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Secularism
Inter-Religious Domination
1. Discrimination Against Arab Minorities in Israel- Arab Christians and Muslims face social, political, and economic exclusion in Israel.
- Subtle forms of discrimination continue against non-Christians in several parts of Europe.
- The condition of religious minorities in these countries has raised concerns.
- More than 2,700 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and other parts of India.
- Families of victims feel that the guilty were not punished.
- Thousands of Hindu Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes in Kashmir.
- They have not been able to return for more than two decades.
- More than 1,000 people were killed in post-Godhra riots.
- Survivors could not return to their villages.
- In each case, members of one community were targeted and victimized due to religious identity.
- Basic freedoms of certain citizens were denied.
- Secularism rejects all forms of inter-religious domination and promotes equality.
Intra-Religious Domination
1. Religion as a Response to Human Suffering- Some people believe that religion is the ‘opium of the masses’ and will disappear when human needs are fulfilled.
- However, secularism is not anti-religious as human beings will always face suffering.
- No religion treats men and women equally.
- In Hinduism, some women are barred from entering temples.
- Dalits have been barred from entering temples in many places.
- Organised religion is often controlled by conservative factions that do not tolerate dissent.
- Religious fundamentalism in the US has become a major problem, affecting both domestic peace and international relations.
- Many religions fragment into sects, leading to sectarian violence and persecution of dissenters.
- Secularism not only challenges inter-religious domination but also intra-religious oppression.
Nature of Secularism
1. Secularism as a Normative Doctrine
- Secularism aims to create a society free from both inter-religious and intra-religious domination.
- It promotes freedom within religions and equality between and within religions.
2. Role of the Secular State
- A secular state should ensure that religion and religious communities are treated equally.
- It should not favor or discriminate against any religion.
Secular State
1. Preventing Religious Discrimination
- Education can help change people’s mindsets.
- Individual examples of sharing and mutual help can reduce prejudice and suspicion.
- Stories of Hindus saving Muslims or vice versa in communal riots are inspiring.
- However, education and individual goodness alone cannot eliminate religious discrimination.
- The state has enormous public power that affects inter-community conflict and religious discrimination.
2. The Role of the State in Preventing Religious Domination
- A state must not be run by religious leaders.
- A theocratic state (e.g., the Papal states of medieval Europe, Taliban rule) lacks separation between religious and political institutions, leading to oppression and hierarchy.
- Religious institutions and state institutions must be separated for peace, freedom, and equality.
3. Separation of Religion and State is Necessary but Not Sufficient
- Some states are non-theocratic but still favor a particular religion (e.g., 16th-century England favored Anglicanism, Pakistan has an official religion).
- A truly secular state must have no formal, legal alliance with any religion.
- A secular state must be committed to peace, religious freedom, and equality.
- The separation of religion and state can take different forms depending on values and context.
Western Model of Secularism
1. Basic Features
- The state is neither theocratic nor establishes a religion.
- Inspired by the American model, separation means mutual exclusion:
- The state does not interfere in religion.
- Religion does not interfere in the state.
- Policies cannot have religious rationale.
- No religious classification can be a basis for public policy.
- The state cannot aid or financially support religious institutions.
2. Implications
- The state cannot interfere in religious practices (e.g., if a religion forbids women from becoming priests, the state cannot intervene).
- Religious excommunication or temple entry restrictions remain unaffected.
- Religion is treated as a private matter.
3. Individualism in Western Secularism
- Freedom and equality are interpreted individually.
- No concept of community-based or minority rights.
- Western societies historically had religious homogeneity, so they focused on intra-religious domination rather than inter-religious equality.
4. No State-Supported Religious Reform
- The state does not interfere in religion to bring reforms.
- Separation is seen as mutual exclusion.
Indian Model of Secularism
1. Differences from Western Secularism
- Indian secularism is not an imitation of the Western model.
- It arose in a context of deep religious diversity.
- Indian secularism emphasizes inter-religious equality along with church-state separation.
2. Tolerance vs. Equal Dignity
- India had a history of inter-religious tolerance before Western ideas arrived.
- However, tolerance alone allows religious domination.
- True secularism requires equal dignity and respect for all.
3. Focus on Intra-Religious and Inter-Religious Equality
- Western secularism mainly focuses on intra-religious freedom.
- Indian secularism also emphasizes inter-religious equality and protection of minorities.
- Oppression of Dalits and women within Hinduism.
- Discrimination against women in Islam or Christianity.
- Threats from a majority religious group to minority rights.
4. Religious Freedom for Individuals and Communities
- Individual right to practice any religion.
- Minority communities also have rights to maintain culture and educational institutions.
5. State-Supported Religious Reform
- Indian secularism allows the state to intervene in religion to promote equality.
- Ban on untouchability.
- Laws against child marriage and caste discrimination.
6. Flexibility in State-Religion Engagement
- The state is neither theocratic nor promotes any religion.
- The Indian state may either:
- Disengage from religion (like the American model).
- Engage with religion to ensure equality.
- Examples:
- Ban on untouchability (negative engagement).
- State support for minority educational institutions (positive engagement).
7. Equal Respect vs. Equal Disrespect for Religions
- Mere peaceful coexistence is not enough for secularism.
- "Equal respect for all religions" can be misleading.
- Indian secularism allows principled state intervention in all religions.
- Some religious practices (e.g., caste hierarchy) are not respected by the secular state.
- The state promotes equal disrespect for unjust aspects of religion.
Criticisms of Indian Secularism
Indian secularism has been subjected to various criticisms. While some critics argue that it is anti-religious, others claim it is a Western import, promotes minoritism, is interventionist, encourages vote bank politics, or is an impossible project. Below, we examine these criticisms and offer responses to defend Indian secularism.1. Anti-Religious
- One of the most common criticisms of secularism is that it is anti-religious. However, this is a misunderstanding. Indian secularism is not against religion itself but against institutionalized religious domination. It does not aim to erase religious identity but to ensure that religion does not become a tool for discrimination or oppression.
- Critics argue that secularism threatens religious identity. However, secularism promotes religious freedom and equality, allowing individuals to practice their faith freely. What it does oppose are religious identities that are dogmatic, violent, fanatical, or exclusivist—identities that foster hatred and division.
2. Western Import
- Another common critique is that secularism is a Western concept and therefore unsuitable for Indian society. This argument is flawed for several reasons:
- India has adopted many ideas and innovations from the West, including parliamentary democracy, the internet, and modern education. If the origin of an idea were a reason to reject it, then Europeans should have refused to use the concept of zero, which was developed in India.
- The Western model of secularism is based on the strict separation of religion and state. However, Indian secularism evolved in its own way, accommodating India's unique diversity.
- In Western countries, secularism developed as a struggle against Church dominance over political and social life. In India, secularism is about ensuring peaceful coexistence among multiple religious communities.
- Indian secularism is not merely a Western import but a fusion of Western and non-Western ideas, adapted to India's pluralistic society.
3. Minoritism
- Critics argue that Indian secularism promotes minoritism, giving special privileges to religious minorities at the cost of the majority. However, minority rights are justified because they protect fundamental interests, not because they provide special treatment.
- In a train compartment, four passengers are traveling together. One passenger wants to smoke, while another is a non-smoker who dislikes cigarette smoke. A vote is conducted, and the smoker wins by majority.
- Now, consider a variation: Suppose the non-smoker has asthma, and cigarette smoke could trigger a life-threatening attack. In this case, the majority vote would be unfair because it endangers the non-smoker’s fundamental rights.
This analogy applies to minority rights. The Constitution protects minority rights not as a privilege but as a way to safeguard their fundamental interests.
Another example illustrates the same point:
- Suppose a movie is being screened on the first floor of an auditorium. Everyone can buy a ticket and climb the stairs to watch it. But what about elderly individuals, people with broken legs, or those in wheelchairs?
- A ramp or an elevator enables them to reach the first floor, just as others do with the staircase. Providing this facility does not give them special privileges—it simply ensures that everyone has equal access.
Similarly, minority rights exist to ensure fair treatment, not to grant special advantages.
4. Interventionist
- Another criticism is that secularism interferes too much in religious matters, limiting religious freedom. This is based on a misunderstanding of "principled distance", which allows the state to intervene when necessary while also respecting religious freedom.
- Indian secularism does not follow the Western model of absolute separation between religion and state. Instead, it allows for state intervention to ensure social justice.
- For example: The state has intervened in religious practices that discriminate against women, such as temple entry restrictions or instant triple talaq.
- However, the personal laws of different communities have not been uniformly reformed, leading to debates about gender justice and equality.
- The Indian state faces a dilemma: Should it protect community-specific rights or focus on ensuring equality? The solution is to support internal reform movements within communities rather than imposing changes from above.
5. Vote Bank Politics
- Critics argue that secularism has led to the rise of vote bank politics, where political parties appeal to religious groups to secure electoral support. While it is true that some politicians use religion for electoral gains, this should not be blamed on secularism itself.
- In a democracy, politicians naturally seek votes. However, the key question is:
- Are they seeking votes solely for personal power, or are they also promoting the welfare of the group?
- If a leader only uses religious groups for votes but does nothing for them, it is a failure of democracy, not secularism.
- In India, some political parties prioritize short-term electoral gains over long-term governance.
- Minority appeasement can sometimes alienate the majority while also failing to benefit the minorities in the long run.
6. Impossible Project
Some critics argue that secularism is an impossible ideal because religious groups with deep differences will never coexist peacefully. This argument is historically false:- India has a long tradition of religious coexistence, despite occasional conflicts.
- Other historical examples, such as the Ottoman Empire, also demonstrate that multi-religious societies can function.
However, critics claim that such coexistence was possible only in hierarchical societies, where people accepted inequality. Today, with equality as a dominant value, religious differences may be harder to manage.
Yet, Indian secularism is not an impossible experiment—it is the future of the world.
- With globalization, Western countries are becoming more religiously diverse. They now face the same challenges that India has been addressing for decades.
- India’s secular model is being closely watched as a potential solution for multicultural societies across the world.
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