Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X

Indian Secularism: Greatness, Challenges, Solution Pritam Guha Neogi Former PGT History Teacher, St Mary’s High Secondary School Cooch Behar, and Dooars International Public School, Cooch Behar (West Bengal) Dr. Amal Kr. Sarkar Assistant Professor, University B.T. and Evening College, Cooch Behar, (West Bengal) India

Abstract This article is here to examine and analyze the concept of secularism in the context of India. Through the 42th amendments of the constitution India have accepted secularism on 1976. Even the fundamental rights of ours constitution are enough powerful to implement secularism on the soil of India. Article 25, 26 and 27 gives the prohibition of Freedom of conscience and free profession, freedom to manage religious affairs, freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion. Even famous Dalai Lama praised Indian secularism by telling “India has a great heritage and it is a model for religious harmony where people of different religions live peacefully and in harmony.” We must have to remember the fact that Secularism is the only way of development in plural society like India. But the occurrence of communal riots in recent years indicates that we are still far away to establish secularism in India truly. Communal politics, religious militancy, poverty, political corruption are posing serious threats for Indian democracy at today. But I believe Present turmoil can be solved if sincere efforts and more sound secular policy can be made. Key Words: Secularism, challenges, India independence from British colonial rule. The Introduction aftermath of the Partition of India in 1947 to The term secularism is added in the Indian create a separate Islamic state of Pakistan nd Constitution through the 42 constitutional for Muslims, saw large scale sectarian amendment. So, According to ours strife and bloodshed throughout the nation. constitution India is a secular country and Since then, India has witnessed sporadic she has no official religion. In India every large-scale violence sparked by underlying people can perform their religious activities tensions between sections of the Hindu and without any challenge and interference and Muslim communities. These conflicts also if anybody wants to change their opinion, stem from the ideologies of hard-line right- they also can do. According to Indian wing groups versus Islamic constitution every kind of discrimination on Fundamentalists and prevalent in certain the basic of religion, caste, and race is sections of the population. Since forbidden. Still after passing 73 year of independence, India has always maintained independence, we are struggling with a constitutional commitment to secularism. religious discrimination. Large-scale The major incidences include the 1969 religious violence and riots have Gujarat riots, 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the 1989 periodically occurred in India since its Bhagalpur riots, 1989 Kashmir

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (10) Author: Neogi & Sarkar Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X violence, Godhara train burning, 2002 The effectiveness of Indian model of Gujarat riots and 2013 riots. secularism: In spite of having lot of challenges, still we  In this world two kind of model of can tell that Indian form of secularism is Secularism is very much popular: The greater than American and any other form of Western model of Secularism and the Indian secularism and we can belief if we Indians model of Secularism. According to the become determined to solve the challenges, American Model of Secularism the state and ours model of secularism would be proved religion maintain complete mutual exclusion best form of secularism. where both have its own independence Objectives: jurisdiction. According to this model state Through this study we are going to discuss; neither can give any financial aid to  The effectiveness of Indian model of religious institution nor to interfere in their secularism. matters. That’s why if any religious  Great past of religious harmony. institution excommunicate some members or  Present challenges of secularism. implement some strong rules and regulation  Solution of these problems. then state has very little to do. But The Literature Review: Indian model of secularism is much flexible regarding this matter. In India all kind of  We have to make intensive study on the religious community enjoy freedom to book “Secularism in India; concept and perform their activities independently but if practice” edited by Uday Mehta and state finds any kind of abuse of human right Ram Puniyani. through the performing any rituals by any  We have to rely much on the book religious community then state has full right “Indian Secularism; A social and to stop it. That’s why through the article no- intellectual History” written by Shabnum 17, untouchability, the age old practice of Tehanji. Hindu caste system is forbidden and recently  We have to take knowledge to also Muslim religious practice “tin talaq” understand legal base of Indian system is forbidden. According to Indian secularism from the book “Religious model of Secularism, state is entitled to help freedom in a secular democracy of India: any religious institution to run their activity. A constitutional perspective” written by That’s why according to article every Amit Raj Agarwal. minority groups can form their institution to  We have to study the book develop their culture and language and state “Communalism and communal Riots in cannot make any discrimination to help it on India” written by Kumar Mehta. the basic of inter religious or intra religious  We also have to study” concept of discrimination. India not only reject inter secular education in India” Written by religious differences but also reject intra Muktishree Ghosh. religious differences. That’s why to protect  We have to read the article “Religious the interest lower class Hindu, tribal people, Harmony, a way to the development” ours government takes reservation policy written by Athar Ali Shah. that’s they also can get equal opportunity to

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (11) Author: Neogi & Sarkar Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X melt with the natural flow of the society. We actions, first actions are done then the are all known about the fact that from very people escort to the scriptures for the ancient past huge number of the foreign justification, no doubt it is an act of community came in India and merged with irreverence to the religious scriptures. the mainstream of the Indian society. That’s We are the sons of an ancient land that has why India is considered is multicultural promoted many different schools of country. But this multicultural factor created philosophy and spirituality over the several unrest in India from both side like millennia. Despite some remote and rare inter religious differences and intra religious instances of bloodshed, our country has been differences. We can never forget the black a model of peaceful co-existence. days of the days of partition. We are all Approximately, in 3th century B.C this land known fact that India got independence with was ruled by Ashoka the Great, whose realm accepting bitter fact of Partition. That’s why stretched from present-day Afghanistan to after independence to make the environment Bangladesh. During his magnificent ruling of ours country safe from every kind of period, this sympathetic ruler spearheaded religious discrimination Indian adopted this constant efforts to all group of religions of kind of model regarding the matter of the time and caused edicts to be inscribed on secularism. stone, proclaiming that all faiths should be Great past of Religious harmony in India: respected; and as a result, followers of all As it is unknown to none that India is the spiritual traditions felt secure under his homeland of numerous religions, and when sway. In some places such governments and we read the holy scripts of every religions rulers even now exist. An example is the we can come across to know that each and noble king of Oman, who has showed his every religion of this land preaches to its friendly relation for other religions as he follower peace and harmony. One religion sponsored land for churches and temples of tells us “salam alaikum” may be peace with other faiths while practicing his own religion you” while the other religion says “love with all devotion and diligence. your neighbor” still another religion tells We should keep always in our minds that the “bhavatu sabha mangalam or sarve bhavantu country where we are living is not state of sukhinha” may all beings be happy. Be it any monarch, but it is a democratic country Islam, Christianity or every ruled by the people for the people. Above religion promotes peace and amity. The this all we have also a set of laws in the promotion of compassion is the sole form of written constitution which every objective of all religions. Indian citizen trust on. The preamble to the When every religion encourages its constitution describes India as a sovereign, followers to make them compassionate then socialist, secular, democratic and republic. It why atrocities on the name of religion are secures to all citizens the liberty of thoughts, done even today? Actually, there are some expression of belief, freedom of faith and people who use their scriptures in worship. Articles 25 to 30, in particular advocating hatred and intolerance to other guarantee to everyone the right of religion, religions. They break out a particular freedom of conscience and the right to freely passage from its context to justify their

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (12) Author: Neogi & Sarkar Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X profess, practice and propagate his or her religion and caste factors for the promotion religion. of their political interests and thus greatly This is actually a glad tiding for the new undermined the secular values. The growing generation that today the distance between communalism has also greatly hampered the different religions is gradually decreases. growth of genuine secularism in India. Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Christians are Despite abandonment of communal showing their capability of living in peace electorates and a ban on the use of religion together like they have done for centuries in for soliciting votes, the various political India. As a matter of fact there are even now parties and groups have frequently made use some mischievous and malignant elements of communal factors to get into power. In in our society who divide people, much like this regard both the minorities as well as the the British divided and ruled India for years. majority communities are equally to blame. Unless this feeling of communalism is Present challenges of secularism: shunned, secularism cannot take firm roots There is no doubt that some provisions of in the Indian soil. The failure of the the Constitution and some of the laws government to evolve a just economic order passed do interfere with the religious and eliminate poverty also gave a serious customs and practices of Hindus. The setback to secularism. Many public rituals religious tolerance or non-intervention does and ceremonials like bhoomi pujan, not mean secularism. Rather partial non- breaking of coconuts on inaugural or intervention has led to religious auspicious occasions, performing of ‘aarti’ fundamentalism in place of growth of and applying to ‘tilak’ to distinguished humanism. The conflict on Ramjanmabhumi guests are perceived by Hindus as cultural or and Babri Mosque is the bright example of nationalistic expressions, but to non-Hindus fundamentalism. Thus religious these are manifestations of Hindu culture. fundamentalism has been indicative of a Such rituals are performed even on state ‘breakdown’ of secularization process in functions and therefore, create unnecessary India. It has brought escalation of ethno- misgivings about the neutrality of the State. religious conflicts and national The defective educational system which has disintegration. A problem of uniform civil encouraged the people to think in terms of code is essential in the direction of bringing groups and communities, has also failed to about national identity and the integration of inculcate secular ideas in the minds of members of all religious communities into young students and promote feeling of one bond of common citizenship. Following mutual give and take. Apart from education independence, it was hoped that this step and jobs, prejudice and discrimination are would be taken to usher in secular society. perceived as operating in the matter of But unfortunately till now no progress has intergroup violence and conflict. There is been made in the evolution of a uniform now ample evidence to show that at times Civil Code and today its adoption appears to the administrative machinery of the State be more problematic than it was at the time does not operate impartially at the time of when the Constitution was framed. The communal riots; those responsible for political parties in India have tended to use ensuring law and order act in a non-secular

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (13) Author: Neogi & Sarkar Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X way and tend to victimize members of not real problems and what they suggest as minority groups.The minorities are in fear of remedies are not real remedies. the giant majority, which has the brute Communalization of the state and of the strength to overpower them and divests them political elite in power has to be checked of their distinctive characteristics. because it leads to inaction against Furthermore, loyalties continue to be communal violence, and covert or overt particularistic rather than universalistic. political and ideological support to Among several religious riots in post communalism by the state apparatuses, Independence India, the exodus of Kasmiri including the media under state control. Hindu in between the year 1989-1990, Gujarat communal Riots on 1969, Anti Sikh The communalization of civil society also riots 1984 were most drastic. But hundreds needs to be checked because it leads to more of more riots have been occurred in different communal riots and other forms of parts of India which took lots of lives. In communal violence. People with communal Mumbai Communal violence under the ideas and ideologies pressurize the National Democratic Alliance government government to act in a manner which is led by the increased always against the principle of secularism. 28 percent over three years to 2017 – 822 The secular state, the secular party in power “incidents” were recorded that year – but it and the secular power elite many a time was short of the decadal high of 943 in succumb to the pressures of these communal 2008, according to an India Spend analysis people. It is here that intellectuals, political of home ministry data (UP) – parties and voluntary organizations can be the most populous state in the country – most effective. reported most incidents (1,488) over the last The role of education, particularly decade .Kasganj in western UP witnessed emphasizing value-oriented education both communal violence on 26 January, 2018, in in schools and colleges/universities, is which a 22-year old youth – Chandan Gupta important in preventing communal feelings. – was killed after being hit by a bullet. As Education based on new cultural ideologies many as 44 people were arrested in can protect the young people against connection with the violence, which erupted philosophies and ideologies of hate. over an unauthorized march on Republic Particularly harmful in the Indian context Day, The Indian Express reported on 27 has been the role of teaching of history. January, 2018. Communal interpretation of history, Solution: specially of In initiating the process of de- The medieval period, forms the bedrock of communalizing the people at all levels, say, communal ideology in India. Teaching of by bringing home to them that communal history along scientific lines in educational assumptions are false, by explaining to them institutions has to be a basic element in any the socio-economic and political roots of ideological struggle against communalism. communalism, and by telling them that what The media can also prove to be significantly the communalists project as problems are useful in preventing communal feelings.

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (14) Author: Neogi & Sarkar Research Chronicler: International Multidisciplinary Refereed Peer Reviewed Indexed Research Journal ISSN: Print: 2347-5021 www.research-chronicler.com ISSN: Online: 2347-503X Communal press can be banned and legal the country like India. But, to save Indian action can be taken against communal integrity we must have to ensure Indians writers. unity. Here the responsibility of the The ideology that economic development, government is very big. Our judicial system, industrialization, growth of capitalism and election commission should be active to the growth of the working class would ensure that no political party can use any automatically weaken and ultimately religious issue to use as political weapon. eliminate communalism should not be Any political party based on any single religious philosophy should not be grant by overplayed. This economic reductionist approach of the left parties and Election commission of India. If any person organizations like Naxalites only increases or group of people are involved to spread communal poison. communal message by the use of internet or any kind of social media then they should be Conclusion: immediately punished. Most important We must have to remember the fact that things we all the people individually should India is a country of having cosmopolitan be responsible to save ours unity, give religious variety. Every religious community respect to other religion and believe and we are different from each other regarding the must have to remember practically we all matter of food habits, custom, rituals, have only one religion. This is the religion believe etc. So there is no doubt that it is of Humanity. very tough to maintain religious harmony in

Bibliography:

 Mehta, Uday and Puniyani, Ram. Edt. (2017) Secularism in India; Concept and Practice Kalpaz Publications.  Tehanji, Shabnum. () Indian Secularism; A Social and Intellectual History Orient Blackswan.  Agarwal, Amit Raj. (2020) Religious Freedom in a Secular Democracy of India: A Constitutional Perspective.  Mehta, Kumar. Communalism and Communal Riots in India Publisher: Abhijeet Publications.  Ghosh, Muktishree. (2004) Concept of Secular Education in India. B.R. Publishing Corporation.  Shah, Athar Ali. Religious Harmony, a Way to the Development.

Volume VIII Issue VIII: December 2020 (15) Author: Neogi & Sarkar