Secular State and Social Harmony

Meaning of 'Secular State' in the Indian Constitution:

• The State protects all religions equally.
• The State should neither recognize nor promote any one religion as the State religion.
• 'Secularism' is part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. (Note: It is incorrect to say that the State ignores all religions).
• The Indian leader who deeply instilled the idea of secularism among Indians was Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Secularism is the most important ideology that safeguards the unity of India.

Views of Scholars:

• Jawaharlal Nehru (1961): "India is a secular State; it respects all religions equally and provides equal opportunities to all."
• S. Radhakrishnan: "Secularism does not mean that we reject the importance of religion or spirituality."

Important Notes:

• The true meaning of secularism is "the State has no religion of its own."
• It is incorrect to state that a secular State is "against the sovereignty of the nation."
• Akbar: Nehru stated that Akbar, who promoted a common sense of Indian nationhood