Unravelling the Indian Conception of Secularism: An Analytical Study regarding the Theory and Practice of Secularism in India

It is evident that the concept of secularism has important and significant place in the subject matter like political science and constitutional law. Since the term secular was not added in the original text of the Constitution of India drafted by the Constituent Assembly, the essence of secularism has always been practised in India. Today, in the light of experiencing division of the citizen among different religious group across the country, a debate on secularism appears to be extremely important. It should be noted that the concept of secularism has different meaning in different countries. For instance, in many western countries the secularism is understood as a separation of state from the church. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, secularism is viewed as religious tolerance. By safeguarding countrywide harmony, unity and dignity, the concept of secularism is integrated into the advancement of democracy. The constitution of India clearly declares that India is a secular country. For instance, under part III of the constitution, Article 14 safeguards equality before law, Article 15 deals with the prohibition of discrimination on the ground of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth. Article 16 ensures equality of opportunities in matters of public employment. Further, Article 25-28 of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion to both citizens as well as non-citizens. Even, secularism is considered to be the basic structure of the Constitution. India’s religious diversity is widely famous all over the world. This research article mainly focuses on the origin and nature of secularism, opinion of some eminent persons regarding secularism. The author has also attempted to discuss the secular provisions enshrined under the Constitution of India, the landmark judicial pronouncements regarding secularism. Finally, this article endeavours to provide some fruitful suggestions to implement the concept of secularism properly.