Secularism in India is almost dead. One has to be delusional or ideologically blind to not see the writing on the wall. For all practical purposes, it exists only in theory and in the pages of the constitution. Secularism, as an idea, was the defining principle of modern India in which every religion, irrespective of the numbers of the followers, was accorded equality before the law and equal respect and the state was not supposed to either adhere to or project one religion, but it was to be religion-neutral. That does not mean that those who were holding high constitutional positions were debarred from pursuing their religion. But they were expected to keep it private, and their faith was not to show any bias or ill will against other religions. The state was not discriminatory; law enforcing agencies were expected to treat every citizen, irrespective of the religion they pursued in their lives equally but in the last few years that line has blurred.

The state has not only become discriminatory, but it has also visibly aligned with the Hindu religion. Spewing venom against other religions has become the new normal in India, demonisation of minority communities has turned into an art form. The media, which was the bastion standing tall against the rising tide of communalism, has crumbled royally and there seems no shame in becoming so. No wonder when sub-inspector Manoj Kumar Tomar kicked Muslims while they were offering namaz on the road adjacent to the mosque, he became an instant hero on social media and thousands stood by him. The only solace is that the state still has some shame that it immediately took cognisance of the matter and suspended him and initiated an inquiry against Tomar. Like Tomar, Chetan Sharma who killed three Muslims in a train was also hailed as a hero by such individuals. A few years back when one Sambhulal Regar, who hacked and burnt a Muslim........

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