Government systems and religion may seem like two vastly different things, but they actually have a lot in common. 

For starters, they both love adding new things without replacing the old ones. In a government system, you can never be sure if the process you learned yesterday is still valid today, and whether the old system has been replaced completely. Teachers are still recording grades thrice even though there’s a digital system in place. It’s like they’re afraid of letting go of the old ways! 

Similarly, in religion, the beliefs and practices keep piling up. If you’re a Krishna worshipper, you might be asked to add Sai Baba to the list. And as a devout follower, you’ll probably just go along with it, because hey, the more gods, the merrier, right? Why take the risk of upsetting anyone..!

Both government systems and religion also love a good hierarchy. In a government system, you have a chain of command, with the higher-ups making decisions for the rest of us. In religion, you have priests and gurus and other holy figures who are closer to the divine than the rest of us mere mortals. It’s like there’s a ladder to climb, and everyone’s trying to get close to those on the top. Laddoos (spherical sweets) help in both cases..!

Both government systems and religion expect us to fall in line and follow the rules. A government system provides laws and regulations that govern the behaviour of people within a society. In the same way, religion provides a moral code and rituals that guide the behaviour of its followers. And we dare not ask questions on either..!

Both government systems and religion have this remarkable sense of infallibility—it’s like they believe they’re beyond any sort of criticism! In religion, it’s all, “The gods work in mysterious ways,” so better keep your doubts to yourself. And in government, good luck questioning a policy without getting buried under a mountain of bureaucracy. Both seem to share this unspoken rule: don’t poke the sacred cow—just go with the flow, and don’t even think about asking why!/ Both have this unwritten motto: “We’re perfect, and if you don’t think so, well… that’s your problem!”

At least in religion, you get to pray for forgiveness when you mess up. 

In government, you just get audited.

P.S. Written based on personal experiences and observations at home and at work. The views expressed in this piece are solely those of the authors and are not intended to reflect the position of ShikshaLokam. The content is meant to be lighthearted and not to offend any beliefs or institutions.