Re: definition of secularism

["Cprakash" <Cprakash@goplay.com>]

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Dear Indranil,

Yes, india is not as secular as i want her to be. We have to decide a
Uniform civil code either -


 on a consensus kind of model. ( monogamy, divorce proceedings, child
rights, banning of homosexuality, abortion terms definition, etc )

or a libertarian model - anything consensual goes. deifne your own
contract of marriage and be happy.

personally i would prefer the 2'nd model, but i have a feeling that
india will be better served by the first.

regards
prakash


>Mr Prakash:
>
>According to your own definition, India is NOT a secular state, since
>the government DOES treat different people of different communities
>differently. (Please see the Shah Bano case, circa 1986).This is
because no
>uniform civil code (UCC) exists in India - a cornerstone of
secularism.
>Ironically, it is the BJP (the party which the Guptaras and
Kandaswamys of
>the world like to bash) that is clearly on record being for an UCC.
The
>so-called secularists on the other hand, only
>pay lip service.
>
>Regards,
>Indranil Das Gupta
>
>
>>From: "Cprakash" <Cprakash@goplay.com>
>>Reply-To: debate@indiapolicy.org
>>To: debate@indiapolicy.org
>>Subject: definition of secularism
>>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 06:45:04 -0800 (PST)
>>
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>>
>>I think secularism is pretty well defined as far as the government
is
>>concerned. There is no state religion and the state treats all its
>>subjects irrespective of their religion. Secularism does not negate
>>the role of spirituality. It merely states that the government won't
>>treat you any differently if you are a bhakt or a blasphemer. People
>>always have the option of being "communal" within their own homes,
>>but the government as such should not be. As i was saying, this is
>>not negation of spirituality, it is a neutral disregard of
>>spirituality. there are as many belief systems as there are people
>>and for a diverse country, secularism is not just o.k, it is
>>imperative.
>>
>>regards
>>prakash
>>
>>
>> >Dear Krishnan,
>> >
>> >You have not answered my question asking you to define secularism
>>and
>> >communalism.  The problem that I have with secularism is that it
>>negates
>> >(rather than affirming) the role of spirituality as the center of
>>society.
>> >Recently, a new concept, called "Pluralism" has started gaining
>>popularity
>> >in Academic circles in America.  This idea not only permits the
>>peaceful
>> >coexistence of diverse spiritual belief systems but it also
affirms
>>the
>> >central role or spirituality in man's existence.
>> >
>> >I don't think that the concept of Secularism should be implemented
>>in India,
>> >because unlike other countries that have implemented this idea,
>>Indian
>> >spiritual belief systems are not based on the concept of
exclusivity.
>>
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This is the National Debate on System Reform.       debate@indiapolicy.org
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