Ambassador: Because we have got to be . . . we should not be misunderstood. As a government, we should not take too strong a policy about any particular religion, even though it is the religion of the majority of the people.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. It is the duty of the government . . . secular state means neutral to any kind of religion. But it is the duty of government to see that people are religious. Not that, "Because government is secular, let the people go to hell."
Ambassador: No, that's true.
Prabhupāda: Yes. If you are Muslim, and . . . it is my duty as government to see that you are actually acting as a Muslim. If you are a Hindu, it is the government's duty to see that you are acting as a Hindu. If you are a Christian, it is the government's duty . . . you cannot give up religion. Dharmena hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ (Hitopadeśa).
If people become irreligious in the name of secularism, then they are simply animals. So it is the government duty to see that the citizens are not becoming animals. He may profess a type of religion. That doesn't matter. But he must be religious. That is secular state. Not that secular state means government is callous: "Let the people become cats and dogs, without religion. Government doesn't care." That is not good government. What do you think?
Ambassador: I think, Your Eminence, there's a lot in what you say, but, you know, politics is the art of the possible.
Prabhupāda: No. No, politics means to see that people are advanced, citizens are advanced, not that they are degraded.
Ambassador: Your Eminence, I agree, but I think the duty of the government primarily is to provide conditions in which gifted people, spiritual people like you, leaders like you, can function. More than that, if the government does, it might probably even corrupt the religious . . . I don't know. Like an umpire in a game, you know, or something. Provide the conditions, provide the conditions for free speech. Not like Moscow, you know, where it is . . .
Prabhupāda: No. That is . . . just like you have got Commerce Department. Government has got. What is the duty of the Commerce Department? The government must see that the trade enterprise, commercial or industrial enterprise, they are doing nicely, properly. The government issuing license. They have got supervision. They send sometimes, what is called, inspectors. Education. Say, for education. There is educational inspector, school inspector.
They go see that the students are properly being educated in that school. Similarly, government should have expert men in the government to see that the Hindus are acting like Hindu, Muslims are acting like Muslim, and Christians are acting like Christian. The government should not be callous about religion. They may be neutral that, "Whatever religion you profess, government has nothing to do. You do nicely." But it is the government's duty to see that you are doing nicely, you are not bluffing. That is government duty.
Ambassador: Probably, as far as moral conduct is concerned, but more than that, how is it possible, you know? For the inner man in the spiritual mind, each individual can conceive his own thoughts. But the external conduct, the, the, what is called . . .?
Prabhupāda: No, no. External conduct means on religious principle.