The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : `Equality for all religions a hallmark of secularism'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 21, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

`Equality for all religions a hallmark of secularism'

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, JAN. 20. Religion is an attitude towards things, fellowmen and other living creatures. Broadly speaking, religious consciousness covers individuals and social aspects, S. Mohan, former Judge of the Supreme Court, said.

The State had always maintained a religious neutrality, laying stress on equal treatment to all religions in the absence of any State religion in every civilised nation. And the equality of treatment assured to all religions was a distinguishing feature of every secular State.

He was speaking `On religious liberty and social reforms' at the silver jubilee session of the South Indian History Congress being organised by the School of Historical Studies of the Madurai Kamaraj University here today.

In India, the principle of freedom of religion had found an eloquent and memorable expression in Queen Victoria's proclamation of 1858 and this was later incorporated into the Government of India Act of 1935.

"The traditional religious neutrality and non-interference in religious affairs of the Indian people is a hoary one and this tradition has crystallised into the present constitution of India of 1950," he said

Articles 25 and 26 were salutary provisions and "embody the principles of religious tolerance that has been the characteristic feature of Indian civilisation from the start of history. Besides, they serve to emphasise the secular nature of the Indian democracy."

Religion has not been defined in the Constitution. The Supreme Court had, in the Shirur Mutt case, observed: "Religion is certainly a matter of faith.... a religion undoubtedly has its basis in a system of belief or doctrines, which are regarded by those, who profess that religion as conducive to their spiritual well being, but it would not be correct to say that religion is nothing else but a doctrine or belief."

The reforms of the society could not be obstructed in the name of religion. For a society to progress, reforms were a must. Otherwise, the society would become `putrefied.' Social reforms meant eradication of practices or dogmas, which stood in the way of the country's progress as a whole but did not form the essence of religion.

The former Principal of Pachaiyappa's College, Chennai, T. R. Ramachandran, stressed the need for making a critical study on the impact of developments abroad on south India.

The Professor of Department of Modern History, P. B. Gopalakrishnan, Head, School of Historical Studies, D. Daniel, and Head, Department of Ancient History, T. Ramaswamy, spoke.

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