Secularism

The adjective "secular" refers to being "agnostic" to religion or lacking a religious

foundation. A secular person is one whose moral ideals are not based on any religion. His
values are the result of his scientific and rational thinking. Secularism refers to the
separation of religion from the political, economic, social, and cultural components of life,
and the treatment of religion as a strictly personal affair.

Secularism in the History of India

Secular traditions have a long and illustrious history in India. The merging of many
spiritual traditions and social movements has resulted in Indian culture.
The emergence of four Vedas, as well as varied interpretations of the Upanishads and
Puranas, clearly demonstrate Hinduism's religious diversity.
As early as the third century B.CRuler Ashoka was the first great emperor to declare
that the state would not prosecute any religious sect.
Ashoka made a plea in his 12th Rock Edict not only for the tolerance of all faith
factions, but also for the development of a spirit of great respect for all.
The struggle for religious tolerance and cohabitation of many religions continued even
after the arrival of Jainism, Buddhism, and eventually Islam and Christianity on Indian
land.
The Sufi and Bhakti groups in mediaeval India used love and peace to bring individuals
from different communities together.
Even though the British pursued a policy of divide and rule, the Indian liberation
movement deepened and expanded the ethos of secularism.
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Democratic Republic

Justice Liberty

Equality Fraternity

Secular Sovereignty

Socialism Western Secularism and Indian Secularism

Philosophy of Indian Secularism

The term secularism' is related to the Vedic notion of 'Dharma nirapekshata,' which
refers to the state's neutrality toward religion.
Western societies have chosen this secularism model, in which the government is
completely divorced from religion (i.e. separation of church and state).
The Indian ideology of secularism is linked to "Sarva Dharma Sambhava," which implies
"equal regard for all religions" (literally, "the endpoint of all religions' pathways is the
same, but the paths themselves may be different).
'Positive secularism,' as embraced and championed by figures such as Swami
Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi, embodies the dominant ethos of Indian culture.
There is no official state religion in India. Different personal laws - such as marriage,
divorce, inheritance, and alimony - vary depending on a person's faith.
Indian secularism is a means to handle religious pluralism and ensure peaceful
coexistence of different religions, rather than an aim in itself.

Secularism and the Indian Constitution

All of the main ideas of secularism are clearly included into several clauses of the
constitution.

The forty-second constitution Amendment Act of 1976 inserted the phrase "secular"
to the preamble (India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic).
It emphasises that India is a constitutionally secular country with no official religion.
And that the state must respect and embrace all religions, rather than favouring or
patronising any one.
While Article 14 guarantees everyone equality before the law and equal protection
under the law, Article 15 broadens the definition of secularism by forbidding
discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Article 16 (1) ensures that all citizens have equal access to public job opportunities and
reiterates that no discrimination will be made on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex,
descent, place of birth, or domicile.
Article 25 guarantees 'Freedom of Conscience,' which means that everyone has the
right to freedom of conscience and to freely profess, practise, and promote religion.
According to Article 26, every religious group or individual has the right to organise and
maintain religious and philanthropic institutions, as well as to administer its own
religious affairs.
According to Article 27, no citizen shall be compelled to pay taxes for the promotion
or maintenance of any religion or any institution.
Article 28 allows religious instruction to be taught at educational institutions run by
various religious groups.
Minorities have cultural and educational rights under Article 29 and Article 30.
Article 51A, or Fundamental Duties, requires all citizens to foster unity and the sense of
fraternal brotherhood, as well as to cherish and conserve our composite culture's rich
heritage.

Indian vs. Western Model of Secularism

India has created its own distinct idea of secularism over time, which differs significantly
from the equivalent western concept in the following ways:

According to the western concept of secularism, the "State" and "Religion" each have
their own areas of influence, and neither the state nor the religion may intervene in
the affairs of the other.
 As a result, the western concept of secularism necessitates the complete separation
of religion and government.
In India, however, there is no 'wall of separation' between religion and the state, either
in law or in practise.
Both the state and religion can, and frequently do, engage and intervene in each
other's affairs in India, within the legally regulated and judicially established limitations.
To put it another way, Indian secularism does not necessitate the complete exclusion
of religion from state operations.
According to the Western paradigm, the state cannot provide financial support to
religiously run educational institutions.
The Indian model, on the other hand, has adopted a constructive approach to
involvement.
In India, all religious minorities have the right to build and operate their own
educational institutions, which may be assisted by the government.
In the Western approach, the state does not meddle in religious matters until religion
is operating within the bounds of the law.

Threats to Secularism

While the Indian Constitution declares the state to be religiously neutral, our society is
deeply rooted in religion.
The mingling of religion and politics, or the mobilisation of votes based on primal
identities such as religion, caste, and ethnicity, has posed a threat to Indian secularism.
Communal politics is characterised by the communalization of social space, the
propagation of myths and stereotypes against minorities, the attack on rational
ideals, and the use of divisive ideological propaganda and politics.
The politicisation of one religious organisation leads to the politicisation of other
religious groups in a competitive manner, culminating in inter-religious conflict.
Communal riots are one of the forms of communalism. In the recent past,
communalism has proven to be a serious challenge to India's secular fabric.
Islamic fundamentalism or revivalism advocates for the establishment of an Islamic
state based on sharia law, which is in direct opposition to secular and democratic
state concepts.

Conclusion
The history of civilizations and the terrible experiences we've had as a result of
communal issues have taught us that secularism is required to overcome religious
oddities.
Secularism is essential for limiting the majority religion's authority and limiting the use
of political power based on religious grounds. It's also to protect people's rights to
privacy (i.e., to exit from their religion, embrace another religion or have the freedom
to interpret religious teachings).
It is vital to ensure intra-religious and inter-religious equality and freedom, as well as to
acknowledge religion's universality and plurality. If we achieve an absolute harmonious
state, terms like "Unity in Diversity" and "melting pot" of multiculturalism will be used to
praise India.

Other Relevant Links

Indian Polity UPSC Notes Preamble of the Constitution

Text of the Preamble Preamble Decoded

Keywords in the preamble SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PREAMBLE

Constitution of India-Overview Making of The Constitution

Citizenship (Article 5-11) Historical Background of Indian Constitution

Union and its Territory (Article 1-4) Fundamental Rights (Article 12 to 35)

Directive Principles of State Policy Fundamental Duties

Keywords – Secularism, Socialism, Sovereignty, Secularism in the History of India, Secularism
and the Indian Constitution, Indian vs. Western Model of Secularism, Threats to Secularism.

FAQs

Question: What is secularism in the Constitution?

Answer: With the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976,
the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. The Constitution
does not recognize, it does not permit, mixing religion and State power. That is the
constitutional injunction.

Question: When was the word "Secular" incorporated in the Preamble?

Answer: By the 42nd Amendment in 1976, the term "Secular" was also incorporated in the
Preamble. There is no difference of religion i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism,
Christianity and Islam are equally respected and moreover, there is no state religion.

Question: What is Indian secularism?

Answer: Secularism in India, thus, does not mean the separation of religion from state.
Instead, secularism in India means a state that supports or participates in a neutral
manner in the affairs of all religious groups.

MCQs

Question: The words "Secular" was added to the Preamble of the Constitution of India by

1. 38th amendment
2. 39th amendment
3. 40th amendment
4. 42nd amendment

Answer: (d) is correct.

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act added the words 'Socialist, 'Secular' and
'Integrity'.

Question: Secularism means

 1. The State is to give patronage to any one religion.
2. Respect all religions without favouring any one religion.
3. Lacking religious emotion, doctrines and practices.
4. To impose any particular religion upon the rest of the people.

Answer: (b) is correct.

Respect all religions without favouring any one religion

Previous Year Mains Question

Question: Indicate the provisions of Indian Constitution relating to Secularism. (UPSC 1994)
(150W 10M)
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