What is secularism in Indian Context?

India has been a secular country since 1947 and the view is enforced as fundamental right under Article 15. (1) - No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. But our constituent assembly (which included its Chairman Rajendra Prasad, drafting committee head Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel and other eminent founding fathers) didn’t used the word Secular in Constitution. Even father of constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar rejected the idea of including Secular word when K.T. Shah proposed an amendment seeking to declare India as a "Secular, Federal, Socialist" nation. Secular & Socialist word was added in permeable of India in 42^nd amendment of constitution in 1976 by Indira Gandhi during emergency. Secularism is the soul of Indian constitution and it was based on equality for all irrespective of any social or cultural differentiation. That’s why our founding fathers left religion to each individual and not included Secular word in constitution.  

India has been a successful secular country in these 70 years. We have been 3 presidents from minority community (2 Muslims & 1 Sikh). We have people from all communities in field of sports, science, culture etc. Many big states like Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan has seen CM from minority community apart from J &K and Punjab. Yes, there have been many instances when Indian state has failed to protect minorities but the situation has improved in last 10-15 years. India has not seen a big riots after 2002 Gujrat riots (Riots was common in India in earlier decades). We have covered a long distance but India needs to work further.

On the other side, we still don’t have a Uniform Civil Code. Muslim Indians have Sharia based Muslim Personal Law, while Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and other non-Muslim Indians live under common law. India still provides subsidies for hajj pilgrimage and now UP Government will give subsidies in Kailash Mansarover pilgrimage. Many political parties are in favor of reservation for minorities on the basis of religion. Now many political parties are indulged in politics of appeasement. When a 62 year old Lady Shah Bano won a few hundred rupees alimony in divorce from Supreme Court of India, the parliament of largest democracy (in the Rajiv Gandhi Era) enacted a new law which deprived all Muslim women, and only Muslim women, of the right of maintenance guaranteed to women of Hindu, Christian, Parsees, Jews and other religion. In 1992, UP Government failed to protect Babri Masjid from destruction.

Since Independence, many political parties (now in opposition) has been indulged in appeasement of minorities. They have used minorities just as a vote bank without nay concrete development work on ground. This appeasement has given rise to anti-appeasement consolidation in favor of BJP. In UP election BSP gave 100+ tickets to Muslims and BJP gave 0. In India, ruling BJP must reach out to minorities and vice versa. Both have a trust deficient and it must be increased for better development of India.

It’s the action which determine secularist not the past of appearance. Gandhi jee always used to say “Hey Ram”. Ram is a Hindu god and Nehru was called “Pandit jee” or “Pandit Nehru”. Again Pandit is used for Hindus. And you can’t find a greater secularist than Gandhi jee and Nehru. Gandhi in fact sacrificed his life for fighting for secular India. Remember India can’t develop unless all of its citizens irrespective of caste & religion are prosperous. We must not abuse “Secular” word but we should treat everyone equal. Indians can’t live without religion. We have religion in every aspect of our life. As Mughal price Dara Sikhoh one told “India is an ocean of Hindus & Muslims”. India is incomplete without its Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians & all other religions. We all may be Hindu, Muslim… but after all we are Indians. The state should not discriminate on basis of religion and religion should be left to individuals. It should not be used in politics either by ruling or opposition parties.