NCERT Class 11 Political Science Secularism

Secularism

8.1 What is Secularism

Though Jews faced discrimination for centuries throughout Europe, in the present state of Israel, Arab minorities, both Christian and Muslims, are excluded from social, political and economic benefits available to Jewish citizens. Subtle forms of discrimination also continue to persist against non-Christians in several parts of Europe. The condition of religious minorities in the neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh has also generated considerable concern. Such examples remind us of the continuing importance of secularism for people and societies in today’s world. Inter-religious Domination

In our own country, the Constitution declares that every Indian citizen has a right to live with freedom and dignity in any part of the country. Yet in reality, many forms of exclusion and discrimination continue to persist. Consider three most stark examples:

•  Nearly four thousand Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and many other parts of the country in 1984. The families of the victims feel that the guilty were not punished.
•  Several thousands of Hindu Kashmiri pandits hvae been forced to leave their homes in the Kashmir valley; they have not been able to return to their homes for more than two decades.
•  Nearly two thousand Muslims were massacred in Gujarat in 2002. The surviving members of many of these families still cannot go back to the villages in which they lived.

What do these examples have in common? They all have to do with discrimination in one form or the other. In each case members of one community are targeted and victimised on account of their religious identity. In other words, basic freedoms of a set of citizens are denied. Some might even say that these incidents are instances of religious persecution and they reflect inter-religious domination.

Exercise

1. Which of the following do you feel are compatible with the idea of secularism? Give reasons.

(a) Absence of domination of one religious group by another.

(b) Recognition of a state religion.

(c) Equal state support to all religions.

(d) Mandatory prayers in schools.

(e) Allowing separate educational institutions for any minority community.

(f) Appointment of temple management bodies by the government.

(g) Intervention of state to ensrue entry of Dalits in temples.

2. What do you understand by secularism? Can it be equated with religious tolerance?

3. Do you agree with the following statements? Give reasons for supporting or opposing any of them.

(a) Secularism does not allow us to have a religious identity.

(b) Secularism is against inequality within a religious group or between different religious groups.

(c) Secularism has a western-Christian origin. It is not suitable for India.

4. Indian secularism focuses on more than the religion-state separation. Explain.

5. Explain the concept of principled distance.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 11 Political Science Secularism