A Study of Secularism in Mizoram Robert Sanglora
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DEMYSTIFYING SECULARISM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF SECULARISM IN MIZORAM ROBERT SANGLORA KHAWBUNG DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE MIZORAM UNIVERSITY. DEMYSTIFYING SECULARISM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF SECULARISM IN MIZORAM BY ROBERT SANGLORA KHAWBUNG DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science of Mizoram University, Aizawl Post Box No. 190 MIZORAM UNIVERSITY Gram : MZU AIZAWL:MIZORAM Phone : (0389) 2331610 Fax : 0389 – 2331610 www.mzu.edu.in Prof. K.V. Reddy Department of Political Science CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “DEMYSTIFYING SECULARISM IN INDIA: A STUDY OF SECULARISM IN MIZORAM,” submitted by ROBERT SANGLORA KHAWBUNG for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, is a research work, done under my supervision and guidance. The thesis, submitted by him has not formed the basis for the award to the scholar for any degree or any other similar title and it has not yet been submitted as a dissertation or thesis in any university. I also certify that the thesis represents objective study and independent work of the scholar. (PROF. K. V. REDDY) SUPERVISOR DECLARATION MIZORAM UNIVERSITY FEBRUARY/2020 I, Robert Sanglora Khawbung, hereby declare the subject matter of this thesis is the record of the work done by me, that the contents of this thesis did not form basis of the award of any previous degree to me or to do the best of my knowledge to anybody else, and that the thesis has not been submitted by me for any research degree in any other University/ Institute. This is being submitted to the Mizoram University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. ROBERT SANGLORA KHAWBUNG) Candidate (PROF.J. K. PATNAIK) (PROF. K. V. REDDY) Head Supervisor i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First, my heartfelt thanks to my supervisor, Prof. K V Reddy, Head of Department, Department of Political Science, Mizoram University, whose guidance, support, accurate correction, valuable inputs and suggestions have tremendously transformed my work and enabled me to complete my work. I am truly indebted to him. I would like to extend my thanks to all the faculty members and staff of Department of Political Science Department, for allowing me an admission to Ph.D. and extending their support and encouragement in my work. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the interviewees whose honest and valuable responses to my interview has helped to me to actualise my work. My sincere thanks, to Lienhmingthanga, Upa. B Sangkima, Vanlalhnema and Upa Zarliana for their valuable views on the subject matter has helped me in various ways to my work. I would like to also extend my heartfelt thanks to my wife, Rebecca Vanlalremruati, for her encouragement and support me in my work. Special thanks to my sister, Ms. Lily Sangpui, David Buhril and Mr. Zoramsanga Tusing for their contribution and help in designing and analysis of data collected. Last but not the least, I would like to thank to all my family members and friends for their prayers and concerns with my work Above all, I thank the Almighty God, who gave an opportunity to pursue and complete my work. Dated: 12th February, 2020 Robert Sanglora Khawbung Aizawl ii ABBREVIATIONS AIDS : Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AIMPLB : All India Muslim Personal Law Board BCM : Baptist Church of Mizoram BJP : Bharatya Janata Party BMS : Baptist Mission Society CA : Constituent Assembly CAD : Constituent Assembly Debate CAB : Citizen Amendment Bill CAA : Citizen Amendment Act HIV : Human Immune Virus ILP : Inner Line Permti MHIP : Mizo Hmeichhia Insuikhawm Pawl MHTP : Mizo Hmeichche Tangrual pawl MKHC : Mizoram Kohran Hruaitute Committee. MLPC : Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control MNF : Mizo National Front MPC : Mizo Peoples Conference iii MPF : Mizoram People Forum MU : Mizo Union MZP : Mizo Zirlai Pawl MSU : Mizo Students’ Union NCERT : National Council for Educational Research and Training NEDA : North East Democratic Alliance PCI : Presbyterian Church of India PGC : Public Grievance Cell PRC : Public Relief Committee USCIRF : US Commission for International Religious Freedom YMA : Young Mizo Association ZDF : Zoram Democratic Front, ZEM : Zoram Exodus Movement ZNP : Zoram Nationalist Party ZPM : Zoram People’s Movement CERTIFICATE DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i ABBEVIATION ii-iii CONTENTS CHAPTER - I: INTRODUCTION 1 - 42 CHAPTER - 2: UNDERSTANDING SECULARISM: A CONCEPTUAL VIEW 43 - 95 2.1 EVOLUTION OF WESTERN CONCEPT OF SECULARIZATION 2.2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE OF SECULARIZATION AND SECULARISM 2.3 SECULARIZATION AND SECULARISM: A CRITIQUE 2.4 RETHINKING SECULARISM IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY CHAPTER - 3: INDIAN CONSTITUTION AND SECULARISM: SOME CONTESTED DEBATE 96 - 157 3.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SECULARISM IN INDIA 3.2 CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES ON SECULARISM 3.3 SECULARISM: A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE 3.4 DEBATE ON INDIAN SECULARISM 3.5 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND CHALLENGE OF INDIAN SECULARISM CHAPTER - 4: SECULARISATION PROCESS IN THE MIZO SOCIETY IN MIZORAM 158 - 197 4.1 CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIALIZATION PROCESS IN MIZO SOCIETY 4.2 IMPACT OF CHRISTIANITY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL MODERNIZATION OF MIZO SOCIETY 4.3 CHRISTIANITY AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE OF MIZO SOCIETY 4.4 CHRISTIANITY AND EDUCATION 4.5 CHRITIANITY AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT 4.6 CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION CHAPTER - 5: SECULARISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON MIZORAM 198 - 240 5.1 COLONIALISM AND CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES 5.2 CHURCH AND EARLY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN MIZORAM 5.3 CHURCH AND PEACE DEVELOPMENT IN MIZORAM 5.4 CHURCH AND SOCIO-POLITICAL ETHIC IN MIZORAM 5.5 CHURCH AND MIZORAM PEOPLE FORUM 5.6 RELIGION AND POLITICS IN MIZORAM CONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS 5.7 RETHINKING SECULARISM IN MIZO POLITICS AND SOCIETY CHAPTER- 6: CONCLUSION 241 – 256 APPENDICES: 257 – 268 INTERVIEW SCHEDULE QUESTIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY 269 – 284 BRIEF BIO-DATA OF CANDIDATE 285 PERSONAL DETAIL OF CANDIDATE 286 CHAPTER - 1 INTRODUCTION 1 This chapter broadly explores the concepts, practices and implications of secularism in a contemporary multi-cultural society. It attempts at critically understanding a complex relationship between religion and politics, its undercurrent debates, problems and challenges confronted by the normative theory and practice of secularism in general and particularly in a pervasive multi-religious Indian society. It also briefly analyses the nature of secularisation process and secularism in the Christian majority state of Mizoram1. Further, the study offers a contextual analysis of the secular-religious relationship in contemporary Mizo society2 and attempts at conceptualizing secularism from a wider dimension and indigenous socio-cultural context. Concepts such as secularisation and secularism are products of Western civilization that was developed as a result of religious wars, Enlightenment and Reformation movements during the medieval period. It emerged as a modern path to simplify freedom from religious persecution, conflicts and wars. Gradually, within social sciences, a general theory of secularisation was developed and associated with modernization. Eventually, it implied a tendency to build a wall of separation between the sacred and the temporal realms, wherein objectivity dominated and became the dominant factor in analyzing and elaborating every aspect of society and politics. Since the early history of Western society, eminent social and political thinkers, such as Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud, 1 According to Census of India, (2011) Christianity constitutes 87.16 percent of total population, whereas other religious groups such as, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, others and non-stated constitutes respectively, 2.27, 1.35, 0.03, 8.51, 0.03, 0.07 and 0.09 percent of the total population in Mizoram. 2 The term Mizo society denotes a tribe of various clans inhabited in the state of Mizoram 2 amongst others believed that religion would gradually lost its importance and cease to be significant with the advent of modern society.3 This led to the development of universal narrative distinctive of the sacred-secular aspects that became to constitute the dominant structure of modern society and politics. The sacred refers to a realm of subjective and transcendental; the realm of God and religion. The secular or profane, on the other hand, refers to a realm of worldly activity and objectivity without any reference transcendent attitude and experience. Secularisation is identified as the process attached to scientific temper, professionalization, rationalization, urbanization, functional differentiation, bureaucratization and so on,4 as the key principles of modernity. Gradually it became a normative pattern that structured and differentiated the secular and religious spheres in modern society. In the Western society secular and its related terms, such as secularisation and secularism broadly refers to the separation of religion from politics, the separation of public and private realms, the privatization of religion and finally the exclusion of religion from the public realm. One way of understanding normative secularism is that it emerged as a normative principle aimed at establishing a common ground of existence within diverse religious groups based on the principle of rational ethics rather than on transcendental or religious values. In other words, secularism seeks rationality and objectivity as the principal norms for common social and political existence. 3 Cliteur, Paul. (2010). The Secular Outlook, In Defence