When a British Social reformist coined the word 'secular' in the late 19th century it was more about giving a more "worldly approach'' to personal morals.
A more modern definition was moving the state away from religion-- separating religion from government institutions, so that no particular sphere of thought or religion dominates others. The grounds were humanity and equality with particular consideration for minorities.
Nations were built and thrived endorsing the concept.
However, in today's world, 'secularism' is being criticised as a 'failed idea'.
The list of countries that are choosing to replace secular governments with more radical ones is increasing.
Bangladesh, a nation built after it chose to divorce its religiously identical cousin for a more inclusive way of governance, is now debating doing away with the word 'secular' from its constitution. With the country's Attorney General flagging the word in court proceedings, Bangladesh joins a fast-growing list of countries witnessing the rise of influential right-wing parties and individuals who have turned to religion in their public life and are undermining the ideal of a secular state. Countries like Israel, Iran, Turkey, Algeria, Pakistan, and now India.
Indian secularism, caught between a deeply religious citizenry and a religion-driven polity, is facing a threat both as an idea and as a practice.
The very ideas on which the country was formed are now being touted as 'anti-national'. The word secularism has become a slur and has been distorted to 'sickularism', driving hate campaigns on social media and even in public discourse.
In Outlook's November 21, 2022 issue titled 'The Secularism Question', Ashutosh Bharadwaj writes about "The Great Indian Paradox", about a model a deeply religious and ritualistic society needs to adopt, where secularism is more about religious harmony than distancing from religion. "Power Politics", by Abhik Bhattacharya talks about trading off secular ideas for power.
The issue also takes a world view by looking into the rise of right-wing forces across the world in an article titled "The rising Tide of The Rightwing Worldwide", by Seema Guha.
To read more articles from the issue, click here
