Mains Marathon – UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions – July 10

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Q2. Secularism is the separation of state from religious and the associated institutions.It is an inevitable feature of any rational egalitarian society.

Secularism as part of the governance in India.
Secularism can be seen in India from its ancient history.Ellora caves where different religions show its presence is an example. Ashok in his edicts mention ” There should not be honour of one’s own (religious) sect and condemnation of others without any grounds”.We adopted secularism as part of our constitution in its 42nd amendment.Religious freedom is ensured through the fundamental rights.

Though the purpose of secularism is same across the world ,Indian secularism is different from western secularism in several aspects.
1.In India,secularism means state treats all religions equally whereas in the west,it means state is separated from religion completely. Amartya Sen says the western model is not suitable for India but we should ensure that in the treatment of equality towards all religions,India should follow a symmetry
2.Secularism is a part of the state as well as society in western countries.In India,the state advocates secularism but society is largely religion based and focused.
3.In western countries,secularism arose as a result of domination of a single religion whereas in India,it arose due to existence of several religions i.e religious pluralism.
4. Sadanand Dhume criticises Indian “Secularism” as a fraud and a failure, since it isn’t really “secularism” as it is understood in the western world but more along the lines of religious appeasement.