UNDERSTANDING SECULARISM
1. What examples does history provide us on the grounds of religion?
Answer: History provides us with several examples of discrimination,
exclusion, and persecution on the grounds of religion.
2. What happened in the Jewish state of Israel?
Answer: Muslim and Christian minorities were treated badly in the Jewish state
of Israel.
3. How are non-Muslims treated in Saudi Arabia?
Answer: In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed to build a temple,
church etc. They also cannot gather in a public place for prayers.
4. What does the term ‘secularism’ refer to?
Answer: The term ‘secularism’ refers to the separation of the power of religion
from the power of the State.
5. What do you mean by the freedom to interpret’?
Answer: ‘Freedom to interpret’ means an individual’s liberty to develop his
own understanding and meaning of the religion that one practices.
6. Why cannot government schools celebrate religious festivals?
Answer: Government schools cannot celebrate religious festivals because it will
be a violation of the government’s policy of treating all religions equally.
7. Why is Paramjit allowed to drive in pagri?
Answer: Paramjit is a Sikh youth and for him wearing a pagri is a very
important part of his religion.
8. How is Indian secularism different from that of American secularism?
Answer: Unlike Indian secularism, there is a strict separation between religion
and the State in American secularism.
9. What is meant by ‘principled distance’?
Answer: This means that any interference in religion by the State has to be
based on the ideals laid out in the Constitution.
Short Answer Type questions
1. Why is it important to separate religion from the State? Explain with
examples.
Answer: There are two main reasons why the separation of religion from the
State is important:
The first is to prevent the domination of one religion over another. Example:
Almost all countries of the world will have more than one religious group living
in them. Within these religious groups, there will most likely be one group that
is in a majority. If this majority religious group has access to State power, then
it could quite easily use this power and financial resources to discriminate
against and persecute persons of other religions. This would violate
Fundamental Rights.
The second is to protect the freedom of individuals to exit from their religion,
embrace another religion or have the freedom to interpret religious teachings
differently. Example: We can give an example of untouchability in Hindu
religious practice. If state power were in the hands of those Hindus who support
untouchability, then it would be a difficult task for anyone to abolish this
practice.
2. What are the three objectives of a secular State?
Answer: The three objectives of a secular State are:
1. One religious community does not dominate another.
2. Some members do not dominate other members of the same religious
community.
3. The State does not enforce any particular religion nor does it take away the
religious freedom of individuals.
3. Explain with an example that in Indian secularism the State can
intervene in religious affairs.
Answer: An important aspect of India’s secularism is that the State can
intervene in religious affairs. We can prove this fact with an example of
untouchability. It was a practice in which the members of the same religion, i.e.
upper-caste Hindus, dominated other members, i.e. lower caste people, within it.
In order to prevent this religion-based exclusion and discrimination of lower
castes, the Indian Constitution banned untouchability. In this instance, the State
intervened in religion in order to end a social practice that it believed
discriminated against and excluded and that violated the Fundamental Rights of
Lower castes.
4.. In what different ways does the Indian State work to prevent religious
domination?
Answer: Indian secularism works in various ways to prevent religious
domination:
(a) It uses a strategy of distancing itself from religion. The Indian State is not
ruled by a religious group. It also does not support any one religion. In our
country, government places like law courts, police stations, government
schools, and offices are not supposed to demonstrate or promote any one
religion.
(b) The second way in which Indian secularism works to prevent the domination
of religion is through a strategy of non-interference. This means that in order to
respect the sentiments of all religions and not interfere with religious practices,
the State makes certain exceptions for particular religious communities. Just
take the example of the Sikh community. For Sikhs, wearing a pagri is a very
important part of their religion. The government cannot force them to wear a
helmet while driving a two-wheeler.
(c) The third way in which Indian secularism works to prevent the domination
of religion is through a strategy of intervention. Untouchability presents a good
example where members of the same religion, e.upper caste Hindus, dominate
other members, lower castes within it. In order to prevent this religion-based
discrimination of lower castes, our Constitution banned untouchability. Here,
the State intervened in religion in order to uproot a social practice that it
believed discriminated against and excluded, and that violated the Fundamental
Rights of the people belonging to the lower caste.
