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Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

  • Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

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Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Indian Secularism vs. Western Secularism

Secularism, as a principle of governance, manifests differently across various cultures and political systems. Indian secularism and Western secularism, while sharing core values of religious neutrality and equality, diverge significantly in their historical context, philosophical foundations, and practical implementation.

Historical and Philosophical Context

Indian Secularism:

  • Historical Context: Indian secularism evolved in the context of a diverse society with a long history of religious pluralism. India’s struggle for independence was marked by the need to accommodate various religious communities, which influenced the framing of secular principles in the Constitution.
  • Philosophical Basis: Indian secularism is rooted in the idea of “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” (equal respect for all religions), emphasizing the state’s role in supporting all religions equally rather than maintaining a strict separation between religion and state.

Western Secularism:

  • Historical Context: Western secularism, particularly in Europe and North America, emerged from the Enlightenment and Reformation periods, emphasizing the separation of church and state as a reaction to religious conflicts and theocratic governance.
  • Philosophical Basis: Western secularism is based on the principle of “laïcité” (in French secularism) or the separation of church and state, where the state maintains a strict neutrality towards all religions and religious institutions.

Key Differences

State-Religion Relationship

Indian Secularism:

  • Equal Respect: The Indian state actively respects and recognizes all religions, ensuring that no religion is given preferential treatment. This involves state participation in religious festivals, granting subsidies for religious pilgrimages, and maintaining religious institutions.
  • Intervention in Religious Matters: The Indian state intervenes in religious matters to ensure social reform and protect individual rights. Examples include laws against untouchability and caste discrimination, as well as reforms in personal laws of different communities.

Western Secularism:

  • Strict Separation: Western secularism typically involves a strict separation between religion and state, with minimal state intervention in religious affairs. This separation aims to ensure that religion remains a private matter.
  • Non-Interference: In many Western countries, the state avoids involvement in religious practices and institutions, ensuring that public policies are free from religious influence.

Legal Framework

Indian Secularism:

  • Personal Laws: India has different personal laws for different religious communities governing marriage, divorce, inheritance, etc. While this respects religious diversity, it also creates legal pluralism.
  • Uniform Civil Code (UCC): The UCC is a debated issue in India, aiming to replace religion-specific personal laws with a common set of laws. Its implementation remains contentious, reflecting the balance between secularism and religious rights.

Western Secularism:

  • Uniform Laws: In Western countries, personal matters are generally governed by uniform civil laws, irrespective of religious affiliation. This legal uniformity aligns with the principle of secularism as separation from religion.
  1. Public Life and Education

Indian Secularism:

  • Religious Symbols: India allows the public display of religious symbols and practices in public spaces and institutions, reflecting its pluralistic approach.
  • Religious Education: Religious education in state schools is permitted, provided it respects the principles of all religions and does not promote any particular faith.

Western Secularism:

  • Secular Public Spaces: Western secularism often mandates secularism in public spaces and institutions, with restrictions on the display of religious symbols, especially in state-run schools and government offices.
  • Secular Education: State education is strictly secular, with religious instruction typically relegated to private religious schools.

Conclusion

Indian secularism and Western secularism represent different models of accommodating religious diversity within a secular framework. Indian secularism emphasizes equal respect and recognition for all religions, involving the state in religious affairs to ensure social harmony and reform. In contrast, Western secularism prioritizes a strict separation of religion and state, maintaining public neutrality towards all religions. These differences reflect the unique historical, cultural, and social contexts in which each model evolved, shaping their approach to secular governance.

 

Q. Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism? Justify your answer. (2022)

 

Introduction In western nations, negative form of secularism is followed which means state is separate from religion and has nothing to do with religion of the people but in India, positive form of secularism is followed which means the state gives equal respect to all religions. Citizens can publicly wear their religious signs and symbols. There is no official religion of India.

Secularism is an essential feature of Indian Constitution. This feature reflects the secular values of Indian society from ancient past. Tolerance, assimilation and pluralism are the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism.
Body Tolerance as the key element of Indian form of Secularism:

  • It means people of different religions; sects have respect and tolerance for each other’s religion.
  • India is where Buddhism and Jainism first appeared. These religions propagated a message of peace and tolerance.
  • The founder of the Sikh religion, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, preached about international brotherhood (tolerance).
  • Almost no native King forced his subjects to convert to another religion, with a few exceptions.
  • The religious tolerance policies of Mughal King Akbar and Buddhist King Ashoka are particularly well-known.
  • ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka’ is a phrase in Maha Upanishad, a Hindu religious text which essentially means “the world is family”.
  • The fundamental rights guaranteed by the state’s constitution (Articles 25 to 28), which guarantee that everyone of its inhabitants has the right to practice any religion, represent the state’s tolerance of all religions. The state doesn’t have a recognized religion.

Assimilation as the key element of Indian form of Secularism:

Assimilation is the process whereby individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society.

  • People from all major religions coexist peacefully in India. India was the birthplace of Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Along with invaders from Persia and Afghanistan, Islam arrived in India. What’s fascinating, though, is that new religions that developed here were introduced by invaders, yet they coexisted with the rest of society at the time without losing their distinctive identities.
  • When multiple religious communities coexist, over time they begin to incorporate elements of one another’s art, architecture, culture, and religion. For instance, Mughal period produced a distinctive Mughal style as a result of the fusion of Persian Islamic architecture and native Indian design. The Mughal era strongly influenced the Rajput paintings of Jaipur and Amber.

Pluralism as the key element of Indian form of Secularism:

It means people of different religion, sects, cultures live together with harmony.

  • Since ancient times, people of various sects and religions have lived in India. All of the world’s main religions are represented in India. These include Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.
  • Each religion also has a number of subgroups. For instance, there are followers of Shaivism and Vaishnavism in Hinduism, and Sunni and Shia Muslims. Here, there are residents of various faiths and religions.
  • Around India, Buddhism first appeared in the sixth century BC. In India, Jainism grew mostly after the sixth century BC. After the 10th century AD, India was where Islam flourished most quickly. Sikhism was started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the 15th century. In the eighth century AD, Zoroastrianism arrived in India. Therefore, pluralism has always been a part of India.
  • With a few exceptions, the governing rulers did not meddle in peoples’ religious practices. Instead, they offered them financial support and land for religious purposes. Secularism has therefore been a part of Indian society and culture for many years.
Conclusion

 

Q2. What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of Secularism? (2019)

 

Introduction India, since Independence, has been following a peculiar nation of secularism, where all religions are treated equally and supported by the State. However, this concept, at present, is undergoing a paradigm change wherein Constitutional morality is being considered a significant component of secularism by the judiciary. Another characteristic of this change is the growth of misguided perceptions about secularism. The ultimate outcome of these changes is the rise of various challenges to our diverse cultural practices.
Body Thus, we have a logical classification of these challenges under two dimensions:

  • Challenges posed by misguided perceptions
    • Religiousness is anti-secular and pro-fundamentalist: Thus perception discourages various religious practices like rituals, clothing, thoughts etc. People who wear the saffron dress, who keep beard and pat skull cap (Taqiyah) and all considered fundamentalists.
    • Secularism is equated to atheism and apostasy: Those who do not believe in good or abandon their religious beliefs are marked as secular. This thought is leading to a slow degradation of cultural practices.
    • Restrictions to food choices: Some states, through following the majoritarian religious sentiments, restrict the sale of beef.
    • Judiciopapism: Sometimes, the judiciary also takes a narrow glimpse of secularism and interferes into religious celebrations and practices. Ex. Rajasthan High Court’s ban on Santhara and Supreme Court’s ban on the sale of crackers on Diwali.
  • Challenges due to rise of Constitutional morality
    • Following are the grounds of objections to several cultural practices as considered by the judiciary.
    • Right to Equality: The practice of triple talaq and the ban on entry of women in Sabarimala temple were all declared unlawful by the Supreme Court. Those were done on account of gender inequality and gender exploitation inherent to these practices.
    • Animal Rights: Supreme Court banned the traditional practice of Jallikattu because of the cruelty to animals involved in this.
  • Objection to Harmful Cultural Practices: The illegality of female genital mutilation (FGM), practices in Dawoodi Bohra Community was brought into the limelight in 2018. The centre and the Supreme Court are having the opinion to ban this practice in India.
Conclusion Thus, it is obvious that while some of the challenges are the outcome of the misleading notion of secularism, others are due to the exploitative and discriminatory nature of cultural practices only. The solution lies in getting all the stakeholders like religious leaders, judges, right’s activists, civil society groups, NGOs and government representatives together over a common platform to discuss the challenges and to bring unanimity for preserving the cultural practices of our country.
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