Criticisms of Indian Secularism

Despite — or perhaps because of — its central place in Indian public life, Indian secularism has faced fierce and sustained criticism. Six lines of attack recur again and again: that secularism is anti-religious; that it is a western import unsuited to India; that it amounts to 'minoritism,' or unjustified favouritism towards minorities; that it interferes too much in religious life; that it actively encourages vote-bank politics; and, most sweepingly, that it is an impossible project altogether. The sections that follow take up each of these criticisms in turn and work out, using the very …