NEHRU’S VIEWS ON SECULARISM
Introduction
Jawaharlal Nehru’s contribution to Modern Indian Political Thought
is as significant as his political activities and he is rightly acclaimed
as the maker of modern India. Having faith in the Indian people, he
sought to build a democratic polity, an economically modernised
nation and a country whose role in the community of nations he
perceived clearly.
Alongside Democracy, Federalism, and Socialism, Secularism was
one of the foundational principles on which the leaders of the new
state of independent India set out in the middle of the twentieth
century to create an economically developed and socially just society.
Nehru was the chief exponent as well as the promoter of the concept
of secularism in India. For him, Secularism was quintessential in
promoting national unity and progress. Nehru was agnostic, and
hence, in politics, a secularist. He found in science a solution to all
problems. All through his life, Nehru advocated a scientific temper
and preached scientific humanism.
In Nehru’s democratic thought, there was an integrated conception of
political economic and social freedom which could not be separated
from one another. Nehru pointed out that democracy could grow and
flourish only in an equal society. A serious weakness of Western
democracy, according to him, was that political power there became
the monopoly of the dominant class.
Nehru on Religion
Indian society was bound by tradition, orthodoxy and communalism
and was stagnating in technical backwardness. Traditionalism and
orthodoxy resisted the inflow of modern scientific and technological
forces and opposed any change in the texture of the society. The force
of communalism in the name of religion, opposed, if not retarded the
freedom of movement and led to all sorts of confusion in society.
These are the factors which generally influenced Nehru’s vision on
religion. And as a result, Nehru was, from the very beginning, quite
hostile, unsympathetic and intolerant in his comments on religion.
Secularism is basically the separation of religion from politics.
Politics is associated with public activities. Religion is an individual
affair, giving everyone the right to practise one's own religion.
Nehru's scientific temper did not permit him to be dogmatic. He had,
therefore, no attraction for any religion, for he saw nothing more than
superstition and dogmatism in the religion, in any religion.
Nehru did not take religion in a narrow sense: religion does not teach
hatred and intolerance; all religions speak the truth; that is the essence
of each religion. He was of the view that the religious basis of politics
does not help social progress.
Nehru’s version of secularism contrasted with
those of his mentor, M.K Gandhi. For the latter, secularism meant a
strict separation between religion and politics. Gandhi emphasised
that ‘‘religion is the personal affair of each individual. It must not be
mixed up with politics or national affairs’’. His was a position
determined by Protestant reformism wherein each individual could
make his own judgment of religious truth through a study of
scriptures. The modernist Nehru, on the other hand, concentrated on
the inherent weaknesses of religion and blamed it for acting as a brake
on social progress.
Nehru’s aspects of secularism
Nehru’s belief in scientific methodology with its stress on rationalism
has helped the evolution of his nationalist political ideology.
Generally, for Nehru, the concept of the Secularism that emerged in
India thus carried three meanings:
(a) Freedom of religion for all,
(b) The state shall treat all faiths fairly or give equal opportunity to all
religious groups by certify that any religion is not favoured at the cost
of other.
(c) The state shall not be associated with any one faith or religion
which by that act becomes the state religion.
He was the first amongst the nationalist leaders who recognised the
importance of science and technology for the modernisation of the
Indian society. For a modern educated Indian and this is true as well,
Nehru represented the desire to be modern and scientific in one's
outlook.
His thoughts on secularism was guided by his personal belief,
worldview, education, training, and influences of great liberal thinkers
of 19th century. Mill’s views on minority rights, multi-culturalism
and protection of minority rights influenced Nehru profoundly. His
experiences of Historical wars in name of religion, communal politics
during Indian national movement, partition on basis of religion,
holocaust etc. made him an advocate for secularistic notions.
According to Nehru, State should observe neutrality in regard to all
religion ( Congress resolution on fundamental rights, 1931, drafted by
Nehru) It was neither irreligion nor anti- religion and it accepts
important role of religion in individual & social life. It meant equal
respect for all faiths, complete freedom to individuals to follow any
religion/faith, and equal opportunities for those following different
religion/faith or atheist.
Nehru believed that State would be like neutral Umpire for all
religious practices, but can intervene to protect individual’s rights,
freedom, public order, morality, social welfare. Religious equality,
liberty, and protection of minority rights were given crucial role in
Nehru’s political philosophy.
His aim was national integration, faster economic development, social
welfare. To him, Communalism was poison for national unity and
social harmony. Hence, he avoided it in politics, social welfare, and
economic planning. His experience of communal politics during
national movement, and elsewhere in world taught him the fear
among permanent minorities in democracy. To him, permanent
majority community should grant some concessions to the permanent
minorities. It was moral and ethical for him. His pragmatism and
undivided focus on nation building made him look like appeasing
minorities and turning blind eyes to social reforms across the religion.
Nehruvian secularism in Indian Constituition
The Indian Constitution, despite the communal carnage caused by
partition, was able to give itself a solid secular basis because of the
influence of Nehruvian secularism in a great sense. It embodied the
principles of non-discrimination on grounds of religion among the
fundamental rights via articles 14, 15, 16 and 19. Furthermore, Article
25 guaranteed that all persons were ‘equally entitled to freedom of
conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate
religion’.
Critique
Even though Nehruvian secularism is said to be the foundation of the
notion of secularism in Indian constitution, it faced major criticisms.
One of the major criticisms was that minority appeasement was used
as a tool for electoral gains. Nehru had great visions but he couldn’t
essentially create communal harmony in India. Communal riots were
quite frequent. It is also argued that Nehruvian philosophy couldn’t
reform secular and progressive elementary/primary education.
Ignoring minority fundamentalism bred ( produced) majority
fundamentalism. He was hesitant in bringing social reforms in society
because of the fear of angering minorities.
