GOOD EXAMPLE OF MIXING RELIGION AND POLITICS.

 

 By K P PASWAN.

 There is no good example of mixing politics with religion, as both are poles apart in modern world. In ancient times good governance meant the religious nature of the state. Wars were fought not only to expand the geographical limit of the kingdom but also  to expand the religion of the winner kings.

 One particular religion still believes in spreading religion by indulging in violent activities. In Europe Crusade took place between two major religions and continued for more than one hundred year. There were no actual winners. Political scientists in ancient time openly espoused the cause of religion. Till the end of 19^th century we find every known country being guided by religious philosophy.

 But it is a hard truth that religion played important part in contributing to modern science. A few scientists like Galileo was punished by religious leaders for scientific thinking while scientists  like Newton and Charles Darwin prepared the ground of knowing the universe in a different ways and their contributions to our understanding of nature were appreciated. Politics in modern era means a particular ideology or set of ideologies. Karl Marx denounced religion as opium and postulated a different type of political philosophy. But his philosophy failed to knock out religion. In communist countries there was no question of mixing religion with politics as religious was denounced as opium. Controversial metaphysical philosophy known as dialectical materialism was introduced to deny the existence of a super natural power.

 However, US the most advanced and powerful nation of our solar system is certainly a secular country but its foreign policy is greatly influenced by religion. A former national security advisor of the former president Donald Trump has expressed his desire in one America with one religion. For spreading religion, liberal grants are given by politicians in connivance with rich in US. Philippines and Korea (South) were converted by American missionaries.  Nothing is wrong in spreading religion by fair means but this smells good example of mixing  religion with politics.

Vatican receives large funds from all over the world and by mixing religion with politics,Vatican is spreading quality education and affordable health services to the poor all over the world. Some of radical reforms have been criticized by the followers of Vatican.

 United Kingdom is a Christian country, the Queen/King is declared as the Defender of Faith yet we find a large number of people belonging to other faiths occupying important position in the government. There is even talk of selecting a prime minister belonging to faith other than Christianity. However, it is a wishful thinking to say that UK is going to be an Islamic country. Germany to some extent has turned itself into an Arab country but majority of Germans are still Christian.

 We may say that in UK there is mixing of religion with politics as on the basis of religion no political discrimination against any non-Christian is seen. But there is other side of story. UK has become fertile ground of religious based terrorism and some of the dreaded terrorists fought on behalf of ISIS belonged to UK.

 In India there is certainly mixing of religion with national politics but in this country, religion is caste-oriented.  Election cannot be fought without mixing religion with politics. No body whether leftists or rights follow the principles of secularism. Defection by politicians from secular politics to religion-based politics and vice versa is good example of mixing religion with politics.

 Pakistan is an Islamic republic but parliamentary democracy is functioning in a rational manner. Sharia laws are in force but there is an independent and strong judiciary. In Pakistan strict religious punishment are being advocated  by religious fanatics.  Pakistan is  trying unsuccessfully to lead the entire Islamic world by mixing Islam with politics, but educated Pakistanis do not like medieval system of politics and are attracted to western system of jurisprudence

In poor countries mixing of religious with politics is detrimental to emerging economy. In every country we find division of society on the basis of religion. Removal of poverty is not possible without taking into confidence of the people belonging to all faiths. Albania is a small country in Europe, population of Muslims is hardly 52% but still it is a self-proclaimed theocratic state and people are not economically well off. Albanians are migrating to advanced countries in search of better employment.

 In France secularism does not mean freedom of religion but it means freedom from religion. Taking advantage of this definition of secularism, a large number of Muslims from Algeria and other Islamic countries immigrated to France and these immigrants succeeded in mixing their religion with national politics and they are influencing the national government. The result is the birth of right wings groups of Catholics who want mixing religion with politics to counter the radicals. Same thing is happening in Germany and in other European countries.

 In almost every Islamic state, we find mixing of religion with politics, but it is difficult to say whether these theocratic states have contributed to peace and calm in the world. In 1979 Iran declared itself as an Islamic republic and religion was mixed with politics. There was mass genocide of people opposed to Islamic state.  Politicians of these theocratic countries claim themselves as faithful soldiers of God. Religious leaders in Iran are carrying out execution of people without a fair trial.

Devastation of Middle East is a good example of mixing religion with politics, this cannot be denied.

 Afghanistan is a country where religion is mixed with politics and the religious preachers have founded their own way to run the administration. Afghanistan is under the control of Talibans fanatics who places their creator above God and want to export their ideology of terror all over the world but it appears that there is hardly  any taker of ideology conceived and propagated by Talibans.

There is only one country in this planet which has ended the label Sick man of Europe and that country is Turkey. With the advent of Erdogan as president of Turkey, Saudi Arabia was closely drawn towards Turkey. Turkey was fed up with vulgar display of western style of secularism. By a series of electrol reforms Erdogan concentrated political powers in his hand and with the help of oil rich Saudi Arabia, Erdogan turned a sick economy into an emerging economy.Erdogan as a dictator cannot revive the Ottoman empire but by mixing religion with politics he has   lifted people of Turkey from poverty and malnutrition. For president Erdogan mixing of religion with politics means industrial development and he has achieved his lofty dream.

FINAL THOUGHT. Mixing of religion of with politics is seen  in every country of the world, whether it is good or bad no political scientist can decide, it depends upon the political agenda of the ruling party.

 

 

POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN PROMOTING OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

 BY K P PASWAN

 In contemporary world young entrepreneurs mean highly qualified professionals educated in reputed financial and technological institutes with sufficient resources to start new big or small manufacturing activities.. Most of them are picked up by reputed MNCs which have branches in different countries. But these MNCs don’t go to countries plagued by internal conflicts and political instability. Even after disappearance of colonial powers, most of the countries once ruled by foreign powers suffer from abject poverty, malnutrition and lack of basic health related facilities. In most of the developing countries political environment is badly polluted by corruption and above all sectarian conflicts. Than there is vulgar display of certain fundamental rights like right to protests against the policies of the government even if it means violence and street fighting.

 An impartial survey of certain countries shows that favourable  political environment of a country attracts MNCs and other entrepreneurs. This is happening in Latin America. Several countries like Panama, Colombia and a few others were known for brutal governments running on drug money, but several corporate houses were given attractive tax incentives. The result is that not only American corporate houses but even the European entrepreneurs are flocking to Latin America and these countries are no longer suffering from poverty and starvation.

 But the poor are not the real beneficiaries of these countries, they are victims of corrupt political system. The governments provide cheap labors to these corporate houses and profits are divided between politicians in power and the MNCs.Liberal tax regime and corruption are favourable platforms for some entrepreneurs to expand their activities. Astronomical rise of China as economic superpower cannot be attributed to open democracy but a congenial political system in which there is no place for free speech. There is political stability in China but that stability is due to one party’s rule. Neither president nor prime minister is democratically elected on the basis of universal franchise China is filled with new and old corporate houses. This country used to be a Communist country and still claims itself as communist regime. Realty is somewhat different. Tax incentives, cheap laborers and above all possession of private property and disciplined banking system are not the fundamentals of communist ideology but these ideologies are being espoused by the current regime in China.

 Learning lessons from the collapse of communism, China with the help of western powers molded its political system, not hostile to capitalism. The result is that along with flourishing of modern entrepreneurship Chinese people are no longer poor as there is no report of starvation and malnutrition, these are the claims of the present regime and we do not know the reality. Economic prosperity of China has created intense zealously all over the world as similar political environment prevailed in many countries but they are unable to attract foreign investment. Only plausible explanation is that entrepreneurs and large MNCs were tempted by economic incentives which were not available in other countries

 In most of the African countries it is not the political and social environment but amount of bribery offered by foreign investors to the politicians in power who create political conditions in favor of entrepreneurs. Several heads of states in Africa are facing corruption charges. Former president of South Africa is facing jail sentence for favouring Indian entrepreneurs. In the middle east neither political nor social conditions are favourable for new industries, but the foreign entrepreneurs skilled in oil explorations are investing heavily in creating infrastructures for oil generation.These entrepreneurs are paying bribes as protection money to  influential autocrats in power. However autocrats rulers are also spending heavily to raise the standard of living of  common people.

 Political environment in promoting  industrial activities is certainly contributing factor for removal of poverty in other parts of the world. Expansion of manufacturing activities means employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers.  MNCs from developed countries are moving to less developed countries to save taxes and also expanding their business, German MNCs in China are doing far better than other entrepreneurs belonging to US and other countries of Europe.

Political instability has become relative in modern world. Social environment  in erstwhile Soviet Union and Africa have different explanations. These small former communist countries in Eastern Europe are rich in natural resources but common people suffer from starvation. Political situation in Ukraine and other former communist countries  is not congenial  to attract foreign investors. Polish people are immigrating to US and the situation is worse in some African countries. Refugees from some African countries are desperately going to developed nations of EU as the political environment is neither favourable to people nor to entrepreneurs of countries from which these poor people originate.

Political environment of a country in modern world is greatly influenced by other factors. Coronavirus was first reported in China and within short period the pandemic clouded the entire world. It was feared that a large number of MNCs would move out of China to other underdeveloped countries like India, but it did not happen. Certain manufacturing units shifted their activities to Vietnam and not to India.

 Political environment in India under an honest PM is friendly and foreign investment has shown marked improvement. But the Coronavirus greatly savaged the emerging economy of India it is so because that big foreign powers were not discouraged by Chinese government to move out of China. XiJinping the strongman of China establishes ambitious goal. The political environment in China is to get conspicuously better the widening gap between China and developed countries.  There have number of growing of popular protests over matters such as corruption and giving fertile lands to foreign entrepreneurs. But Xi jinping is not about to change course of actions. He focused on maintaining social stability.

India’s trade relations with China is a glaring example of favorable political and social environment. Export to China from India is to the extent of 1.9 billion dollar while import from China is about 3 billion dollars. India is contributing to the growth of China due to this trade deficit.

In the case of Afghanistan,  and a few other poor countries, proper political and social environment for attracting investors cannot be created. Afghanistan has left its industrial progress at the mercy of an unproven Almighty while Haiti is suffering from natural calamities. Several small countries are paradise for tax evaders. They are creating environment favorable to money launderers. Surprisingly some of the top corporate houses of US and EU are extending logistic and financial incentives to these small countries

FINAL THOUGHT. These days, foreign entrepreneurs are virtually forcing political heads of different countries to create favorable political conditions in their interest. This tendency cannot be stopped as even the dictators want to boost anti-poverty planning even if it means earning money by indulging in corrupt practices. It will not be an exaggeration to say that entrepreneurs are encouraging such politicians and creating  favorable political conditions in their favor.