As already stated, the Election Commission has itself allotted the symbol of star to the Swatantra Party. Would it be turned into a religious symbol because ,the star is described in the leaflets as the Dhruva star? In Webster's New Word Dictionary a B symbol is described thus : "something that stands for or represents another thing; especially an object used to represent something abstract; emblem : as, the dove is a symbol of peace, the cross is the symbol of Christianity." The star, standing by itself, was a symbol of the Swatantra Party. Would it become then a religious c symbol unless, like the cross, it is regarded as a symbol of Hindu religion when it is associated with Dhruva ? It is impossible to say that any particular object, bird, or animal could be regarded as a "symbol of the Hindu religion". The basic concept of Hindu religion is that the supreme being is in every "inanimate" object, plant, creature or person, i.e., in the entire creation and that the D entire creation is wifiiin the Supreme Being. If, therefore, according to the fundamental concept of Hindu religion, God or Divinity is the reality or the substance of everything that exists, it would not be possible to say that any particular object is a symbol of the Hindu reli!!:ion. It is true that various deities in the Hindu pa.ntheon ;re associated with scime specific objects, birds or E animals. Thus, for example, Shiya is associated with a trident and a coiled cobra round his neck; Vishnu is associated with the cobra 'Shesha' on which he reclines as upon a bed; the eagle is associated with Vishnu aS his vehicle; the goddess Lakshmi is associated with lotus upon which she stands and so on and so forth. Does it mean then that if a person uses a lotus or a cobra or a trident as his F election symbol he will be appealing to the religious sentiments of the people ? The answer must be clearly in the negative.
