The world has been shrinking at an increasing pace ever before with the advance of communications and technology. We have now the physical basis for a unified world community. We do not any more live in completely isolated environments.

Science and technology have put great powers in the hands of men, if rightly used can give strength, freedom and better life to humankind, and if abused will bring disaster and destruction. The destructive powers in the hands of men have reached terrifying proportions that we cannot afford to take any risks. World solidarity cannot be only a pious dream. Now it is an urge for human survival and thus a practical necessity. The unity of the world is being shaped through the logic of events, both material and non-material. If it is to endure, mankind must find psychological unity, spiritual coherence and fraternal bondage.

Under the prevailing circumstances the need for religion has grown strong. Religion is a system of thought which will give strength to our fragile and fugitive existence. Religion is an intrinsic element of human nature. It provides critical values for survival with futuristic orientation.

Every religion preaches mutual love, fellow feeling, brotherhood and surrender to the Almighty. On the other hand, secular ideologies influence our mind to worship for wealth and comfort. Economic class earns narrow nationhood. Therefore the question is not this religion or that religion, but the religion of mankind which promotes universal brotherhood.

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India is a country of multiple religions. Indian society is known for its commitment for the promotion of spiritual values and endowments. In the role call of events religions have evolved one after the other with the turn of events and emergence of new socio- cultural mileaus. None knows what kind of religion persisted in India with the then autochthonous people, before the advent of Indo-Aryans on the scene of Indus Valley Civilization. Of course, available archaeological evidences suggest that the creators of Indus Valley Civilization had a type of religion and this was duplicated and transformed by the invading Indo-Aryans.

In India today several world religions, namely Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and a host of tribal religions exist side by side. The Hindu religion is practised by a majority of Indians whereas Jainism and Parsi religions have been practised by numerically small number of people. According to 1991 religions Census there are 672.5 million Hindus, 95.2 million Muslims, 18.8 million Christians, 16.2 million Sikhs, 6.1 million Buddhists and 3.3 million Jains in India.

The population of all the six major religions, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism has increased, but Jains have increased only marginally by 4.42 percent. Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh together account for almost 90 per cent of the Jains. The Population of Jains declined in 9 States and 1 Union Territory excluding Assam and Jammu & Kashmir.

The decadal population (between 1981 and 1991) increase was 156.8 million. Out of this 124.8 million are Hindus, 23.4 million Muslims, 2.6 million Christians, 1.7 million Buddhists, 1.3 million Sikhs and 0.2 million Jains. Again, the rates of increase of each of these communities are Hindus (22.78%), Muslims (32.76%), Christians (16.89%), Buddhists (35.98%), Sikhs (25.48%) and Jains (4.42%).

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Of the 66.3 million people in India in 1981 (Assam not included) Hindus accounted for the largest community with 549.8 million members. Other communities are divided as follows, Muslims 75.5 million, Christians 16.1 million, Sikhs 13.1 million, Buddhists 4.7 million, Jains 3.2 million, other religions 2,766,285 persons and religions not stated 6217 individuals.

The data of 1991 census offers some other statistics also of interest to religious sociologists. The appendix of the household population gives 183 sub-divisions that are grouped together in the general statistics as “other religions and persuations.” Of these 71,630 are Zoroastrians and 5,618 Jews.

There are 25, 416 ‘Adivasis’ by religion and there are 1,367 ‘tribals’ (in Nagaland), 119 ‘animists’ and 25,985 whose religion is simply “non Christian” (in Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland) together with 796 ‘pagans’. In the same 3 States, and 1215 “Meathans” in Manipur.

Some ether tribals have given their specific tribal identity as their religions, as for example, the census have the record of 484 Oraons, 32,252 Santals, 1481 Garos, 6975 Gonds, 4,133 Hos, 1,48,437 Khasis, 1116 Mundas and 1296 Nagas.

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Nirankaris, a sect of Sikhism, numbering 3,382 of apparently Hindu following, Ohave entered themselves under geographical or caste terms, like Agarwal, Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Marathi, Marwari, Malayali, Tamilian and Teluguite.

Perhaps of more interest is that a total of 29,086 persons corresponding to 5,117 households consider themselves as ‘atheists” (predominantly in rural areas of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur and Bihar). There are 816 humanists ‘manabdharma’, half of them in Maharashtra.

Census of 1981 provides some other interesting data also. The total fertility rate in India excluding Assam, is 3.9 in rural areas, 2.8 in Urban areas and 3.6 for total areas. It may be noted that fertility is higher among Muslims, followed by Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. At the national level the total fertility rate for Jains and CHRISTIANS is identical being 2.6.

All religions require us to look upon life as an opportunity for self realisation. They fall upon us to strive incessantly and arrest the immortal from the mortal. God is a universal reality, wisdom and love and all humans are His children irrespective of race or religious belief. Within each incarnate soul dwells the God-consciousness which we must seek out and awaken. When mankind awakes to the truth, universal brotherhood will follow. One whose life is rooted in the experience of the Supreme spontaneously develops love for all creations.

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Religion is the binding force which deepens the solidarity of human society. The encounter of the different religions has brought up the question whether they could live side by side or whether one of them would supersede the other. Mankind at each period of its history cherishes the illusion of the finality of its existing modes of knowledge. This illusion leads intolerance and fanaticism. The world has bled and suffered from the disease of its dogmatism, of conformity. Those who are conscious of a mission to bring the rest of the humanity to their own way of life have been aggressive towards other ways of life. This is, of course, dangerous.

Faith without wisdom, without tolerance and respect for others’ ways of life is a dangerous thing. This is the lesson mankind has learnt from the crusades. In the long sequence of interaction and fusion between orient and accident the modern civilization has grown. The crusades were a tragic and destructive episode in human history.

Religion which brings together the divine revelation in nature and history with the inner revelation of the life and the spirit can serve as the basis of world order, as the religion of the future. If we are sincere in our intention and earnest in our efforts, we get to the Supreme.

In all countries and in all religions, there are creative minorities who are working for a religion of spirits. Inter-religious understanding is native to India and fundamental to Indian social thought. Ashoka, the Mayurian Emperor has proclaimed in his 12th rock edict which reads thus. “He who does reverence to his own sect, while disparaging the sects of others, wholly from attachment to his own, with intent to enhance the glory of his own sect, in reality, by such conduct, inflicts the severest injury on his own sect. Conquered, therefore, his meritorious, to wit, herkening and herkening wittingly with the Law of Piety as accepted by other people”.

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Gandhijee has said, “I hold that it is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. The friendly study of the world’s religions is the sacred duty. We must have the richness of various traditions. We are the heirs of the heritage of the whole of humanity and not merely of our nation or religion”. This view is being stressed in Western religious circles and not so much elsewhere.

The problem of religion arises from the realisation of the imperfect condition of man. Life is not merely a physical phenomenon or a biological process but also a spiritual domain. The fundamental concept of Indian religious life indicates that the whole of life is communion with the Supreme.

The merger of the soul of an individual with that of the supreme soul, after death, of which it is a part. It is a life of realisation, an inner intuitive vision of God, when human beings achieve absolute freedom and escape from the blind servitude to the mundane affairs. It is a shuttle interwovenness with the realities of the spiritual world. It is not knowledge or the recognition of the universal ideas through a dialectical process; it is analogous to Plato’s vision of an irresistible harmony with the deepest reality of the world inspired and sustained by the spiritual element in us.

Religion reflects both God and man. As religion is life to be lived not a theory to be accepted or belief to be adhered to, it allows scope and validity to the varied approaches to the divine. There may be different revelations of the divine, but they are all forms of the Supreme. This is the message which great philosophical, religious as well as the pagan religions convey. Pagan religions are pragmatic and operate in down to earth relationship.

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Ritual is performed, the deities worshipped or rite is enacted as a blue-print of community action so as to obviate and eliminate supernatural wrath and sufferings. In every religion one comes across a similarity of functional goals. The only difference between the philosophical religion and paganism is that in latter the devotee expects direct result and immediate relief.

Religion constitutes the ideological domain, the supernatural universe and the dogmatic doctrines as constituting the essence of religion. In other words, religions constitute the central hard core of any culture. Religious life expressed itself in human well being, happiness and social cohesiveness. The true religious life aims at attaining the unity of mankind. The whole of world unity, peace and happiness is the objective of any religion, philosophical or pagan. Thus, religion is what it does.