Online edition of Daily News

While Indian National Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's willing renunciation of the Prime Ministership of India has won for her a moral stature and statesmanship which is exceedingly hard to come by in South Asia, the election of Dr. Manmohan Singh to the premiership - the first non-Hindu to be so elected - further bolsters India's democratic credentials.

For, secularism is synonymous with democracy, in the truest sense of the word. Any system of government which professes to be democratic yet falls short of measuring-up to secular principles, cannot be defined as a functional democracy.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh applauds after he was sworn in as India’s prime minister in New Delhi May 22, 2004. The hero of India’s economic reforms, Manmohan Singh, took over as the 13th prime minister of the world’s biggest democracy on Saturday, bringing the venerable Congress party back to power after eight years. REUTERS

In the Indian context, secularism defines itself as equality among religions and cultures and so Manmohan Singh's election to the Premiership only strengthens India's secular identity besides reestablishing its prime strengths as a democracy.

Put in simple terms, India's secular foundations are so secure that it is possible for a non-Hindu to rise to the position of Prime Minister, for, Singh is a Sikh and, therefore, not an adherent of the majority religion.

The firm "separation wall" which India has erected over the years of democratic practice, between State and Church (Kovil, in this instance) makes it possible for a non-Hindu to rise to the pinnacle of governance. This is how secularism lays the foundation for religious and cultural equality - an essential for democratic development.

It must be remembered that Sonia Gandhi renounced the Premiership voluntarily, out of consideration for the possibly divisive impact her acquiring of the Premiership would have on the Indian body politic. Prime consideration was given by her to Indian national unity.

However, it needs to be stressed that the forces opposed to her do not represent the generality of the Indian populace. They could be described as ethnic and religious chauvinists who have been fuelling tensions among India's diverse social groups and, thereby, helping in precipitating separatist tendencies.

They, by no means, represent Indian public opinion. More so why Gandhi's gesture of statesmanship needs to be valued.

It is most unfortunate that some sections sought to harp mindlessly on a mythical "Nehru - Gandhi dynasty" making a comeback, on initially learning of the triumph of the Congress and of Sonia Gandhi, while failing to appreciate and stress enough the statesmanship of the latter.

So, secularism and statesmanship have triumphed in India and the political observer could be accused of failing to grasp the finer dimensions of the "Congress comeback" if these aspects of the victory are not stressed.

There has certainly been a popular reaction against the great inequalities of globalization in this unexpected electoral triumph but a substantial proportion of the Indian electorate has also said "no" to the Hindutva ideology of the BJP-led coalition.

As is well known, this ideology is considerably responsible for religious tensions in India. It was not only a prime factor in anti-Muslim riots but in simmering anti-Christian sentiments too.

The Congress triumph, therefore, indicates that India-in a sense - has come full circle in terms of governing values. While a Congress-led government could be expected to follow a centrist economic policy-laying considerable stress on economic equity and grassroots development - secularism is likely to enjoy a new lease of life.

Equity and secularism, after all, were two foundational pillars of post-independence India and were stressed by early Congress leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Congress victory should also remind ruling elites in South Asia that communalism and religious chauvinism do not have many takers among the common people.

However, the establishment of truly secular democracies is likely to narrow religious and ethnic cleavages in this region.