Page 4 - Lesson Note 6

 The mainstream, western conception, of secularism means
mutual exclusion of state and religion in order to protect values

such as individual freedom and citizenship rights of individuals.

 Again, this is something that you will learn more about in Political

Theory. The term ‘mutual exclusion’ means this: both religion and

state must stay away from the internal affairs of one another.

 The state must not intervene in the domain of religion; religion
likewise should not dictate state policy or influence the conduct of

the state. In other words, mutual exclusion means that religion

and state must be strictly separated.

 To protect religious freedom of individuals, state must not help

religious organisations. But at the same time, state should not tell

religious organisations how to manage their affairs. In short,
states should neither help nor hinder religions.

 Conditions in India were different and to respond to the challenge

they posed, the makers of the Constitution had to work out an

alternative conception of secularism. They departed from the

western model in two ways and for two different reasons.
1- Rights of Religious Groups

2- State’s Power of Intervention

There are three core features — these can also be seen as the
achievements — of our Constitution.

 First, our Constitution reinforces and reinvents forms of liberal
individualism. This is an important achievement because this is

done in the backdrop of a society where community values are

often indifferent or hostile to individual autonomy.