SECULARISM, What are the advantages and disadvantages of India as a secular country?

SECULARISM, the term first used by the British writer George Holyoake in 1851. Holyoake invented the term secularism to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion, without actively criticizing religious belief. Secularism draws its intellectual roots from Greek and Roman philosophers such as Zeno of Citium and Marcus Aurelius.

A major impact on the idea of state religious liberty came from the writings of John Locke who, in his A Letter Concerning Toleration, argued in favor of religious toleration. He argued that the government must treat all citizens and all religions equally and that it can restrict actions, but not the religious intent behind them.

With the 42'nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. Officially, secularism has always inspired modern India. In practice, unlike Western nations of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state. The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs. 

 

Muslim Indians have Sharia-based Muslim Personal Law, while Hindu, Christian, and Sikh Indians live under common law.  Supporters of the Indian concept of secularism claim it respects "minorities and pluralism". Critics claim the Indian form of secularism as "pseudo-secularism". Supporters state that any attempt to introduce a uniform civil code, that is equal laws for every citizen irrespective of his or her religion, would impose majoritarian Hindu sensibilities and ideals. Critics state that India's acceptance of Sharia and religious laws violates the principle of Equality before the law.  The Indian Constitution permits partial financial support for religious schools, as well as the financing of religious buildings and infrastructure by the state. The Islamic Central Wakf Council and many Hindu temples of great religious significance are administered and managed by the Indian government.

Ashoka about 2200 years ago, Harsha about 1400 years ago accepted and patronized different religions. The people in ancient India had freedom of religion, and the state granted citizenship to each individual regardless of whether someone's religion was Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, or any other.

Maharaja Ranjeet Singh of the Sikh empire of the first half of the 19th century successfully established a secular rule in Punjab. This secular rule respected members of all races and religions and it allowed them to participate without discrimination in Ranjeet Singh's darbar and he had Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu representatives heading the darbar.

This approach to interfaith relations changed with the arrival of Islam and the establishment of Delhi Sultanate in North India by the 12th century, followed by Deccan Sultanate in Central India.  With the arrival of the Mughal era, Sharia was imposed with continued zeal, with Akbar – the Mughal Emperor – as the first significant exception.  Akbar sought to fuse ideas, professed equality between Islam and other religions of India,  abolished religion-based discriminatory jizya taxes, and welcomed the building of Hindu temples.

Advantages of Secularism:

Some advantages are given below-

1. Secularism protects both believers and non-believers:

Secularism seeks to ensure and protect freedom of religious belief and practice for all citizens. Secularism is not about curtailing(1) religious freedoms; it is about ensuring that the freedoms of thought and conscience apply equally to all believers and non-believers alike.

2. Religious Freedom:

Secularism seeks to defend the absolute freedom of religious and other beliefs. Secularism ensures that the right of individuals to freedom of religion is always balanced by the right to be free from religion.

3. Secularism is about democracy and fairness:

In a secular democracy all citizens are equal before the law and parliament. No religious or political affiliation gives advantages or disadvantages. Secularism advocates human rights above discriminatory religious demands. It upholds equality laws that protect women, LGBT people, and minorities.

4. Equal access to public services:

We all share hospitals, schools, the police, and the services of local authorities. It is essential that these public services are secular at the point of use so that no-one is disadvantaged or denied access on grounds of religious belief. All state-funded schools should be non-religious in character, with children being educated together regardless of their parents' religion.

5. Secularism is not atheism:

Atheism is a lack of belief in gods. Secularism simply provides a framework for ensuring equality throughout society – in politics, education, the law, and elsewhere, for believers and non-believers alike. Atheists have an obvious interest in supporting secularism, but secularism itself does not seek to challenge the tenets of any particular religion or belief, neither does it seek to impose atheism on anyone.

Disadvantages of Secularism:

Some disadvantages are given below-

1. Political parties take advantage of this by influencing people in the wrong way.

2. The minor community always have a fear of getting suppressed by major one.

3. Different religion has different laws and norms of their own as a state has no interference

       

Indian secularism is not simply the invention of India’s post-1947 political leaders; the concept has a long, distinguished place in the history of Indian civilization. Emperor Ashoka did so, in spite of his zealous adherence(2) to Buddhism, and the Mughal Emperor Akbar went even further by initiating a syncretic creed—a tradition that culminated in Gandhism.

Shailendra

                                                                            

(1) curtailing - कटौती (2) adherence-अनुपालन    (3) syncretic creed-समकालिक पंथ