The word secular, which according to the dictionary means ‘not religious, sacred or spiritual’, has lost its sheen, because of the ill-effects of vote-bank politics and huge demographic invasion, especially in Assam and West Bengal. Individuals and political outfits take secularism differently. It is widely misconstrued as pseudo-secularism in political parlance. Its understanding has become flawed.

The Cambridge Advanced Dictionary describes secularism as ‘the belief that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country’. But unfortunately, the Indian version of secularism, which is porous in nature, is an adaptation of the American model. No wall of separation exists between religion and the State, unlike in the U S. It is neither perfect nor workable to suit our national interest. No doubt India is a multi-religious society; it does not serve the desired purpose, based on the past 60 years of experience.

Kashmiri Hindus, who have become refugees in their own country, are the best judges to articulate about the Indian brand of secularism. The Constitution had provided that all persons, including non-citizens which say that “shall have the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality and health”.

It is believed that founding fathers of our Constitution were not swayed by narrow-mindedness. They had displayed the spirit of tolerance in keeping with our age-old traditions. But the stark question arises, what has been the outcome and who should be blamed for rapid rise of Islamic terrorism in India?  The custodians of our constitution have misused certain provisions of the Constitution.

For the past two decades the Muslim fundamentalism has grown phenomenally. The country’s changing demography and communal riots from time to time, and series of serial bomb blasts are going against the tenets of secular democracy, giving a handle to the Hindu nationalist forces, seeking a change in the secular fabric of society. There has been no consistency in the interpretation of the word secular.

$The concept of secularism is not new for Indians. The word secular, like the word, religious, is amongst the richest of all words in the range of meaning. India has its own national character. Why our country has remained enslaved and subjugated for over 1000 years is alter of debate. It is a reflection on the quality of our leadership that has emerged from time to time. The very structure of the Indian society has to change, as also the age-old caste system, the bane of our democracy. The change has to be of epochal importance. Pertinently millions of people go and settle every year in the US and UK though both countries are not secular nations. Some argue that the Indian Constitution Assembly took the decision on secularism in haste. Some political outfits, including the BJP, believe that age-old grievances and historical injustices have been committed, against the majority Hindu community, which needed to be rectified. But the fact of the matter is today India has acquired communal tinge, and secular color has received a setback.