ASCENDENCE OF THEOCRACY !

Pakistani blasphemy laws carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam.Imitating Pakistan and ironically enough,now we have got Punjab Amendment Bill,2016 that seeks life imprisonment for sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.Secular democratic state is supposed to keep equal distance from all religions and exhibit equal respect for religiosity with out preference and prejudice.Enacting a sacrilege law only with respect to the Guru Granth Sahib is bound to create demands for similar legislation with regard to other religions.The super sensitive issue of desecration of Sikh holy book last year in Punjab was to be settled under law and order mechanism but in order to cover administrative failure ,Akali-BJP coalition opted for populist ploy for ulterior and political interests.Interestingly ,opposition by Congress was more or less symbolic one as bill did not provide for similar punishment for disrespect to other religions-classical example of their brand of pseudo-secularism.

Pakistani blasphemy laws have not only eroded whatsoever is left of democracy but also precipitated repugnant sectarian violence mostly on the basis of flimsy and concocted background.Any way,Punjab Govt has opened a cane of worms as well as pandora box for Indian democracy and secularism,keeping in view the innumerable number of religious scriptures in every nook and corner of India.