CBSE · Class 10 · Social Science · Civics: Gender, Religion and CasteExamine how religion relates to politics in India. Discuss the concept of secularism in the Indian context and explain the constitutional provisions that make India a secular state.

Introduction to Religion and Politics\nUnlike gender, religious differences are often expressed in the field of politics. Gandhiji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. By religion, he did not mean any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam, but moral values thated all religions. He believed that politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion.

Forms of Communalism in Politics

• Communal Politics: When beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions, when the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and when state power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest, this manner of using religion in politics is called communal politics.
• Communalism as a Threat: Communalism involves religious prejudices, stereotypes of religious communities and belief in the superiority of one's religion over other religions. This often leads to communal violence, riots, and the partition of nations, posing a serious threat to the unity and integrity of a democratic country like India.

Secular State and Constitutional Provisions in India\nThe makers of the Indian Constitution were aware of this challenge. Therefore, they chose the model of a secular state. India is a secular country in the following ways:

• No State Religion: There is no official religion for the Indian state. Unlike the status of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Islam in Pakistan or Christianity in England, our Constitution does not give a special status to any religion.
• Freedom to Practice Religion: The Constitution provides to all citizens freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion, or not to follow any.
• Prohibition of Discrimination: The Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion under Article 15.
• State Intervention: At the same time, the Constitution allows the state to intervene in the matters of religion in order to ensure equality within religious communities (e.g., banning untouchability). Thus, secularism in India is not an ideology of alienation of religion, but equal treatment of all religions by the state.