Right to Freedom of Religion and Legal Reforms on Secular Lines

Freedom of religion and secularism are topics of every day debate in the Indian society. The lack of clarity over these issues leads to an ill-informed opinion of the public at large. Religion being a very personal matter to individuals is often perceived with a sense of protection and therefore whenever a matter which touches upon religion is brought before any constitutional court of the country, the arguments and judgments go through the scanner of public opinion. In order to understand the judicial aspects of such a matter, one has to understand the socio-religious jurisprudence of India. Thus, this article tries to bring out the nuances of these issues and also highlights the approach of Indian courts on matters incidental to or directly linked to religion.