Indian Secularism and Diversity

India's diversity in religion and language safeguards its secular character, ensuring unity and integrity. However, these are also significant cross-cultural barriers, as seen in recent communal tensions in Maharashtra.

Secularism in India vs. the West

• Western secularism, originating in 19th-century England, emphasizes the separation of state and religion.
• Indian secularism incorporates the concept in the Constitution, focusing on religious tolerance and equality.
• The Indian state does not endorse any religion, promoting freedom of conscience and the right to practice and propagate religion.

Unique Aspects of Indian Secularism

• Indian secularism also concerns language, not being pro- or anti-religion or language, but not neutral either.
• The Constitution empowers the state to act against communalism, religious or linguistic.
• The absence of a national language reflects the state's commitment to protecting linguistic diversity.

Linguistic Diversity

• The Eighth Schedule of the Constitution includes 22 languages, reflecting this diversity.
• Article 343 designates Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, allowing states to choose their own official languages.
• Article 29 ensures citizens' rights to protect their language and culture against discrimination.

Statistics on Language

According to the 2011 Census:

• India has 121 languages and 270 mother tongues.
• About 96.71% of the population have one of the 22 scheduled languages as their mother tongue.

Language and Politics

• Southern and northeastern states resist the imposition of Hindi, fearing cultural dominance.
• Dravidian movements in Tamil Nadu historically opposed Hindi, favoring Tamil and English.
• Maharashtra's recent violence against non-Marathi populations exemplifies identity politics, not cultural protection.

Protection of Diversity

• India's unity in diversity is upheld by its liberal and tolerant attitudes toward different religions, ideas, and lifestyles.
• In a globalizing world, leaning conservatively towards religion or language could fragment society.
• Political parties must ensure the protection of India's diversity as enshrined in the Constitution.