UPSC Mains Previous Year Questions: Indian Concept of Secularism | Indian Society for UPSC CSE PDF Download

How the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss.  (UPSC GS1 2018)

Secularism, as a political concept evolved post French Revolution and has been adopted, cherished as dominant ideology in most modern nation states of the 20th century. It means separation of state, institutions of governance from the religious activities, either by following, preaching and enforcing. This is largely synonymous with the idea of liberty and freedom of thinking. 

• State shall not preach any religious instructions using public funds. Thus, one of the major difference between Indian and western concept of secularism is that while western concept of secularism maintenances complete separation between government and religion, Indian secularism encourages government to keep equal distance from all religion. Indian government support all religion equally. 
• Western concept evolved due to their hatred-ness towards the church. Moreover, since the majority were Christians, challenge of co-existence didn’t pose a serious challenge. Indian concept of secularism should be understood in the context of cultural diversity, dominance of hindu majority groups, past experience of unique cultural co-existence with tolerance, pre-dominance of religion in the life of citizens and above all need for reform within the religion. This unique desire and direction to embrace such secularism can be traced back to national freedom struggle.
• Prominent leaders like M.G Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Swami Vivekananda worked for reformation of religion, its regressive institutions like untouchability, sati, Purdah than completely embracing western concept of “secularism”. Though, Constitution of India doesn’t define secularism it is can be understood from the rights(in Constitution) and other legislative, judicial decisions that have followed. Post Independence, Art 25-30 provides for every citizen to protect, promote, and practice his/her religion.
• In doing so, it empowers state to put “reasonable restriction” in the interest of Public health, morality and public order. Under Art 17 ban on Untouchability and Art 14 (forcing all public authorities to treat all citizens equally) and Prevents discrimination based only on religion, caste, race etc. 
• This prevents misutilisation of power for pursuance of sectoral interests. Dowry Prohibition Act, Hindu succession act 1956,Child Marriage Prohibition act with recent nullification by Supreme Court of Provisions of The Shariat Act (Triple talaq), IPC section 497 etc strike at the heart of regressive religious practices for the purpose of social and individual welfare. 
• Indian secularism therefore imbibes concept of equal treatment of all religion,promote tolerance among them,initiate reform and enable continuity and change of the institutions. It is for this reason that today state subsidy for Haj pilgrimage, Organisation of Amarnathyatra, preaching all religious texts in state sponsored public schools, undertaking de-radicalistion programs in minority institutions among many other initiatives.
• Despite being one of the largest Muslim populated countries, ISIS and other radical organisation have failed to woo Indians into their fold that the cultural-mixing has been evolving so uniquely that Indian has been recognised as the micro-cosm of the world society.

Topics covered - Rights of Indian Citizens, Caste system in India