An Understanding of Secularism in India

Secularism as a modern political and constitutional standard implicates two rudimentary concepts. First, people of all faiths and strata of society stand equal before the law, Constitution and government policy. And the second, that there can be, in the real sense of secularity, no mixing up of religion and politics. Therefore, there can neither be discrimination between religions or faiths nor is there room for the hegemony of one religion or majoritarian religious opinions and objectives.

India has the second highest population in the world. When it comes to geographical volume, this country stands at number seven. This country also has its widespread fame of incorporating a secular approach to people of several communities and religions. And this attitude, from the centuries, has contributed to country’s consistent peace and harmony among its citizen.

As it’s pretty apparent to the whole world, that the western perception of secularism is a whole denial or segregation of religion from state. But in India religion plays a vital role in the lives of the people. The notion of secularism developed in India as the same treatment of all religion. Secularism is not merely desirable but essential for the healthy existence of a pluralist society such as India. Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of sarva dharma samadbhava treated all religions equally while Nehru’s understanding of secularism dharma nirapekhta preferred that the state would not be influenced by religious attention in its decision making. Thus, Secularism is essential for India because it adjusts the relation between the State and various religious groups on the principle of egalitarianism, especially when there seems to be an uprising struggle between the major and minor religious sects in the country.  

The concept of the secular State implies:

1.      The freedom of religion or irreligion both.

2.      The State must honor all faiths equally.

3.      The state should understand the basic human rights in a collective sense, not in personal motive or gains.

4.      The state must make ignorant people aware the about it.

5.      People of the country must collaborate in maintaining all the religious cultures and traditions without harming them in any way, as fanatic do.

6.      People must bring about a feeling of being in one family and thus helping in eradicating terrorism from country.

However, due to the fanatics group, the secularity of India is also in constant threat. Some of the factors that help maintaining the secular image of our nation India are: democratic form of government, secular education, written constitution, free press and media and spreading globalization etc. With these factors leaders should also encourage interfaith dialogue between religious leaders which can also help country to maintain a balanced religious atmosphere.   

In short, we know that the Indian State is a secular state and works in numerous measures to avert religious hegemony. Our Constitution guarantees Fundamental Rights that are grounded on these secular principles. However, this is not to say that there is no violation of these rights by harming minority in Indian society. Certainly it is because such violations happen frequently that we need a better constitutional mechanism in the first place and we should also think and work toward now strategies to stop them from occurring over and over again.

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