Understanding Secularism

"In a multicultural democratic society like India, religion cannot serve as an instrument for gaining power or privileges, nor can it be used by a particular community to treat other communities unfairly."

1.0Understanding Secularism

History provides us with many examples of discrimination, exclusion, and persecution on the grounds of religion.

• You may have read about how Jews were persecuted in Hitler's Germany and how several million were killed. Now, however, the Jewish state of Israel treats its own Muslim and Christian minorities quite badly.
• In Saudi Arabia, non- Muslims are not allowed to build a temple, church etc, and nor can they gather in a public place for prayers.

In all of the above examples, members of one religious community either persecute or discriminate against members of other religious communities. These acts of discrimination take place more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions. Clearly no one would wish to be discriminated against, because of their religion nor dominated by another religion.

2.0What is Secularism?

The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices as they interpret these. In keeping with this idea of religious freedom for all, India also adopted a strategy of separating the power of religion and the power of the State. Secularism refers to this separation of religion from the State.

3.0Why is it Important to separate Religion from the State?

• The most important aspect of secularism is its separation of religion from State power. This is important for a country to function democratically.
• Almost all countries of the world will have more than one religious group living in them. Within these religious groups, there will most likely be one group that is in a majority.
• If this majority religious group has access to State power, then it could quite easily use this power and financial resources to discriminate against and persecute persons of other religions.
• This tyranny of the majority could result in the discrimination, coercion and at times even the killing of religious minorities.
• The majority could quite easily prevent minorities from practising their religions.
• Any form of domination based on religion is in violation of the rights that a democratic society guarantees to each citizen irrespective of their religion.
• Therefore, the tyranny of the majority and the violation of Fundamental Rights that can result is one reason why it is important to separate the State and religion in democratic societies.
  
  Hindu Culture

Another reason that it is important to separate religion from the State in democratic societies is because we also need to protect the freedom of individuals to exit from their religion, embrace another religion or have the freedom to interpret religious teachings differently.

• To understand this point better, let us take the practice of untouchability.
• You might feel that you dislike this practice within Hinduism and therefore, you want to try and reform it.
• However, if State power were in the hands of those Hindus who support untouchability, then do you think that you would have an easy task to try and change this?
• Even if you were part of the dominant religious group, you might face a lot of resistance from fellow members of your community.
• These members who have control of State power might say that there is only one interpretation of Hinduism and that you do not have the freedom to interpret this differently.

4.0What is Indian Secularism?

The Indian Constitution mandates that the Indian State be secular. According to the Constitution, only a secular State can realise its objectives to ensure the following:

• that one religious community does not dominate another.
• that some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.
• that the State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals. The Indian State works in various ways to prevent the above domination.
• First, it uses a strategy of distancing itself from religion. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious group and nor does it support any one religion. In India, government spaces like law courts, police stations, government schools and offices are not supposed to display or promote any one religion.
• For Example: The celebration of a particular religious festival within the school is a violation of the government's policy of treating all religions equally. Government schools cannot promote any one religion either in their morning prayers or through religious celebrations. This rule does not apply to private schools.
  
  Sikhism
• The second way in which Indian secularism works to prevent the above domination is through a strategy of non-interference. This means that in order to respect the sentiments of all religions and not interfere with religious practices, the State makes certain exceptions for particular religious communities.
• For Example: While driving a two-wheeler, a Sikh youth, does not have to wear a helmet. This is because

According to the article 17 of Indian constitution, untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. the Indian State recognises that wearing a pagdi (turban) is central to a Sikh's religious practice and in order not to interfere with this, allows an exception in the law.

• The third way in which Indian secularism works to prevent the domination listed earlier is through a strategy of intervention.
• Untouchability is a good example where members of the same religion ('upper-caste' Hindus) dominate other members (some 'lower castes') within it.
• In order to prevent this religion-based exclusion and discrimination of 'lower castes', the Indian Constitution bans untouchability.

In this instance, the State is intervening in religion in order to end a social practice that it believes discriminates and excludes, and that violates the Fundamental Rights of 'lower castes' who are citizens of this country. Similarly, to ensure that laws relating to equal inheritance rights are respected, the State may have to intervene in the religion-based 'personal laws' of communities.

The intervention of the State can also be in the form of support. The Indian Constitution grants the right to religious communities to set up their own schools and colleges. It also gives them financial aid on a non preferential basis.

5.0In what way is Indian secularism different from that of other democratic countries?

• Some of the above objectives are similar to those that have been included in the Constitutions of secular democratic countries in other parts of the world.
• For example, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the legislature from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion" or that "prohibit the free exercise of religion".
• What is meant by the word 'establishment' is that the legislature cannot declare any religion as the official religion. Nor can they give preference to one religion.
• In the U.S.A. the separation between State and religion means that neither the State nor religion can interfere in the affairs of one another.

In the United States of America, most children in government schools have to begin their school day reciting the 'Pledge of Allegiance'. This Pledge includes the words "under God". It was established more than 60 years ago that government school students are not required to recite the Pledge if it conflicts with their religious beliefs. Despite this, there have been several legal challenges objecting to the phrase "under God" saying that it violates the separation between church and State that the First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees.

• There is one significant way in which Indian secularism differs from the dominant understanding of secularism as practised in the United States of America.
• This is because unlike the strict separation between religion and the State in American secularism, in Indian secularism the State can intervene in religious affairs.
• The Indian Constitution intervenes in Hindu religious practices in order to abolish untouchability.
• In Indian secularism, though the State is not strictly separate from religion it does maintain a principled distance vis-à-vis religion.
• This means that any interference in religion by the State has to be based on the ideals laid out in the Constitution.
• These ideals serve as the standard through which we can judge whether the State is or is not behaving according to secular principles.
• The Indian State is secular and works in various ways to prevent religious domination. The Indian Constitution
• However, this is not to say that there is no violation of these rights in Indian society. Indeed, it is precisely because such violations happen frequently that we need a constitutional mechanism to prevent them from happening. The knowledge that such rights exist makes us sensitive to their violations and enables us to act when these violations take place.

6.0Importance of secularism for India's unity

In India, many different religions are practised. The different religious groups have many differences. Some people try to achieve their own selfish aims by using these differences to arouse hostility among different groups. This is a threat to the unity of the nation. By giving equal importance to all religions, our constitution promotes harmony among. This in turn strengthens the unity of the country.

7.0Glossary

1. Coercion - To force someone to do something. In the context of this chapter, it refers to the force used by a legal authority like the State.
2. Freedom to interpret - The independence that all persons shall have to understand things in their own way. It refers to a person's liberty to develop their own understanding and meaning of the religion they practice.
3. Intervene - It refers to the State's efforts to influence a particular matter in accordance with the principles of the Constitution.

8.0MIND MAP