Secularism

I have just come back a week ago from hectic travels to San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Orlando. Since this also meant many meetings, conferences etc. it took toll on me and my time, hence the delay in composing myself and writing this blog.

But the great thing about travel is its enormously rich experience due to abundance of contact with humanity. One of the things which made me really think hard during this time was the nature of Indian secularism. This was brought about by two incidents.

First happened during BIO show on 19th and 20th May. We had kept Ganesha statues made of Sandal wood in our booth for giving away as gifts to prospects. One Indian lady came to our booth, her first name was a very typical Christian name, but Family name was Indian. She requested if she could have the statue of Ganesha and said she wanted it as 'He will bring me good luck and removes obstacles for me'. Those are Hindu beliefs. So I thought she might have changed her Indian (Hindu) name to a Christian name for the ease of Americans, as some Indians and most Chinese do. But on inquiry to my utter surprise she declared that she was a Christian from Goa and married to a Parsi, meaning neither the family she was born in to nor married in to, believed in Lord Ganesha, yet growing up in India, she certainly wanted that statue.
Interestingly the story with her did not end on that day. Second day she came and this time just grabbed another statue from the booth, saying that her yesterday one was taken away by a friend and she certainly needs one. First the audacity of her action made me a bit angry, as we had only 2 statues left and were keeping them for real good prospects for whom it was meant, But looking at her devotion, we could not refuse and just laughed at her 'grabbing'.

Second incident took place in Orlando Florida during ASCO meet. We visited a Luxury items shop, which was selling expensive watches, diamonds, jewellery, high value porcelain etc. We again saw a beautiful Ganesha Statue of high value porcelain made by Spanish company Lladro displayed prominently in the middle of the shop. So I intelligently assumed that shop was owned by an Indian of Hindu faith. But later in our interaction we found out that it was owned by a Muslim that too of Pakistani origin (Well his parents were from India and he was also born in India, but moved to Pak when he was a baby and was a Pakistani national). Again that was not the end of the story, the real discussion took place on another day, when we visited him for some thing else and interacted further. He told us that the staue of Ganesha is priced for only $1550, but he will not sell it even though he has received the offers as high as $16,000 for the same. He said "I will never sell this statue as I believe in Ganesha as so many people (around 800 Million Hindus) of the world believe in Him, obviously He must be a great benefactor". This muslim gentleman also said that he respects all beliefs as they all come from human experience.

After mulling over a lot on both these incidents, I realized that there connection with India and growing up in Indian millieu had made these believers in monotheism (which inherently preaches monopoly over the concept of God) were truly secular in Indian sense, which means 'Equal Respect to all Faiths'.

Jai Ho, India and its Great Heritage!!! May all people start believing in such Secularism.