Question

Which of the following characteristics, Indian model of secularism does not possess?
A. Complete separation of religion and politics
B. Religious reform
C. Community-based rights
D. Religious Freedom for minority communities

Answer 1

Hint:The word "secular" means to be "separate" from religion or to have no religious basis. Secularism implies the separation of religion from the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life, while religion is regarded as a solely personal matter.

Complete answer:
Secularism in India is based on a challenge to the twin concepts of inter-religious and intra-religious dominance.
Identity politics based on religion began to emerge in India during the colonial period. Colonial policies of divide and rule through the introduction of the first Indian Census in 1871, the creation of a separate electorate in 1909, the 1932 Communal Award, all contributed to the emergence of a conscious religious identity.
Thus, with the arrival of colonial modernity, the need for secularism, for the separation of politics and religion was felt. It is widely believed, therefore that secularism was intended to exclude religion and religious powers from the mainstream political paradigm. The Indian Constitution discarded state religion or the concept of a single religion, while the word 'secularism' was added later.
While the Indian Constitution states that the state is completely neutral to all religions, our society is steeped in religion. The Mingling of Religion and Politics, which mobilises votes on the basis of fundamental identities such as religion, caste and ethnicity, has put Indian secularism at risk.

Hence the Answer is Option A - Complete separation of religion and politics.

Note:Rajeev Bhargava, a well-known political theorist, has a different idea in relation to the conceptualization of secularism. By advocating the theory of principled distancing, he defends the concept of Indian secularism. Indian secularism does not mean complete exclusion of religion and politics or one-sided exclusion as in France. The need for secularism in India has not only been felt to manage inter-religious conflicts, but has also been conceived to fight intra-religious dominance.