With the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976,[1] the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation.[2][3] Officially, secularism has always inspired modern India.[2] In practice, unlike Western notions of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state.[2] The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs.[4]
India does partially separate religion and state. For example, it does not have an official state religion and state-owned educational institutions cannot impart religious instructions.[5] In matters of law in modern India, however, the applicable code of law is unequal, and India's personal laws – on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony – varies with an individual's religion.[6][7]. The Indian Constitution permits partial financial support for religious schools, as well as the financing of religious buildings and infrastructure by the state.[8] The Islamic Central Wakf Council and many Hindu temples of great religious significance are administered and managed by the Indian government.[7][9] The attempt to respect unequal, religious law has created a number of issues in India such as acceptability of polygamy, unequal inheritance rights, extra judicial unilateral divorce rights favorable to some males, and conflicting interpretations of religious books.[10][11]
Secularism as practiced in India, with its marked differences with Western practice of secularism, is a controversial topic in India. Supporters of the Indian concept of secularism claim it respects "minorities and pluralism". Critics claim the Indian form of secularism as "pseudo-secularism".[2][12] Supporters state that any attempt to introduce a uniform civil code, that is equal laws for every citizen irrespective of his or her religion, would impose majoritarian Hindu sensibilities and ideals.[13][7] Critics state that India's acceptance of Sharia and religious laws violates the principle of Equality before the law.[14][15]
Officially, secularism has always inspired modern India. In practice, unlike Western notions of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state. The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs. India does partially separate religion and state.
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With the Forty-second Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976,[1] the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation.[2][3] Officially, secularism has always inspired modern India.[2] In practice, unlike Western notions of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state.[2] The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs.[4]
India does partially separate religion and state. For example, it does not have an official state religion and state-owned educational institutions cannot impart religious instructions.[5] In matters of law in modern India, however, the applicable code of law is unequal, and India's personal laws – on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony – varies with an individual's religion.[6][7]. The Indian Constitution permits partial financial support for religious schools, as well as the financing of religious buildings and infrastructure by the state.[8] The Islamic Central Wakf Council and many Hindu temples of great religious significance are administered and managed by the Indian government.[7][9] The attempt to respect unequal, religious law has created a number of issues in India such as acceptability of polygamy, unequal inheritance rights, extra judicial unilateral divorce rights favorable to some males, and conflicting interpretations of religious books.[10][11]
Secularism as practiced in India, with its marked differences with Western practice of secularism, is a controversial topic in India. Supporters of the Indian concept of secularism claim it respects "minorities and pluralism". Critics claim the Indian form of secularism as "pseudo-secularism".[2][12] Supporters state that any attempt to introduce a uniform civil code, that is equal laws for every citizen irrespective of his or her religion, would impose majoritarian Hindu sensibilities and ideals.[13][7] Critics state that India's acceptance of Sharia and religious laws violates the principle of Equality before the law.[14][15]
Officially, secularism has always inspired modern India. In practice, unlike Western notions of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state. The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs. India does partially separate religion and state.