Directions: Fill in the blank.

Directions: In the following passage there are some blanks which are numbered from 6 to 15. Under the passage these numbers are repeated and against each, four words marked 1 – 4 are given. Select an appropriate word to fill in the blanks.

In the last few years, secularism as developed and practiced in India (6)______ come under attack in (7)______indirect manner. Time was when communalism was openly preached and secularism frontally opposed. The heritage of India’s freedom struggle, the political developments (8)______ the years since independence and the Indian intellectuals’ distaste (9)______ communalism (10)______ made that difficult. Secularism and secular forces are, therefore, now under (11) ______sometimes directly but more often on the basis of new concept of ‘minoritism’. Politically electoral considerations have (12) ______ secular parties (13) ______ treat the minorities as vote-banks and, therefore, (14) ______ encourage, or at least not oppose, the political consolidation of minorities (15) ______ non-pragmatic, non-ideological or even plainly communal grounds.