Important articles (included in the Indian Constitution) related to Secularism
- Article 14: It provides equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to everyone.
- Article 15: It guarantees a broader view of the concept of Secularism to the maximum possible reach by banning discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, race, sex or place of birth.
- Article 16 (1): It provides equality of opportunity to all citizens when it comes to public employment and reemphasise that there would be no discrimination based on religion, caste, race, sex, descent, place of birth and residence.
- Article 25: It gives 'Freedom of Conscience', which means all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion freely.
- Article 26: Every religious group or individual has the right to constitute and regulate centres for religious and charitable work and handle its affairs in matters of religion.
- Article 27: The state shall not direct any citizen to pay any taxes to promote and improvise any specific religion or religious centre.
- Article 28: It permits educational institutions coordinated by different religious groups to give religious instructions.
- Article 29 and Article 30: They guarantee cultural and educational rights to the minorities or their groups.
- Article 51A: Fundamental Duties make all citizens promote unity and the spirit of common brotherhood and value and preserve the rich heritage of composite culture.
Threats to Secularism
- Connecting Religion and Politics in any form, which mobilises voters on various grounds of primordial recognition such as caste, religion and ethnicity, leading Indian Secularism in perils.
- Communal politics runs through communalise plan of diversification, social space, by propagating myths and stereotypes against minorities, through an attack on rational values by performing polarised ideological propaganda and politics, enabling riots in particular parts of the country.
- Politicisation of any religious group triggers the competitive divide of other groups, which have inter-religious disputes.
