A
new diagnosis in the making - Secular Identity Disorder
Diagnostic
and Statistical manual called DSM 5 has many a diagnosis of emotional issues
that ends with the word disorders. Mental health professionals all over the
world look frequently for new categories to be included in the manual. For example
there is impulsive personality disorder, psychopathic personality disorder,
schizophrenic personality disorder. The list has grown over the years with new diagnostic
criteria being made with every new addition of DSM being brought out. Clinicians
are always on the lookout for new cluster of behaviors that can be grouped
together to form a new diagnostic category.
For
sometime, I am also witness to a cluster of behaviors that I am seriously
thinking of sending to those in charge of making additions to the manual. I am
a little apprehensive because I see this cluster of behaviors only in India and
rarely anywhere else. But I guess that doesn’t diminish its importance and it
will soon find its rightful place in DSM 6 or 7.
It
all began when I had been out of the country in 2014. It was just after the
victory of Bhartiya Janata Party in the national elections held in April-May. I
had been out of the country at that time. A friend and a journalist from a
leading daily, had called me up and said, “Secularism has died now in India. BJP
has won with a landslide majority. Good you didn’t vote. You would then have to
live with this guilt that I had to see this day.”
Like
many Indians I too had been taken by surprise by the overwhelming victory of
Narendra Modi and was wondering the source of this victory but her message had temporarily
shaken me up for the anger displayed by her. I had told her that though I am
surprised by the election results, I do not share her gloom that secularism is dead
in our country and will soon be extinct. To me secularism is deeply rooted in the
Hindu ethos who are the majority and couldn’t be so easily destroyed. I am a Hindu
and Bhagvad Geeta says all paths lead to God. Mughals, British couldn’t change
the religion of Hindus and I am sure that Hinduism and its offshoot called by
its other name ‘secularism’ would live in our country. And all said and done all
over India aren’t the number of Mosques and Churches and Gurudwaras increasing
steadily over last ten years. Even the neighborhood in Delhi where I live which
is full of Hindus has more Churches and Mosques that have come up in last ten
years.
“I
will quote you on this. You just wait and see how India changes. Now, I have to
write an article.” She had said and disconnected the line. I had thought of her
statement as an overreaction and forgotten this incident.
Next
year I came back to India. There were elections in Delhi, Bihar and Bengal. I
heard from her a few times over different issues and saw a post by her saying
secularism has won in these states. She wrote how people of these states have
voted against communalism and it is triumph of secularism all over again taking
place in India.
I
heard from her some time ago the day Yogi Adityanath was announced as the chief
minister of UP. “This is surely the death knell of secularism,” she had said,
discussing the choice. “Do you know how terrified the minorities are now in UP?
Even Shabana Azmi has given a comment that secularism is under threat this
time.”
“How
is secularism under threat this time?” I asked, a little taken aback by her
conviction.
“Can’t
you see it? Isn’t it obvious? How can you ask this knowing what BJP has done in
Gujarat to minorities?” She was deeply offended by my remark. “You are apolitical,
I know, so how can you say such a thing?”
“I
am by large apolitical but I also don’t see the connection between the two. There
have been so many riots in India but secularism remains untouched.”
“May
I ask a few questions?” she asked. “Don’t you think we will have the
constitution changed to bring Hindutva and Hinduism made official religion?”
“No,
I don’t think so.”
“Won’t
minorities be running away from Hindus from different parts of India?”
“No,
that is unthinkable to me. Its opposite may happen.”
“Will
Adityanath not try to impose his will on the Muslims?”
“No,
he can’t do that. If he tries that I will be first one to protest on the
streets.”
“Will
they stop further building of mosques?”
“No,
they can’t do that. Besides there are already too many.”
“Will
they not start discriminating against minorities?”
“No,
Muslims themselves wear caps and try to be different. They have identifying
signs for separating themselves from others. So have Sikhs and even other
faiths. We have all coexisted for centuries.”
“So
you think I am unnecessarily perturbed. My editor has asked me to write an article
on death knell of secularism in India. I have got excellent points from other
intellectuals corroborating my position. Only you seem to differ.”
“Honestly,
I believe you are overreacting. My request to you would be to write on the
secular nature of Hinduism and Hindus. That is what I am proud of and I don’t
think anyone can equal that.”
“But
isn’t there a fear in people now?”
“Has
anyone stopped going out of their homes? Do you see less people on roads?” I
asked.
“Why
do you say that?”
“When
a community is petrified, their members stop going out of homes. Like Jews
under Nazis or Hindus in Pakistan. By and large, most Sikhs stayed inside for six
months after the 1984 riots. Do you see anything like that now?”
“But
that may happen soon.”
“Will
it? I hear more sounds of azan than before.”
She
got angry at that and said, “Are you not making fun of what I am trying to say.
I have gone and asked ordinary people how they feel. I have spoken to many of
them and they are not comfortable with either this win or this choice.”
Aware
that I may have unknowingly affected her, I asked, “Is secularism of our
country linked to how some people feel or someone coming to power?”
“No,
but it is the beginning,” she said.
“Aurungzeb
couldn’t change that. BJP was there earlier too. Secularism in our country didn’t
change,” I said.
“So
you don’t think it will change.”
“No,
because secularism is an ideology, an institution and majority of Hindus have it
as their identity that goes inside their psyche. It can’t be uprooted so easily.”
“So,
you think I am building it up. So many others feel like me,” she asked in a
lighter vein. “How will you classify it,” she asked, “since you are a
psychologist.”
“I
will call your condition secular identity disorder. I understand you are not the
only one who seems to have this.”
I
could feel her laughing on the phone. She stopped the conversation and asked me
to write its symptoms.
I
sat back and wrote a few lines and sent it to her saying if she has majority of
the following symptoms then she should think of herself as suffering from ‘secular
identity disorder’.
For
those not familiar with diagnoses in mental health, DSM called Diagnostic and
Statistical manual lists out different conditions called x personality disorder
and y personality disorder based on a set of behaviors that are distinct, unique
and indicative of a certain personality type.
I
have tried the following on the same pattern:
If
you have had atleast one of the symptoms in the last four years and atleast two
others over a period of six months then you can be classified as suffering from
‘Secular Identity disorder’:
A.
Every
time one of the so called designated ‘secular party’ loses an election, you develop
a phobia that secularism is under threat in India.
B.
You
have carried the feeling 24*7 for at least six months after the win of the so
called non-secular party in India.
C.
You
associate the feeling with only one man, one party and deny that anyone else
may have a role to play in it.
D.
It
affects your thoughts, feelings and behavior profoundly that is observable to
others. You are unable to control it on your own and feel like losing balance. You
feel your individuality and identity are threatened and think it is happening
to everyone.
E.
You
have to talk, share about it repeatedly in peers group and feel like writing fiery
articles about it.
F.
You
believe before 2014 was the golden period of secularism in India.
G.
You
have felt like returning your award and go to the press with a photo.
H.
You
have nightmares about only one man as the destroyer of secularism in the
country and lose sleep over it and often blame him till exhaustion in
discussions.
I.
You
feel elated when his party or representative lose an election and find your
faith in humanity restored for the time being.
J.
You
think that secularism in India is unique and different from the rest of world
and is an invention imported from the west with no connection to Hindu ethos.
K.
You
have argued and almost felt like coming to blows with those who do not
subscribe to your ideology of secularism and feel no guilt about it.
L.
All
religious and ethnic violence and mayhem in India is the result of one kind of
thinking and can be ascribed to work of only one party and one man.
The
journalist wrote back to say she has almost all of above symptoms and she
understands what I am trying to say. We laughed aloud this time over this. Incidentally,
she showed it to her editor, a diehard fan of secularism in India. He threw it
out of the window and asked her never to interview me again.
She
asked me whether people suffering from secular identity disorder should consult
a psychologist. I responded in my honest opinion there is no need for that. A
necessary fact checking and listening to your conscience also described as
inner voice by some can be sufficient to grasp what is the reality.
Disclaimer - This is an
article to focus attention on an issue through humor.
I
have no wish to include this in DSM-6 or any other manual.
It
is a true story except for minor details that have been changed. I wish to add
that I don’t wish to hurt any group or any person through this.
Lastly,
I would love to hear your comments on this article. If I have missed any
symptom let me know.
I
haven’t seen ‘Secular Identity disorder’ outside India. If you have do let me
know minus the Indian diaspora.
