Secularism: A coceptual framework

For centuries religion has been a dominant force in all the human societies. Only the path-breaking discoveries in the domain of physical sciences as well as movements like Reformation and Renaissance shattered the hegemony of obscurantism of the Middle Age. India represents a multiplicity of socio-communal groups which on occasions generate lots of tension leading even to incidents of violence. The Constitution of India incorporates secularism as one of its objectives. It was a principal value in India's struggle for freedom. There appears to be a great deal of consensus on accepting secularism as a norm in Indian life. This paper tries to highlight the concept of secularism in India.