[Summary] Chapter 8 : Secularism | Political Theory –

Class 11 – NCERT
forumias.com/blog/summary-chapter-8-secularism-political-theory-class-11-ncert/

Chapter 8: Secularism

1. Constitution of India declares that every Indian citizen has a right to live with
freedom and dignity in any part of the country.
2. When a community are targeted and victimised on account of their religious identity,
basic freedoms of a set of citizens are denied.
3. Secularism is first and foremost a doctrine that opposes all forms of inter-religious
domination…
It is a normative doctrine which seeks to realise a secular society
it promotes freedom within religions, and equality between, as well as
within, religions
4. secularism opposes all forms of institutionalised religious domination, it challenges
not merely interreligious but also intra-religious domination
5. Democratic state :- a state must not be run by the heads of any particular religion.
No official religion of state.
6. A state governed directly by a priestly order is called theocratic.. Theocratic states
lack separation between religious and political institutions

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 7. Separation of state and religion is not sufficient for the existence of a secular state.
The separation of religion-state is, a necessary but not a sufficient ingredient
of a secular state.
8. To be truly secular, a state must not only refuse to be theocratic but also have no
formal, legal alliance with any religion
9. A secular state must be committed to principles and goals which are at least partly
derived from non-religious sources.
10. These ends should include peace, religious freedom, freedom from religiously
grounded oppression, discrimination and exclusion, as also inter-religious and intra-
religious equality.
To promote these ends the state must be separated from organised religion
and its institutions for the sake of some of these values

THE WESTERN MODEL OF SECULARISM

· state will not intervene in the affairs of religion and

· religion will not interfere in the affairs of the state

· Each Organ (Judiciary, executive & Legislature) have a separate sphere of its
own with independent jurisdiction

§ Strict separation of power exist

· State cannot aid any religious institution.

§ It cannot give financial support to educational institutions run by religious

§ Nor can it hinder the activities of religious communities, as long as they are within
the broad limits set by the law of the land

· Religion is a private matter, not a matter of state policy or law.

· This common conception interprets freedom and equality in an individualist

§ Liberty is the liberty of individuals.

§ Equality is equality between individuals

· There is little scope for community-based rights or minority rights.

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THE INDIAN MODEL OF SECULARISM
· Indian secularism is different from Western secularism.

· Indian secularism does not focus only on religion-state separation and the idea
of inter-religious equality is crucial to the Indian conception.

· It also ushered ideas of inter-community equality to replace the notion of

· It equally focuses on intra-religious and inter-religious domination.

· Indian secularism opposes the oppression of marginalized section such as

· Indian secularism deals not only with religious freedom of individuals but
also with religious freedom of minority communities.

· An individual has the right to profess the religion of his or her choice.

· Article 29-30 :Religious minorities also have a right to exist and to maintain their
own culture and educational institutions.

· Indian secularism has made room for and is compatible with the idea of state-
supported religious reform.

§ Indian constitution bans untouchability, abolishing child marriage etc

· Indian model of secularism does not follow strict separation of power…

§ A state initiate or even support religious reforms.

§ Indian secularism allows for principled state intervention in all religions.

· The Indian state may engage with religion negatively to oppose religious tyranny.

§ Abolition of Sati practice, ban on Triple Talaq, women entry in Sabrimala temple etc

· Indian Constitution grants all religious minorities the right to establish and
maintain their own educational institutions which may receive assistance from the state.

NEHRU ON SECULARISM
· 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”.

· Nehru was not in favour of a complete separation between religion and state.

· A secular state can interfere in matters of religion to bring about social reform.

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