12:39PM

Advani filed his BJP nomination papers from the Gandhinagar constituency today, at exactly 12:39pm.

So did, Suresh Patel, who filed his Congress nomination papers today. Also at 12:39pm.

Advani’s filing of papers was preceded by a Hindu puja at his house.

12:39pm is an auspicious time for Hindus. They believe that every thing they do at this stroke of the clock, will be fruitful.

Apart from the stark incongruity of the fact that both rival parties have filed their papers at the same time, both expecting that it will bring them luck in the form of winning the elections, is the fact, that the BJP who is rampantly claiming it is a secular party, amidst wide spread skepticism of the weight of the statement, conducted a Hindu puja over the nomination papers, with no thought to emphasizing their ‘secular nature’.

This issue really pertains to the possibility of a secular-democracy, and the possibility of existence of a democracy in a secular state. I have with me an article I’ve written over a year back, on the same issue. I haven’t blogged it, because I wasn’t able to arrive at a suitable consensus (I will soon, and this post will be rehashed). So I’m not opening that subject right now, but I do want to bring to attention this one fact, as below.

Is it appropriate for a secular party, to embrace the majority religion, as the party religion?

If I stand for election, as the BJP candidate for Gandhinagar, as a Muslim/Christian/Sikh/Jain/Buddhist/ Jewish/Zoroastrian/atheist candidate, am I expected to attend the puja, be decorated with a tikka, and file my papers at 12:39pm too?

All over India, in said secular environments, at business establishments, generator rooms and more, on every Hindu festival, puja is carried out, no matter what the sentiment of the minority community is. The sentiment is ignored by the minority community themselves, as well as the ones carrying out the puja, ie: the majority community. It has become commonplace, such that nobody has an opinion any more, and nobody expects an opinion either.

But, I'm not going to talk about it now. I will when I put up that post I mentioned earlier.