Secularism

The term “Secular” means being "separate" from religion, or having no religious basis. A
secular person is one who does not owe his moral values to any religion. His values are the
product of his rational and scientific thinking.
Secularism means separation of religion from political, economic, social and cultural aspects
of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter.

It emphasized dissociation of the state from religion and full freedom to all religions and
tolerance of all religions.
It also stands for equal opportunities for followers of all religions, and no discrimination and
partiality on grounds of religion.

Secularism in the History of India

Secular traditions are very deep rooted in the history of India. Indian culture is based on the
blending of various spiritual traditions and social movements.
In ancient India, the Santam Dharma (Hinduism) was basically allowed to develop as a
holistic religion by welcoming different spiritual traditions and trying to integrate them into a
common mainstream.

The development of four Vedas and the various interpretations of the Upanishads and the
Puranas clearly highlight the religious plurality of Hinduism.
Emperor Ashoka was the first great emperor to announce, as early as third century B.C. that,
the state would not prosecute any religious sect.

In his 12th Rock Edict, Ashoka made an appeal not only for the toleration of all religion
sects but also to develop a spirit of great respect toward them. Even after the advent of
Jainism, Buddhism and later Islam and Christianity on the Indian soil, the quest for
religious toleration and coexistence of different faiths continued.
In medieval India, the Sufi and Bhakti movements bond the people of various communities
together with love and peace.

The leading lights of these movements were Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Baba Farid, Sant
Kabir Das, Guru Nanak Dev, Saint Tukaram and Mira Bai etc.
In medieval India, religious toleration and freedom of worship marked the State under
Akbar. He had a number of Hindus as his ministers, forbade forcible conversions and
abolished Jizya.

The most prominent evidence of his tolerance policy was his promulgation of ‘Din-i-Ilahi’ or
the Divine Faith, which had elements of both Hindu and Muslim faith.
That this was not imposed upon the subjects is obvious from the fact that there were few
adherents to it. Along with this he emphasized the concept of ‘sulh-i- kul’ or peace and
harmony among religions.

He even sponsored a series of religious debates which were held in the ‘Ibadat Khana’ of
the Hall of Worship, and the participants in these debates included theologians from amongst
Brahmins, Jains and Zoroastrians.

Even before Akbar, Babar had advised Humayun to “shed religious prejudice, protect
temples, preserve cows, and administer justice properly in this tradition.”
The spirit of secularism was strengthened and enriched through the Indian freedom
movement too, though the British have pursued the policy of divide and rule.

In accordance with this policy, the British partitioned Bengal in 1905.

Separate electorates were provided for Muslims through the Indian Councils Act of 1909, a
provision which was extended to Sikhs, Indian Christians, Europeans and Anglo-Indians in
certain provinces by the Government of India Act, 1919. Ramsay MacDonald Communal
Award of 1932, provided for separate electorates as well as reservation of seats for
minorities, even for the depressed classes became the basis for representation under the
Government of India Act, 1935.

However, Indian freedom movement was characterized by secular tradition and ethos right
from the start.

In the initial part of the Indian freedom movement, the liberals like Sir Feroz Shah Mehta,
Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale by and large pursued a secular approach to
politics.
The constitution drafted by Pandit Moti Lal Nehru as the chairman of the historic Nehru
Committee in 1928, had many provision on secularism as: ‘There shall be no state religion
for the commonwealth of India or for any province in the commonwealth, nor shall the state,
either directly or indirectly, endow any religion any preference or impose any disability on
account of religious beliefs or religious status’.
Gandhiji’s secularism was based on a commitment to the brotherhood of religious
communities based on their respect for and pursuit of truth, whereas, J. L. Nehru’s
secularism was based on a commitment to scientific humanism tinged with a progressive
view of historical change.

At present scenario, in the context of Indian, the separation of religion from the state
constitutes the core of the philosophy of secularism.

Philosophy of Indian Secularism

The term ‘secularism’ is akin to the Vedic concept of ‘Dharma nirapekshata’ i.e. the
indifference of state to religion.
This model of secularism is adopted by western societies where the government is totally
separate from religion (i.e. separation of church and state).

Indian philosophy of secularism is related to “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” (literally it

means that destination of the paths followed by all religions is the same, though the paths
themselves may be different) which means equal respect to all religions.
This concept, embraced and promoted by personalities like Vivekananda and Mahatma
Gandhi is called ‘Positive secularism’ that reflects the dominant ethos of Indian culture.

India does not have an official state religion. However, different personal laws - on matters
such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony varies with an individual's religion.
Indian secularism is not an end in itself but a means to address religious plurality and
sought to achieve peaceful coexistence of different religions.

Secularism and the Indian Constitution

There is a clear incorporation of all the basic principles of secularism into various provisions
of constitution.
The term ‘Secular’ was added to the preamble by the forty-second constitution Amendment
Act of 1976, (India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic).
It emphasise the fact that constitutionally, India is a secular country which has no State
religion. And that the state shall recognise and accept all religions, not favour or patronize
any particular religion.

While Article 14 grants equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all,
Article 15 enlarges the concept of secularism to the widest possible extent by prohibiting
discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Article 16 (1)
guarantees equality of opportunity to all citizens in matters of public employment and
reiterates that there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex,
descent, place of birth and residence.

Article 25 provides ‘Freedom of Conscience’, that is, all persons are equally entitled to
freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion. As per
Article 26, every religious group or individual has the right to establish and maintain
institutions for religious and charitable purposes and to manage its own affairs in matters of
religion.

As per Article 27, the state shall not compel any citizen to pay any taxes for the promotion or
maintenance of any particular religion or religious institution.
Article 28 allows educational institutions maintained by different religious groups to impart
religious instruction.
Article 29 and Article 30 provides cultural and educational rights to the minorities. Article
51A i.e. Fundamental Duties obliges all the citizens to promote harmony and the spirit of
common brotherhood and to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.

Indian vs. Western Model of Secularism

Over the years, India has developed its own unique concept of secularism that is
fundamentally different from the parallel western concept of secularism in the following
ways:

As per the western model of secularism, the “State” and the “religion” have their own
separate spheres and neither the state nor the religion shall intervene in each other’s affairs.
Thus, the western concept of secularism requires complete separation of religion and state.
However, in India, neither in law nor in practice any 'wall of separation' between religion and
the State exists.
In India, both state and religion can, and often do, interact and intervene in each other's
affairs within the legally prescribed and judicially settled parameters.

In other words, Indian secularism does not require a total banishment of religion from the
State affairs.
As per the western model, the state cannot give any financial support to educational
institutions run by religious communities.

On the other hand, Indian model has chosen a positive mode of engagement.
In India, the state provides all religious minorities the right to establish and maintain their
own educational institutions which may receive assistance from state.
In the western model, State does not intervene in the affairs of religion till the time religion is
working within the limits of the law.
On the other hand, in Indian secularism, state shall interfere in religion so as to remove evils
in it.
India has intervened by enforcing legislation against the practices of sati or widow- burning,
dowry, animal and bird sacrifice, child marriage, and preventing Dalits from entering
temples.
In western concept of secularism, religion is relegated entirely to the private sphere and has
no place in public life whatsoever.
The western model prohibits any public policy to be drafted on the basis of religion therefore;
state is absolutely distanced from the religious activities and practices of its citizens.

In India, state has the policy of setting up Departments of Religious Endowments, Wakf
Boards, etc. It is also involved in appointing Trustees of these boards.

Threats to Secularism

While, the Indian Constitution declares the state being absolutely neutral to all religion, our
society has steeped in religion.
Mingling of Religion and Politics that is mobilisation of votes on grounds of primordial
identities like religion, caste and ethnicity, have put Indian secularism in danger.
Communal politics operates through communalization of social space, by spreading myths
and stereotypes against minorities, through attack on rational values and by practicing a
divisive ideological propaganda and politics.
Politicisation of any one religious group leads to the competitive politicisation of other
groups, thereby resulting in inter-religious conflict.

One of the manifestations of communalism is communal riots. In recent past also,

communalism has proved to be a great threat to the secular fabric of Indian polity. Rise of
Hindu Nationalism in recent years have resulted into mob lynching on mere suspicion of
slaughtering cows and consuming beef.

In addition with this, forced closure of slaughterhouses, campaigns against ‘love jihad’,
reconversion or ghar- wapsi (Muslims being forced to convert to Hinduism), etc. reinforces
communal tendencies in society.
Islamic fundamentalism or revivalism pushes for establishing Islamic State based on sharia
law which directly comes into conflict with conceptions of the secular and democratic state.

In recent years there have been stray incidences of Muslim youth being inspired and
radicalized by groups like ISIS which is very unfortunate for both India and world.

Way Forward

In a pluralistic society, the best approach to nurture secularism is to expand religious freedom
rather than strictly practicing state neutrality.
It is incumbent on us to ensure value-education that makes the younger generation
understands and appreciates not only its own religious traditions but also those of the other
religions in the country.

There is also a need to identify a common framework or a shared set of values which allows
the diverse groups to live together.
The prerequisites to implement the social reform initiative like Uniform Civil Code are to
create a conducive environment and forging socio-political consensus.

Concept of Secularism in India: History, Non-Secular State, Secular State, and Indian
Constitution

1. Understanding Secularism
Secularism refers to the separation of religion from the state, ensuring that the government
remains neutral in religious matters. It promotes:
 Freedom of Religion: Every individual has the right to practice, profess, and
propagate any religion.
 Religious Equality: The state treats all religions equally and does not favor one over
another.
 No Religious Interference in Governance: Laws and policies are made based on
reason and public welfare rather than religious doctrines.
Types of Secularism
1. Western Secularism (Strict Separation)
o Found in countries like France and the USA.
o The state maintains a strict separation from religion and does not intervene in
religious affairs.
o Religion is considered a private matter.
2. Indian Secularism (Principled Distance)
o The state treats all religions equally but also intervenes when necessary to
uphold fundamental rights and social reform.
o Example: Abolition of untouchability (Article 17), regulation of religious
institutions.

2. History of Secularism in India

The concept of secularism in India has evolved over centuries due to its diverse religious
landscape.
Ancient and Medieval India
 Religious Tolerance in Ancient India:
o Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism coexisted with diverse religious practices.
o Emperor Ashoka promoted Dhamma (ethical governance) and religious
tolerance.
 Medieval Period:
o The Bhakti and Sufi Movements emphasized harmony and religious unity.
o Akbar, the Mughal emperor, introduced Din-i-Ilahi, a syncretic religion
promoting tolerance.
Colonial India
 The British Raj followed a policy of divide and rule, often exploiting religious
differences.
 Reform movements like Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, and Aligarh Movement
sought to modernize religious practices.
 Indian National Movement under leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru,
and B.R. Ambedkar promoted secular ideals.
Post-Independence
 The Indian Constitution adopted a secular framework.
 The word "Secular" was explicitly added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment
Act (1976) during the Emergency.
3. Non-Secular State vs. Secular State
Non-Secular State (Theocratic State)
 A non-secular or theocratic state has an official state religion.
 Governance is based on religious principles.
 Religious minorities may have limited rights.
 Example:
o Saudi Arabia (Islamic state, Sharia law)
o Vatican City (Christian theocracy)
o Iran (Islamic Republic)
Secular State
 The state remains neutral in religious matters.
 All religions are treated equally before the law.
 No official state religion.
 Example:
o France (Laïcité - strict separation of religion and state)
o USA (First Amendment ensures freedom of religion)
o India (Equal respect for all religions, with some state interventions for reform)

C. Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)

Article Provision
Article The state shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for all citizens,
44 ensuring uniform personal laws irrespective of religion.
Article Promotion of the educational and economic interests of weaker sections, including
46 religious minorities.
D. Other Constitutional Provisions
 Article 29 & 30: Protect the rights of religious and linguistic minorities.
 Article 51A (e): Promotes harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all
citizens.

5. Indian Secularism in Practice

Positive Aspects
✅ Religious Freedom: Citizens can freely practice and propagate their faith.
✅ Pluralistic Society: Multiple religions coexist peacefully.
✅ Legal Protections for Minorities: Safeguards are in place to protect religious
communities.
Challenges to Indian Secularism
❌ Communalism and Riots: Religious tensions occasionally lead to violence (e.g., Babri
Masjid demolition, Gujarat riots).
❌ Political Use of Religion: Some political parties use religion for vote-bank politics.
❌ Debates on Uniform Civil Code (UCC): The UCC remains controversial due to
opposition from religious communities.
❌ Judicial Challenges: Balancing religious rights with fundamental rights remains complex
(e.g., Sabarimala temple entry case).

6. Landmark Supreme Court Judgments on Secularism

Case Ruling
S.R. Bommai v. Union of India Secularism is a basic feature of the Constitution. The
(1994) government cannot promote any religion.
Defined secularism as part of the Constitution's Basic
Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973)
Structure.
Government cannot use religion to gain political
Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975)
advantages.
Declared triple talaq unconstitutional, upholding
Shayara Bano Case (2017)
gender equality.
Indian Young Lawyers Association Allowed women’s entry into the Sabarimala temple,
v. State of Kerala (2018) reinforcing secular principles.