[Reader-list] The "Sickular" History

Thu Jun 4 19:33:29 IST 2009

Dear Kshmendra,
Thanks for your comments.
Whether the word be associated with the root 'sick' or 'sickle',
'sickular' continues to be sickening to me. This, I attribute to the
permanently negative connotations the word most often catch. A desire
to belong to a genuinely secular polity, whatever be our personal
religious conviction is what better corresponds to secularism in my
view.  Sickular, as far as  I can understand, is often used by many
(including the Muslim victims of discriminative state policies)  only
to undervalue the real worthiness of secularism whatever is existing,
and to distract.
After the recent massive popular verdict in the last general elections
in favour of secularism, I wish we could go back to examine the sort
of distortions the idea of secularism suffered in recent times. If we
mean to use the word sickular just to describe all kinds of abuses of
secularism, I am afraid it would not go beyond abusing the abusers; it
seldom cares to build ideal models of praxis in a multi-religious
country. We often put blame on the Left and the Congress alike, for
not being sufficiently secular in practice; but that itself is no
justification for finding a vague expression for venting our ire on
people who don't really take care of our desire to live in a secular
polity.
Regards,
Venu.

On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 4:43 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear Venugopalan
>
> A few comments, a few digressions.
>
> - As things stand, it would be foolish for the 'sickle' to be associated
> with 'communism' in India, for if the "Left" are 'communists' they have
> almost totally ignored those who wield the "sickle" in India. In that
> perhaps is some clue for the stagnation and/or decline of the political
> presence of the "Left" in India.
>
> - But, you have given an interesting spin on the "SICK" in "sickular" being
> linked to "SICKle". You have added a dimension to the word though I did not
> (in my brief research) see that exclusive connection being highlighted.
>
> - My 'falling in love with" the word "sickular" comes from my fascination
> with roots of words and how words gain currency (and the altering that takes
> place in their recognised meanings through time).
>
> - As I said earlier, I do not use the word "sickular" and I stated the
> reasons why not. But I will not ignore the powerful statement the word
> "sickular" makes and it's significance in symbolising the attitudinal and
> (in some ways) ideological divides in India.
>
> - You seemed to have missed out on a reference I gave about the word
> "sickular" being used by Muslims too.
>
> - I would suggest that attempts be made to understand the reasons why people
> use the word "sickular" rather than shutting ones eyes with the
> dismissal that it is "used by people with deeply convoluted, distorted and
> parochial biases against secularism"
>
> - The word "pseudo-secular" (I am told by Wikipedia) has first recorded
> usage by Padre Anthony Elenjimittam in his 1951 book "  Philosophy and
> Action of the R. S. S. for the Hind Swaraj". It appears that he used it
> against the Congress.
>
> - There is much to be said in favour of the need for some forms of (limited)
> employment of "positive discrimination" or "affirmative action" in India.
> But beyond that, one often sees attitudes of "convoluted secularism";
> "hypocritical secularism"; "selective secularism". For those I find the word
> "pseudo-secular" applies itself aptly
>
> - Dont you think that when BJP professes that it is a "secular" party that
> it is "pseudo-secularism"?
>
> The more we put others in compartments in our mind, the more our own
> mind gets confined to a closed compartment.
>
> Kshmendra
>
>
> --- On Thu, 6/4/09, Venugopalan K M <kmvenuannur at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Venugopalan K M <kmvenuannur at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] The "Sickular" History
> To: "sarai-list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009, 11:41 AM
>
> When used by people with deeply convoluted, distorted and parochial
> biases against secularism , the usage sickular is sickening indeed. At
> least some seem to have the image of sickle (comprising the
> traditional symbol of communism) in their mind while they use
> sickularism with extreme derogation. Take for example the
> coinage"pseudo secularism", the credit of which goes to the Hidutwa
> brigade of the 1990s under the stewardship of LKA.  It is far from
> truth to suggest that  they would have appreciated 'real' secularism
> in the place of the allegedly 'pseudo' secularism.
> You take pseudo secularism to be a point of reference not to ask for
> the real one,but just to whip up passions and hate and ultimately to
> proceed to your cherished Ramrajya,where the Constitution of India
> would be thrown to dust bin by the irate Hindu mobs and Sadhoos and
> Shankaracharis would take over as law givers (Manu would be reinstated
> as the unchallengeable authority of law)
>
> I have yet to come across a serious usage of the term 'sickular',
> notwithstanding my benign curiosity  toward Ksmendra's and Inder
> Salim's love for this coinage.
> With my deepest regards to Kshmendra and Inder,
> Venu.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 10:56 PM, Inder Salim <indersalim at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Dear Kshmendra
>>
>> SECULAR has lot to do with profane than with sacred, lucidly.
>> So it is not surprising that contemporary dirty politics invents the
>> word Sickluar.
>>
>> in many senses than one WE ALL ARE SICKLUAR PEOPLE , and that is not a
>> bad category, given that fact that we can bring about a change in the
>> society...... there is a possibility, but  those who think they are
>> believers ought to study their practices, and analyze deeply how their
>> beliefs are sustained by this Sickluar mass. If not down to earth
>> believer, which is so rare, a believer is unwittingly a practising
>> Sickular,  So better to be a known as Sickular, consciously....
>>
>> thanks for kissing the word SICKULAR on the cheek, i too am kissing
>> the other side of it.
>>
>> love
>> is
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 7:04 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>> My burst of "love" for the word "slacktivism" that I got introduced to
>>> today reminded me about another word which I immediately fell in love with
>>> on first seeing it. The word is "sickular".
>>>
>>> I have personally never used the word "sickular" even though in it
>>> resonates and it encompasses my own evaluations of some attitudes one sees
>>> in India. I have preffered terms like "convoluted secularism"; "hypocritical
>>> secularism"; "selective secularism".
>>>
>>> "Sickular" is a powerful word but it is too dismissive for my liking for
>>> it often brings to a sudden end any reasoned discussion that could explore
>>> opposing viewpoints on interpretaions of "secularism".
>>>
>>> But, "Sickular" is a significant word for it symbolises the attitudinal
>>> and to some extent the ideological divides that exist in India.
>>>
>>> What are the origins of this word "Sickular"? I could not find it in any
>>> dictionary, nor was Wikipedia of any help. If someone knows, please let me
>>> know.
>>>
>>> "Sickular" apppears to be an India-coined word.
>>>
>>> - The earliest usage of the word "sickular" that I could locate  from Web
>>> sources is a 2004 comment by "Anonymous" on the site "Snap Judgement"  which
>>> has content pre-dominantly in Tamil:
>>>
>>> "When our so called sickular media were shy on even touching this gory
>>> murder, you did a splendid job of bringing out the truth."
>>>
>>> http://snapjudge.com/2004/11/05/%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE/
>>>
>>>
>>> Next after 2004, I could find use of "sickular" only in 2006. The word is
>>> seen figuring repeatedly after that in 2008 and 2009.
>>>
>>>
>>> - Jan 2006,  "indusAquarius" comments on the Blog "Shadow Warrior" :
>>>
>>> "This Mahesh Bhatt is among the bigwigs of the Sickular brigade."
>>>
>>> http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2006/01/british-mohammedan-preachers-vision.html
>>>
>>>
>>> - Feb 2006, on the same Blog, "daisies" questions "DarkStorm" :
>>>
>>> "And your daily songs of "sickular" are not sickening for anyone ?"
>>> http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com/2006/02/indians-as-blacks.html
>>>
>>>
>>> - March 2006, on the "OUTLOOKINDIA" site, in a comment, "Ramchi" says:
>>>
>>> "Only in India where Hindu temples which are under the control of
>>> sickular governments charging Hindus for praying their Gods."
>>> http://www.outlookindia.com/printdis_v2.asp?refer=64867&childid=64867
>>>
>>>
>>> - March 2006, in the "Wisdom Blog" on the INDIATIMES site, "Ram"
>>> comments:
>>>
>>> "If not, at the first opportunity, fly out of India, leaving the country
>>> in the hands of this 'sickular' govt."
>>> http://o3.indiatimes.com/wisenation/archive/2006/03/29/574301.aspx
>>>
>>>
>>> - May 2006, on the site "Sepia Mutiny", "Gaurav" questions "Mahajan
>>> Skeptic":
>>>
>>> "In your scheme of thing I guess India was a Ram Rajya (oops, that is
>>> communal !), I meant paradise under "sickular" Congress until Devil (BJP)
>>> came and serpent (LKA) robbed Indians of innocence."
>>>
>>> http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:yGIEYP-BFs4J:www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/003334.html+%22sickular%22&cd=90&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ae
>>>
>>>
>>> - May 2006, "Blinded" comments in the "UNITED WE BLOG! FOR A DEMOCRATIC
>>> NEPAL" :
>>>
>>> "I am amazed that still you all are not aware of what is true secularism
>>> and what is happening to India due to sickular (secular) ideology!!"
>>>
>>> http://blog.com.np/united-we-blog/2006/05/18/no-hindu-kingdom-celebrating-secularism-in-nepal/
>>>
>>>
>>> - May 2006, "SPINDIANMEDIA" titles an entry in Blog of same name:
>>>
>>> "Vir Sanghvi's "sickular" double standards on stark display"
>>>
>>> http://spindianmedia.blogspot.com/2006/05/vir-sanghvis-sickular-double-standards.html
>>>
>>>
>>> - June 2006, we have "Shmuel Kuper" commenting on what appears to be an
>>> Israeli site "CROSS CURRENTS":
>>>
>>>  "Hopefully, the readers of this forum do not belong to the brainwashed
>>> sickular public who do not care to read facts that might confuse their
>>> brainwashed mind, and will find interest in facts rather than antisemite
>>> propaganda, the “isreali” media so excels in, putting the “Jewish” state as
>>> the #1 antisemite state in the Western world."
>>>
>>> http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/06/28/yisrael-valis-the-court-transcript/
>>>
>>>
>>> - Jan 2007, on the site INDIANMUSLIMS, "Sharique" writes a piece, titling
>>> it "The SICKular parties" and writes:
>>>
>>> "Incidents like these often develop this feeling in me that would India
>>> have been in a much better position as a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ ? At least there
>>> would have been no hypocrisy on the parts of these sickular political
>>> parties"
>>> http://indianmuslims.in/the-sickular-parties/
>>>
>>>
>>> Kshmendra
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> http://indersalim.livejournal.com
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>
>
>
> --
> http://venukm.blogspot.com/
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