What is the significant difference between the secularism stated in the Indian Constitution and the US Constitution?
A.
In Indian secularism, the State can intervene in religious affairs.
B.
In the US secularism, the State can intervene in religious affairs.
C.
In Indian secularism, religion is the part of the State.
In the US secularism, the religion is controlling the State.
D. In the US secularism, the religion is controlling the states
Answers
Answer:
What is Secularism?
In the previous chapter, you read about how the Indian
Constitution contains Fundamental Rights that protect us
against State power as well as against the tyranny of the
majority. The Indian Constitution allows individuals the
freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices as
they interpret these. In keeping with this idea of religious
freedom for all, India also adopted a strategy of separating
the power of religion and the power of the State. Secularism
refers to this separation of religion from the State.
Explanation:
Why is it Important to Separate Religion
from the State?
As discussed above, the most important aspect of secularism
is its separation of religion from State power. This is
important for a country to function democratically. Almost
all countries of the world will have more than one religious
group living in them. Within these religious groups, there
will most likely be one group that is in a majority. If this
majority religious group has access to State power, then it
could quite easily use this power and financial resources to
discriminate against and persecute persons of other
religions. This tyranny of the majority could result in the
discrimination, coercion and at times even the killing of
religious minorities. The majority could quite easily
prevent minorities from practising their religions. Any
form of domination based on religion is in violation of the
rights that a democratic society guarantees to each and every
citizen irrespective of their religion. Therefore, the tyranny
of the majority and the violation of Fundamental Rights
that can result is one reason why it is important to separate
the State and religion in democratic societies.
Another reason that it is important to separate religion
from the State in democratic societies is because we also
need to protect the freedom of individuals to exit from
their religion, embrace another religion or have the freedom
to interpret religious teachings differently. To understand
this point better, let us take the practice of untouchability.
You might feel that you dislike this practice within
Hinduism and therefore, you want to try and reform it.
However, if State power were in the hands of those Hindus
who support untouchability, then do you think that you
would have an easy task to try and change this? Even if you
were part of the dominant religious group, you might face
a lot of resistance from fellow members of your
community. These members who have control of State
power might say that there is only one interpretation of
Hinduism and that you do not have the freedom to interpret
this differently.
What is Indian Secularism?
The Indian Constitution mandates that the Indian State be
secular. According to the Constitution, only a secular State
can realise its objectives to ensure the following:
1. that one religious community does not dominate
another;
2. that some members do not dominate other members of
the same religious community;
3. that the State does not enforce any particular religion
nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.
The Indian State works in various ways to prevent the above
domination. First, it uses a strategy of distancing itself from
religion. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious group
and nor does it support any one religion. In India,
government spaces like law courts, police stations,
government schools and offices are not supposed to display
or promote any one religion.
A. In Indian secularism, the State can intervene in religious affairs.
{in the us the religion nor the legislature can interfere in each others affairs)