Tag: importance and principles of secularism

The official language of Jammu and Kashmir is Urdu. However, Kashmiri is the local language of Jammu & Kashmir. Kashmiri, which is an Indo-Aryan language, is also known as Koshur. People living in Kashmir Valley speak Kashmiri.

India is a secular country. It simply means the Stae does not promote, support or go against any particular religion. Every individual is given the freedom to practice and profess any religion of his or her choice. We have minorities in our country. The Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, etc. constitute the minority population in the country. They are given special protection under the Indian constitution. 

Secularism in India means equal treatment of all religions by the state. With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. However, neither India's constitution nor its laws define the relationship between religion and state. The laws implicitly require the state and its institutions to recognize and accept all religions, enforce parliamentary laws instead of religious laws, and respect pluralism.

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting none of the religions.  A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion or no religion. Secular states do not have a state religion although the absence of a state religion does not necessarily mean that a state is fully secular. However, a true secular state should steadfastly maintain national governance without influence from religious factions and vice versa

India is a secular country. It is the system in which people are free to choose the religion that they follow. Religious tolerance is the fundamental characteristic of secularism. It does not oppose any religion.

Right to equality consists of Art 15 which states that no person shall be discriminated on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

First amendment of US constitution states that no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise, or causing hindrance to freedom of speech, or of the press, or to the right of the people to assemble freely, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Secularism means a system of political and social philosophy that does not favor any particular religious faith. It is a term that explains that the government of the country favors no particular religion. This does not imply that the particular state is against any religion. It simply means that the government should remain neutral on the matter of religion and should not enforce nor prohibit the free exercise of religion, leaving the religious choice to the liberty of the people.

India is a secular nation I.e., the state remains neutral in matters concerning religions or equal treatment of all religion by state without favouring one or discriminating other. Political process in India has emanated from social environment. In modern India religion has becoming a major factor for setting up of identity based politics. The political parties have formed in the influence of religion such as RSS, Shiv Sena, Bhatiya Janta Party (influence of Hindu Religion), All India Muslim League, AIMIM (influence of Muslim religion)which possessthreat to the secular fabric of nation while division in the name of religion puts unity of India at stake.