It is in the nature of things that a promise once made has to be kept. More so if it involves the divine authority, whose power in making and breaking fortunes is not often trifled with. Perhaps it is even oddly satisfying for the people of Telangana to see their chief minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, setting out to fulfil his promises made to deities. If a politician is so true to his words, they have reason for hope. Unfortunately, Mr Rao's faithfulness is proving to be a severe drain on the public exchequer. Enormous amounts of funds have already been spent from the coffers of this drought-hit state to gift mounds of gold jewellery to various gods and goddesses, the latest being the five crore rupees worth of gold offering to Tirumala. But this is not only a case of gross indulgence at a time of scarcity. Something is fundamentally wrong with perceptions as well - both public and private. Mr Rao has been accessing public funds as if it were some kind of an entitlement that his chief ministership has granted him, and not many seem to have a problem with it. His political compatriots are largely silent barring the Opposition at home, and till now there has been little show of dissent. It is obvious that few have a problem with Mr Rao fulfilling his religious commitment - which is a personal matter since faith, even that of the chief minister, is certainly a private affair - by a deft use of his official capacity. Most even believe that since Mr Rao had planned to serve the greater good by seeking divine intervention in the creation of Telangana, he is justified in his use of public money to propitiate the gods. But Mr Rao is the holder of a public office in a secular country that separates religion from State affairs, makes faith a private matter that the State cannot interfere with and lays down secular laws to govern the relationship between citizens and the State. Can Mr Rao then afford to wear his religion and his religiosity on his sleeves?

In a country that builds more temples than toilets, the judgment on Mr Rao's religious dealings is bound to be complicated. India's distinct brand of "secularism" complicates matters further. The State is advised to be equidistant from, not indifferent to, all faiths. Not surprisingly, Mr Rao is making it up by his donations to minority institutions as well.