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Defining Secularism: The Indian Experience

The meaning of the term secular when seen in the context of democratic practices and the affairs of the state cannot simplistically be non-religious. The argument regarding the compatibility of secular states with democratic practices and the fact that some religious beliefs may undermine the process of democratisation may require the understanding of the term secularism and the multi-voca/ity of various religious traditions. India, with its pluralistic society and economic underdevelopment, has been considered as an oddity in the study of modern democracies as it has been an exception to many of the prevailing theories regarding the preconditions, introduction and sustainability of democracy. India as democracy has now been fanctioning successfully there for nearly 70 years with established institution of democracy both at the Centre and the state level. But there have been some fault lines. A few of the arguments put forth to define the existing relationship between the state and religion have been discussed in the Indian context and the historical experience to establish the fact that existing relationship between religion and democracy may have a positive, negative or neutral effect on the nature and quality of democracy.