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dated August 11, 1954: Concept of secular State

The Congress President, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, in a letter to the PCC presidents, has defined the concept of the secular State and has emphasised the role that Congressmen should play in promoting the ideal. The letter reads: "It has always seemed to me that the primary consideration for the progress of India, political, social and economic, is what I would call the emotional integration of India. Politically, we are now a well-knit country. We have a strong and stable Government which itself represents an integrated India. There are also many forces which help in this unifying process. But, there are other forces which tend to weaken this unity. We can never grow complacent, for, complacency means a static position which leads to stagnation and decay. We call our State a secular one. What exactly does it mean? It does not mean a State where religion as such is discouraged. It means freedom of religion and conscience, including freedom for those who may have no religion. It means free play for all religions, subject only to their not interfering with each other or with the basic conceptions of our State. It means that the minority communities, from the religious point of view, should accept this position. It means, even more, that the majority community, from this point of view, should fully realise it. The word `secular' conveys something much more to me. It conveys the idea of social and political equality. Thus, a caste-ridden society is not properly secular. I have no desire to interfere with any person's belief, but where those beliefs become petrified in caste divisions, undoubtedly they affect the social structure of the State. They interfere in political matters, just as communalism interferes."

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