Abstract
Like Democracy, Human Rights, and Justice, Equality as well has became a buzzword in modern world. Different cultures and communities exist in India, after the independence it was a tough and difficult to government, how should a democratic state ensure equality for all citizens. Nehru wanted a secular state to be one that protects all religions, but does not favour one at the expense of others and does not itself adopt any religion as the state religion. His thought and vision supports the nation with all religions is same in the eye of Law and State. In addition he wants to see the garden (India) blooming with different flowers which are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and others. Present research paper highlights the role of Jawaharlal Nehru in the formation of India as a secular state and his philosophy of secularism. Further, the paper also discusses the present scenario of Secularisms in India.
Key words; religion, secular, community, domination, India
Introduction
There were historically some rulers and emperors in different regions of the world who forbade their people to enjoy the right of freedom of religion. Those people who followed a religion different from that of the ruler were either persecuted or compelled to convert to the ruler's or kingdom's official religion. But in the modern world, most of the nations are secular states, and states or governments not only allow their citizens to adhere to any religion of the world but also give them equal opportunities in all sectors, whether the economic, political, social, cultural, or educational, without any discrimination based on their religion. Since the 17th century, Western Europe and Americans have been predominated by secular views which tried to establish a successful separation between religion and politics, so that existence of the state is not by virtue of theology. United States is first secular state in world while Christianity was a majority religion.
India's secularism is a concept of equal status and treatment of all religions. The term "Secularism" denotes neutrality or non-intervention by the Government of the country in religious matters. A secular state implies that people are free to believe, have faith, and worship. The 15th Article of the Indian Constitution also confirms that there should be no discrimination on the basis of religion. Article 25 of the Indian constitution states that every person has equal rights to freedom of conscience and the rights to practice, preach, and propagate one's religion. According to the 27th Article, there should be no taxes levied in the protection and promotion of religion. No religious instruction shall be given in any educational institution maintained by the state as per the 28th article. India is among the independent democratic countries with a population of almost 120 crores. People practicing different faiths such as Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Christianity are the ones who constitute this immense population and observe different rites religiously.
Secularism is a concept that gov/ state should not intervene in person’s religious belief, faith, and worship and a state is called secular if the people are theology free and they can practice all the religious rituals without any restrictions. One of the major guiding principles of India is the treatment of religious matters without favoritism. Indian state desires her citizens to follow any religion of their choice, and there should not be any government intervention. The Indian government's great concept is not at all ambiguous and is very clearly stated in the preamble to the amended constitution of our country. The two biggest and the most significant accomplishments of the Indian Independence era are secularism and democracy. These two achievements have passed the test of time and have continued to be the beacon of the country during religious and political battles. The state can distance itself from religious duties and practice a tolerant attitude towards other religions and follow the idea of achieving people's welfare, regardless of caste, creed, religion, or any other. There is no denying the fact that we are transitioning from religiosity to a secular lifestyle. However, religious beliefs have not entirely disappeared from society as can be seen from the evidences. Communalism and fundamentalism in India imply that there is no absolute link between modernization and secularization.
Principal Advocates of Secular Ideology in Modern India
The three most influential advocates of secularism in modern India were Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The essence of Gandhi's secularism was that it was grounded in a commitment to the moral and spiritual brotherhood of communities, which, regardless of religion, were all based on the truth of the matter and its practice. Maulana Abul Kalm Azad thought that every person had the right to follow and practice the religion of his choice without leaving his motherland; therefore, he chose to stay in India rather than go to Pakistan. The Indian constitution that was written after the terrible partition that led to the creation of a Muslim-majority Pakistan, opens with a declaration that India is a Secular Republic. During Nhrus tenure as Prime Minister, there was a committed stand for a distinct separation of the state and religion, as well as an avoidance of policies that disadvantaged one religious group. What the Hindu nationalist movement calls 'pseudo-secularism' is a heavily contested interpretation of the Indian political history in which religious neutrality was neither achievable nor desirable. On the contrary, it was argued that Hindu history and values should be recognized politically. This has been seen as a source that has caused the communities to become even more divided and the minorities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs) to feel more threatened living in such an environment.
One of the major developments that led to a drastic change in Indian politics was the embracing of Hindu-Muslim unity by the Congress at its annual meeting in December 1916. The pact had come about as a result of a meeting arranged at Allahabad of the All India Congress Committee which took place at the Nehru residence at Anand Bhawan. The rapprochement between the two Indian Communities was applauded and supported by Nehru.
Nehru gave a detailed account of Congress policies and the kind of Indian nation that would exist in 1929. He made a declaration that the congress was working towards aims such as freedom of religion, the right to form associations, freedom of thought expression, equality before the law for every individual, irrespective of caste, color, creed, or religion, promotion of regional languages and cultures, protection of the peasants and laborers, abolition of untouchability, the introduction of adult franchise, the imposition of prohibition, nationalization of industries, socialism, and establishment of a secular India among others. All these goals were part of the "Fundamental Rights and Economic Policy" resolution which was drafted by Nehru in 1929-31 and ratified by the Congress party session at Karachi chaired by S.V.Patel in 1931.
One can start reflecting upon Nehru's conception of secularism from his own childhood, when he was exposed to and brought up in a secular environment. He was inspired by some of his teachers like, Ferdinand T. Brooks, Annie Besant and Munish Mubarak Ali. He also spent time with Jews in Harrow which had a profound impact on him and at a very early stage removed many religious dogmas from his mind. The background of English Philosophy is the good source for the Nehru’s secular thought. There is a great influence of Buddhism upon him which removed the feeling of discrimination in the society on different grounds. He used his experience and knowledge of history to explain that the communal force got wide support from the political system when he was entering into politics. Nehru was against British rule because of communalism through which the British divided Indian society on religious lines. Thus, his anti-communal stance was part of the larger cause of strengthening the national movement. This phase of Nehru who patronized and led secularism with a definite aim of ensuring religious tolerance and concentration on national development by involving all sections happened after independence when his only approach prior to independence era got consolidated. He was a rationalist who acknowledged human values to be above religious orthodoxies.
Pandit J.L. Nehru's secularism was fundamentally a scientific humanism that had a progressive nuance of historical change. One of the chief factors that kept Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru apart from other leaders was his unshakeable and emphatic hold over the secular state concept. Undoubtedly, the creation of India as a secular state has been one of his major accomplishments. Besides this, he was very much into the idea of changing India from a 'caste ridden society' and communalism being a major threat to all the values he liked into 'a national state'; that is a state consisting of people from all the religions and different views and being essentially secular. He came to the conclusion that an operational government system should be one that brings and upholds religious variety. Nehru lived the ideals of secularism not only through the enhancement of the human spirit and the country but in no case did he practice the method of using religion for votes. He expressed the humanistic values present in religious equality that figure prominently in Indian religious diversity. His concept of secularism emanates from the great Indian tradition. Practically, in modern-day India, when a fear of social apprehensions and uncertainties butiling up over the nation’s social scene is visible, his thoughts regarding secularism are at a foremost position in being worthy of consideration.
Pandit J. L. Nehru was a man who had a dream of a country where all the religions were treated equally by the state and the state had no religion as the official one. In 1976, Indira Gandhi, the first female Prime Minister of India, and his daughter, brought an Amendment Bill to the parliament. With the enactment of the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, passed Bill which was made an Act with this Act India became a Socialist and Secular country. And so the dream came to reality, which was seen by Pandit J. L. Nehru long time ago.
Situation of Secularism in India at Present
A secular outlook means an understanding that religion and politics are separate domains, yet religion continues to have a say in politics through various channels. Currently, in the Indian scenario, the essence of Indianness is captured in the philosophy of secularism, which is the detachments of religion from the state. The term ‘secular’ also has its point in the backdrop of the political history of India. Besides, it is of great significance to the subject of political realities as per existing ground conditions. Tolerance among different religious groups is what defines the term "secular" in India. In such a society, no citizen enjoys special privileges either in national life or in any form of conduct on the issue of international relations. No group of people lawfully grants to themselves the rights and privileges they deny to other groups. None out of the people is at an advantage or disadvantage in case according to religion but instead of everyone is given an equal right to the common life which is the fullest degree of freedom.
On the contrary, in the 21st century, the nations are much less concerned with the religious aspect when it comes to citizens. India was and is a secular country since before independence but lawfully and constitutionally, India became a secular country in 1976 through 42nd amendment Act that declares India as a secular state. After being declared a secular state in the preamble of the Indian constitution, all the people from different religions have felt much relieved and content with the institution. The provision of minorities rights and development was also there.
In the 16th General Lok Sabha elections of Republic India, the UPA government lost to NDA, and it seemed like there were some visible changes in the country across sectors. These changes ranged from the Planning Commission transforming into NITI Aayog as of 1st January 2015, the imposition of Goods, and Service Tax commencement through 101 enactment, Constitutional Amendment Act on 8th September 2016, new names of various Places, and other initiatives that made visible changes in India society across different sectors. UPA's defeat gave mysterious power to NDA to touch off the changes across the country from rural to urban areas and also kick-start National Democratic Alliance's massive development agenda throughout India.
The government led by Narendra Modi has been voted back with a bigger mandate in the 2019 General Elections, which has resulted in the second consecutive term for the ruling party and its allies in the Lok Sabha. After the second time victory in the 17th general elections of India, the government made fundamental amendments in the constitution of India which they had not mentioned in their election manifesto and which were not in favor of the secular nature of India. The three major legislative actions the government has introduced in the parliament are 1st triple talaq and was approved on 3rd July 2019, 2nd the dispute over Babri Masjid- Ram Janmabhoomi was resolved by Indian Supreme Court on 9th November 2019, and 3rd citizenship Amendment Act recently passed. The removal of Articles 35-A and 370 on 5th of August in 2019 by which the uniqueness of Jammu and Kashmir comes to an end. The constitution of JK, the flag, the PRC, and various other commissions come to an end. And the Government also divided state into two union-territories. In light of these changes, the Muslim community which constitutes 13% of the total population of the country is very sad and disappointed with the Apex Supreme Court and Constitution of India. The minority community of India says these steps are against the secular character of the Indian state and are a big threat to being one of the most significant democratic countries in the world.
Conclusion
Secularism is considered as the hallmark of democracy. The secular idea mainly refers to the demand for a better life in a country. This is a very strong desire and also very important for national peace. Secularism is not merely a word but an instrument through which we can keep the balance and the equilibrium between politics and religion in the world's largest democratic country with a very vast diversity, culture, religions, and festivals.
Despite the long history of communal conflicts in India, secularism is still regarded as the only feasible option that provides peaceful and harmonious coexistence of different religions and castes of Indian society. It is also important to note that we also need an adequate educational plan, to little redesign our schools and colleges' current curriculum. The textbooks that present skewed historical details must be changed and the induction of secular principles in the innocent minds of our young generation will have to be done. All religions should be given fair treatment in history textbooks. The culture, traditions, and festivals of any particular religion should not dominate. The sacrifices and sufferings of all religious communities and their input towards the country's freedom and progress should be the focus of history books at school and college levels. And we should adopt and honor the righteous thoughts of our great leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, and others. The matter of various cultures and traditions of different religions in peculiarity of the country should be properly discussed. In the end, since India is a secular country by its constitution, therefore the duty of every Indian and the Apex Court of India is to uphold and believe in this declaration and safeguard the secular character of our nation.
References;
- H. H. Das, India: Democratic government and politics, Himalaya Publishing House, Delhi 1991.
- S. Yerankar, Secularism in India: Theory and Practice, Adhyayan Publisher & Distributors, New Delhi, 2006.
- S. Tara, Secular India, New Delhi: Anmol Publication,1991.
- Rizvi, M. M. A, Secularism in India: Retrospect And Prospects. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 2005, pp. 66
- A. Majid, Secularism and National Integration in the Indian Multi-Ethnic Society ,1985.
- B. Chandra, Communalism: A primer, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2008.
- Iain Mclean & Alistair Mcmillan, Politics, Oxford University Press, Great Britain,2009.
- Donald Eugene Smith, India as a Secular state, Princeton university press, New Jersey, 1963.
- Jawaharlal Nehru, An Anthology, edited by S. Gopal, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1983.
- Jawaharlal Nehru, An Autobiography, The Bodley Head, London, 1955.
- Vivek Kumar Srivastava, Nehru and his Views on Secularism, Mainstream, vol iii, no 47, 2014.