Secularism – a positive idea

Ganesha Chaturthi, a festival celebrated with great fervour, has recently concluded, and devotees have bid farewell to their beloved Ganapati bappa, the remover of obstacles. Beyond being a festival celebrated by Hindus, the festival holds greater significance as it is associated with India’s freedom struggle. Bal Gangadhar Tilak elevated it to a community festival to awaken the spirit of nationalism and unify the nation. Since then, Lord Ganesha has become a national and cultural icon.

The festival is celebrated with great pomp and splendour, with pandals set up in streets, apartment complexes, offices, and business establishments. However, what is meant to be a joyous and spiritual event has, on several occasions, led to clashes—both verbal and physical. Recently, a group of ‘progressive thinkers’ urged the state government to ban all religious activities at government institutions, reacting to Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Roshan installing a Ganesha idol in his office. They argued that “government offices are not centres for celebrating any caste or religion” and that “establishing an idol from a particular religion is against secular values.” Their assertion hinges on one idea and word — secular.

It becomes pertinent here to revisit the meaning and idea of secularism, both in general and with specific reference to the Indian constitution. The dictionary defines ‘secular’ as ‘devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world,’ or ‘not having any connection with religion.’ This idea originated in mediaeval Europe, where monarchs sought undivided loyalty from the people
and declared that the church’s realm was confined to the ‘spiritual’ or other worldly, and that the king had exclusive powers over the secular realm.

The word ‘secular’ was added to the Indian Constitution’s preamble through the 42nd Amendment in 1976, although the idea of secularism was implicit from the start. India was declared a secular State to differentiate it from Pakistan, whose raison d’être was a separate nation for Muslims. The makers of the Indian constitution did not want to send a message that the religious minority were at the mercy of the majority. Therefore, the word secular in the context of the Indian Constitution does not mean ‘not having any connection with religion.’ When it was argued on the floor of the assembly that the freedom of religion was opposed to the idea of a secular State, it was challenged by several members of the drafting committee. Babasaheb Ambedkar explained that “it (secular State) does not mean that we shall not take into consideration the religious sentiments of the people. All that a secular State means is that this parliament shall not be competent to impose any particular religion upon the rest of the people”.  The second president of India, S Radhakrishnan, explained the sentiment thus: “When India is said to be a secular State, it does not mean that we reject the reality of an unseen spirit or the relevance of religion to life or that we exalt irreligion. It does not mean that secularism itself becomes a positive religion.”

Thus, the distinguishing features of Indian secularism as envisaged by the constitution are, firstly, that there is no religion that the State identifies with; secondly, that the people are free to follow religion of their choice; and thirdly, that the State does not discriminate between people following different religions.

The move by Belagavi DC to install Ganesha idol in his office does not betray the tenets of secularism. It is respecting the religious sentiments of the people. The district in-charges could go further and uphold the idea of secularism by hosting iftar and placing a Christmas tree in their offices. It is a common practice in many democracies for the heads of governments to celebrate festivals in their offices. The White House installs a Christmas tree in its ‘Blue Room’. The former prime minister of the UK, Rishi Sunak,
held a special event for Diwali at 10 Downing Street. “In
God we trust” is the official motto of the United States, and the words are seen on its currency notes. It is a common practice for heads of state to wish their people on important festivals.

Religion is a guiding force in the lives of people. It has always guided mankind on its path to self-fulfilment. It is from religious teachings that our idea of right and wrong has been derived. It is the moral hand of religion that keeps people on the right path. Abandoning religion may not be necessarily a progressive idea. A truly democratic and secular
State is one in which all religions are respected by the State as well as by the people. Taking a positive view of secularism is more in tune with democratic values.

(The writer is an independent researcher)