The Secular Mode for India

In addressing the subject of secularism, or perhaps what I prefer to refer to as the secularising of Indian society, I would like to touch on a few aspects that I think need attention. The prevalent Indian understanding of secularism is inadequate and tangential. This involves defining what is meant by secularising society. Secondly, the social forms of religious articulation and organisation have been historically different in India and in many other parts of the world, from that of Europe. These differences have to be considered. A careful study of the inter-weaving of religion and society is required as a prefix to understanding what is involved in secularising society. And finally, I would like to argue that there has been in the history of Indian thought, a strong potential for the nurturing of a secular society, but we tend to ignore it.