India & Secularism. Review on India, General

Secular means ''not relating to religion or to a religious body.''Secularism everywhere represents the religious non-discrimination, like many countries in Europe, India pursued religious non-discrimination by ensuring equal liberty for all communities.

What constitution says about Secularism?

''Equal respect for all religions is the crux of Indian secularism.''

''The state in India being secular shall have no concern with any religion, creed or profession of faith, and shall observe an attitude of absolute neutrality in all matters relating to the religion of any class of its citizens or other persons in the Union'' But constitutional safeguard to religious minorities is against this definition of secularism.

We are also fond of describing India as ''secular''. But let's check situation in America, where the killer of a Muslim is prosecuted as same as the killer of a Christian and the police are required to give equal protection all citizens irrespective of the fact that they worship Jesus, Allah, Shiva or M Jordan. And now if you compare this with India, then perhaps you are taking it too much. When western reporters use the term ''Hindu India'' or ''Hindu-dominated India,'' some Indians are quick to criticize them: ''India is a secular country. It is not like Saudi Arabia, Iran, or, god-forbid, Pakistan.'' But they never think of Europe or US which are in true sense secular.

But at the same time there are some questions for secularism in India.

Indian secularism accorded preferential treatment to one religion from other and did not work as a cementing force for social and emotional integration of Hindus and Muslims.Despite the controversy over religion in Constituent Assembly constitutional protection was granted to religious minorities.

Instead of balancing the religious rights of different communities to unify the society, Indian secularism provided protective treatment to religious minorities and thereby negated the spirit of equal treatment to all the religious groups. The biggest example is - Andhra Pradesh government to give 5 per cent reservations to the state’s Muslims in the governmental and educational sectors.

The terms democracy and secularism as the modern world understands today do not approve the authority of any religion with temporal power. Not being negative to any particular community but the facts is very few minority leaders of India ever made any compromise over religious issues, though they had succumbed to such compromise during British regime that had imposed number of administrative changes, which hardly had any approval in their religion.

Shri Krishna had told in Bhagvad Geeta That, Dharma is above all. First there shall be Dharma and then rest. I feel in this modern era there are 3 driving force for a man - Religion, Money and Love. So if there a problem related to your one of driving force - Religion, how one can remain Secular ?

I feel only Politicians can remain secular in this conditionas they have other driving force in sight i.e. money through power. Decide that are you in catergory of politician or not ?

And the last question is ''Does Secularism restricts Government from imposing UCC - Uniform Civil Code?

We can not complete our talk for Secularism without having a discussion on UCC. The failure to adopt the UCC at the country's birth has been divisive by creating these religious ghettos, and has raised questions about India's commitment to secularism. The losses because of not implementing UCC are many as under :

Syed Shahabuddin, (topper in MSC from Patna University, completed the Indian Administrative Service and was in Government, All India Muslim Personal Law Board) had written in an editorial of 'Muslim India': ''For a Muslim, at the personal level, his religious identity is supreme, rising above race, language, geography or political jurisdiction. …. No one has authority to change it''

So he send the message that to community that ''Muslim first and the rest later.'' Are these comments are in favor of UCC ?

Is this a sign of Secular India ?

Threats to Secularism

Actually secularism was having challenges from Casteism and communalism but because of the spread of science and technology all challenges were of no meaning. But on now again casteism and communalism are again reborn because of the short-sighted policies of power-hungry politicians and the narrow outlook of the administrators. The leaders are trying to spread the communal and caste passions of the people, with a view to get the votes. The politicisation are pampering communal leaders and causing great harm to the nation.

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I had kept myself refrain from certain incidences, comments, judgments as it would have lead us to unnecessary discussion. With which so-called secularists would have again started their bugles of secularism.

I am having great material of comments made by certain people, judgments passed by some stupid and action taken by rubbish people, I like to used it in comments if get change.

The summary of Review (provided by Mayank in comments)

secularism does not mean appeasing the minorities and neglecting the majority..well I guess it happens only in india..where the majority is being subjected to state sponsored terrorism just for vote bank politics.

Thank you Mayank