What is Secular?

Religion in India

Maria R , Katharina M -- A3

                              http://hitxp.wordpress.com/2007/05/

This sign in India shows that unlike here, secularity is maintained by acknowledging

all major religions. However, for some people in India, that is not “secular” enough

when it comes to respecting religions they are opposed to, and not “sacred” enough

when it comes to their own religion.

 

 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amit_gaur/460497650/in/set-72157601994837319/

(Click on the link to see a larger version of the picture)

This is a photograph of a temple in India where both Hindus and Christians go to worship. This is another example of India's unique definition of what is secular: instead of having no religion, the focus is on the coexistence of multiple religions.

 

 

 

Since its independence, India has become more accepting of the many religions its people practice by giving them all an equal chance to be represented in politics and society. For example, India’s current prime minister is of the Sikh religion, which is a very small minority in India’s population. Compare this to the “Nehru dynasty,” which consisted of three generations of the same Hindu family, even though Gandhi himself suggested a Muslim to be prime minister first. This pattern in India’s past government shows that India was not very open to embracing the minority religions, or even new people. On the other hand, the current prime minister is Sikh and unrelated to the previous prime ministers, showing that India’s attitude towards its diversity has changed to give people of all religions an equal chance. This acceptance of all religions is what India interprets as being secular, and although its constitution has always called India a secular nation (Preamble), the government’s history has shown that India has only just begun to follow that creed. Despite the improvements it has made, India is still trying to find a way to live with all the different religions. For example, in India critics say that the government inserts Hindu believes into the school books. The syllabus, written by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, says that: “Students should know about their own religion and religions of others”(India). But no one can agree on how much and in which way the lessons should be allowed to be influenced by the religions. The court that was responsible for solving this problem decided that it does not go against India’s secular constitution. The critics, on the other hand, say the syllabus plays down the accomplishments of India's Muslims. This divides India in the question about how much it can be influenced by religion.

 

 

 

Works Cited 

"India court allows school religious study.(International Pages)."  The New York Times. 151. (Sept 13, 2002): A4(N) pA4(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. International Academy High School. 19 May 2008. <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=IAC-Documents&type=retrieve&tabID=T004&prodId=OVRC>. 

"Preamble to the Constitution of India." Encyclopedia of Modern Asia. Ed. Karen Christensen and David Levinson. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. 26. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. International Academy High School. 15 May 2008 <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/start.do?p=GVRL&u=lom_inac>.  

   

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