EPIPHANY OF COMMUNION Vs CACOPHONY OF COMMUNALISM

Every New Year comes with a lot of promises and hopes. But towards the end, as we count the stock, often what remains may be a handful of sorrows and pains. Year 2008 which ended in violence and terror attacks where scores of people were killed and fourscore were handicapped and where the dreams of many were shattered was of no difference. The bomb blasts in Mumbai coupled with riots and bloodshed in Orissa have left deep scars in our hearts, for sure. As 2009 dawns, our prayer is that the New Year will be one of a difference - a year of just peace, a year of selfless love and a year of mutual respect.

Nonetheless, to accomplish this prayer, it is not enough to sit back and hope that the New Year will gift us these merits. Rather, it is equally important to urge and strive for the same in order that we will be equipped by the Almighty to realize this dream. This, however, is not an easy task since the issues that we are to address, be it religious violence or terror attacks or economic recession, are more complex than what they appear to be.

One of the greatest challenges that we as a nation face today, as we move on to the 49th year since we became a Republic on 26th January 1950, is communalism Vs Secularism. Whether it is a majority communalism or minority communalism, it is a true fact that the secular fabric of our nation is at high risk. Dr. K. N. Panikkar, President, Indian History Congress says, “Protagonists of communalism masquerading as historians were seeking to besmirch the secular heritage of Indian civilization.” [“Culture emerges as site of struggle: Panikkar,” The Hindu (Chennai), 29 December 2008, 13.]

The problem with the communalists, who are interested in their own ethnic group than in the society as a whole is that they are unable to accept plurality of religions. They believe what they believe is true and advocate for homogenization. On the other hand, secularism (in India) respects plurality and allows peaceful co-existence of all religions. India is not a society rather a harmony of many societies. It contains not one, but many traditions owing their origin in part to the different religions that exist here. It is this beauty of our secular fabric that we should not risk at the hands of the overpowering communal ideologies which seek not to acknowledge but destroy the ‘other’.

Here, that the message of Epiphany has got a vital resource to counter communalism is a significant aspect to be realized. On the day of Epiphany, which falls on January 6th, while the Western Christians commemorate the visitation of the Magi to the Child Jesus, which is Jesus’ manifestation to the nations, the Eastern Christians commemorate the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, which is Jesus manifestation as the Son of God. Be it either, in short, Epiphany is the celebration of the ‘revelation of God in human form.’ The underlying message in Epiphany is the mind of God to accept another reality (flesh) not just to be used as a medium to reveal His glory but as a form to be born and lived.

Jesus - the Jew- revealing himself to the Magi representing ‘gentiles’, and Jesus -the sinless- identifying with the sinners, open up a new way to see the ‘other’. God, who denies no one rather accepts everyone, wants us, His children, not to be communal but to be in communion with others. To understand secularism in a Christian way, it is this aspect of communion that is the underlying principle of secularism. And our celebration of Epiphany should inspire us towards this aspect of ‘communion with each other’. Yes, if we have the courage to commune with each other, without the fear of the ‘other’, we can counter communalism and foster secularism, which can lead our nation to a year of just peace, selfless love and mutual respect. Let the EPIPHANY OF COMMUNION echo over the CACOPHONY OF COMMUNALISM. AMEN!