‘Development is intrinsic to a secular project’ - The Hindu

14th April 2014 - Link

Model of Indian secularism

1.Indian secularism advocates a particularly distinct stance of separation between state and religion

2.Indian Constitution authorizes active state intervention to protect the freedom of religion for all and to    eliminate caste and gender inequalities sanctioned by religion, as well as complete non-interference      in religious affairs.

• The legal prohibition of un-touchability is the most audacious example of state intervention in religion in a caste-ridden society.
• The provision of state funding of educational institutions, regardless of religious affiliation, is an instance of the commitment to protect the freedom of religion.

In any democracy, on the basis of any interest or identity, people can start a political movement and also form a political party. So, the mere fact that a party says that it stands for Hindu or Muslim interests and takes part in democratic politics does not make such a party communal.

Violation of Indian Secularism

Indian secularism is violated only when religious identity is politicized in a manner that causes injustice to other communities

A party becomes communal if it does not observe the constraints imposed by the secular part of the Constitution.

Indian secularism, within the Constitution, does not encourage any :

• Public expression, or any pursuit of interest of any community which is necessarily at the expense of another community.
• Which articulates its interests in a way which deliberately causes harm to another community.
• Which offends another community in a serious way which will be upheld by the judges of the courts and so on.

Development and Secularism

Development is intrinsic to the secular project in a religiously diverse society, to caste in a caste-ridden society and to class in a class-divided society.

If some communities have been denied the benefits of development on grounds of religion, then we should say that this development is anti-secular.