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Kemal Ataturk's secularism:

(i)Kemal Ataturk's secularism was not about principled distance from organised religion, instead it involved, active intervention in and suppression of, religion.

(ii)Mustafa Kemal Ataturk came to power after the first war. He was determined to put an end to the institution of Khalifa in the public life of Turkey.

(iii)Ataturk was convinced that only a clear break with traditional thinking and expressions could elevate Turkey from the sorry state it was in.

(iv)He set out in an aggressive manner to modernise and secularise Turkey. Ataturk changed his own name from Mustafa Kemal Pasha to Kemal Ataturk (Ataturk translates as Father of the Turks).

(v)The Fez, a traditional cap worn by Muslims, was banned by the Hat Law. Western clothing was encouraged for men and women.

(vi)The Western (Gregorian) calendar replaced the traditional Turkish calendar. In 1928, the new Turkish alphabet (in a modified Latin form) was adopted.

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To be truly secular:

(i)A state must not only refuse to be theocratic but also have no formal, legal alliance with any religion.

(ii)The separation of religion-state is however an necessary but not a sufficient ingredient of a secular state.

(iii)A secular state must be committed to principles and goals which are at least partly derived from non-religious sources.

(iv)These ends should include peace, religious freedom, freedom from religiously grounded oppressions, discrimination and exclusions, as also inter-religious and intra-religious equality.

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The examples:

(i)Jews faced discrimination for centuries throughout Europe, subtle forms of discrimination also continue to persist against non–Christians in many parts of Europe even today.

(ii)In the present state of Israel, Arab minorities, both Christian and Muslims, are excluded from social, political and economic benefits available of Jewish citizens.

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Indian secularism has been subjected to fierce criticism for the reasons explained below:

(i)Anti-religious: it is often argued that secularism is anti-religious. We hope to have shown that secularism is against institutionalised religious domination. This is not the same as being anti-religious. Similarly, it has been argued by some that secularism threatens religious identity.

(ii)Western Import: A second criticism is that secularism is linked to Christianity, that it is western and therefore unsuited to Indian conditions. The fact is that the secularism has both western and nonwestern origins. In the west, it was the Church-state separation which was central and in countries such as India, the ideas of peaceful co-existence of different religious communities has been important.

(iii)Minoritism: A third accusation against secularism is the charge of minoritism. To make a separate arrangement for them is not to accord them any special treatment. It is to treat them with the same respect and dignity with which all others are being treated. The lesson is that minority rights need not be nor should be viewed as special privileges.

(iv)Interventionist: A fourth criticism claims that secularism is coercive and that it interferes excessively with the religious freedom of communities. Indian secularism follows the concept of principled distance which also allows for noninterference. Besides, interference need not automatically mean coercive intervention.

(v)Vote Bank Politics:  There is the argument that secularism encourages the politics of vote banks. To blame a politician for pursuing a group of people or promising to initiate a policy with the motivation to secure their votes is unfair. If secular politicians who sought the votes of minorities also manage to give them what they want, then this is a success of the secular project which aims, after all, to also protect the interests of the minorities.

(vi)Impossible Project: A final, cynical criticism might be this: Secularism cannot work because it tries to do too much, to find a solution to an intractable problem. . Far from pursuing an impossible objective Indian secularism mirrors the future of the world.

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The secular character of the Indian state:

(i)The secular character of the Indian state is established by virtue of the fact that it is neither theocratic nor has it established any one or multiple religions.

(ii)Beyond that it has adopted a very sophisticated policy in pursuit of religious equality. This allows it either to disengage with religion in American style, or engage with it if required.

(iii)The Indian state may engage with religion negatively to oppose religious tyranny. This is reflected in such actions as the ban on untouchability. It may also choose a positive mode of engagement.

(iv)Thus, the Indian Constitution grants all religious minorities the right to establish and maintain their own educational institutions which may receive assistance from the state.