Jawaharlal nehrus views on religion and secularism, indeed even his considered political practice, were very different from the nehruvian secularism that emerged soon after his death, a handiwork of intellectuals close to his daughter, indira gandhi. Indeed, indian secularism acts as a bridge between religions in a multireligious country via the secular concept of equality. Click download or read online button to get india from curzon to nehru and after book now. Nehru himself was an enigmatic personality embodying in himself past traditions, present compulsions and future aspirations of the people and the country. Supporters of the nehruvian legacy of secularism applaud him for adopting this policy and for establishing communal harmony. Jawaharlal nehru and world order 35th jawaharlal nehru memorial lecture, london, 25 november 2014 s. There shall be no state religion for the commonwealth of india or for any province in the commonwealth, nor shall the state, either directly or indirectly, endow any religion any preference or impose. Gandhi and secularism mahatma gandhi was a keen student of all religions. Secularism as practiced in india, with its marked differences with western practice of secularism, is a controversial topic in india. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Ambedkar, the chairman of the drafting committee, were the ones who were most opposed to the addition of this. Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti that which exists is one. Conference paper pdf available september 2018 with 465. Nov, 2019 jawaharlal nehru, indira gandhis father, was a leader of indias nationalist movement and became indias first prime minister after its independence.
In october 1947, two months after he became independent indias first prime minister, jawaharlal nehru wrote the first of his fortnightly letters to the heads of the countrys provincial governmentsa tradition he. His interest in marxism and planned economic development was stirred by the brussels congress and his fourday visit to moscow in 1927. For the purpose of this essay first we will look if as per the constitution india is secular state and second how hindu nationalism affects indias secularism. The latest in the biographical series comes from judith brown, and is simply entitled nehru. The constitution of india contains his philosophy about the religious neutral state. Officially, secularism has always inspired modern india. Critics claim the indian form of secularism as pseudo secularism. Political thought and politics of jawaharlal nehru.
Perumal a state has been characterised as secular where there is no established religion. Nehru imparted a socialistic vision to the indian development. Jawaharlal nehru, first prime minister of independent india 194764, who established parliamentary government and became noted for his neutralist nonaligned policies in foreign affairs. He was a writer, thinker and a statesman of great eminence. Pandit jawaharalal nehrus views on secularism marathi. Two states that were among the handful that it still ruled, assam and kerala, went over to the opposition, while in the ca. Jawaharlal nehru was born on 14 november 1889 in allahabad in british india.
The indian constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in. Joanna newman, viceprincipal international, trustees and secretary of the jawaharlal nehru memorial trust, ladies and gentlemen. He contradistinguishes that notion from the notion of the nonnegotiated, archimedean secularism, which he says was imposed on the society by nehru. Gandhi, secularism and social capital in modern india. The action of nehru as a leader of indian freedom movement as well as a prime minister and international states man have also been considered. The constitution drafted by pandit moti lal nehru as the chairman of the historic nehru committee in 1928, had many provision on secularism as. But its western interpretation, which separates state politics from religion, was not followed. In various wars, the strength of indian secularism has been tested. The fact that nehru had risked his life to save a single moslem had a profound effect far beyond new delhi. With the fortysecond amendment of the constitution of india enacted in 1976, the preamble to the constitution asserted that india is a secular nation. Ambedkar saw religion first and foremost as a political entity. It is an argument of this paper that nehruvian views on secularism must give way to nehru s own views on the matter which have. Secular responses were given to punjab terrorism due to communal politics in 1966.
The first sixty years and frank moraes jawaharlal nehru. In this chapter we will engage in this ongoing debate by asking the following questions. The word secular, itself, was inserted into the preamble by the 42nd amendment act of 1976. A significant portion of the current debate on secularism has focused on nehrus role in conceptualizing and institutionalizing this concept.
Secularism is first and foremost a doctrine that opposes all such for ms of inter religious domination. According to nehru himself, secularism was not only a political. India from curzon to nehru and after download ebook pdf. Since gandhis was a fearless fight against wrong in an open, dignified way, his nonviolent struggle attracted nehru. Over the years kashmir has become a symbol as well as test of indian secularism. Gandhi preached his ideals of secularism and religious tolerance. Narivelil a thesis submitted to the faculty of the graduate school ot loyola university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of mas ter of arts february. Secularism in india as gandhi and nehru saw it is distinctly different from the western view of secularism. Nehru talked of individual freedom as a exposing of positive liberty. Internationalisms, secularism humanism have been attempted. Gandhinehru tradition and indian secularism mainstream weekly. May 08, 2019 jawaharlal nehru was born into an affluent kashmiri brahman family in allahabad on november 14, 1889.
This is however only one crucial aspect of the concept of secularism. Jawaharlal nehru occupies a unique position in history as a free dom fighter and builder of. The wise call it by various names this is the indian concept of secularism that god is one and there are different paths to attain it sarva dharma samabhava all approaches are equally. Rajasekhariah jawaharlal nehru occupies a unique position in history as a free dom fighter and builder of modern india. Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics. Zakarias edited a study of nehru, michael brechers nehru, a political biography, norman dorothys, nehru. Nehrus assumption that the public importance of religion would gradually. Nehru and the secular state of india loyola ecommons.
All it wants to do is to demolish secular india and the gandhi nehru state to erect a hindutva state instead beyond a doubt, the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh rss is the most powerful. He wanted a secular state to be one that protects all religions but does not favour one at the expense of others and does not itself adopt any religion as the state religion. Why nehru dropped and indira inserted the sword in the constitution ironically though, it was nehru along with the chairman of the drafting committee of the constitution, b r ambedkar, who were also most opposed to the idea of including the word secular. Chapter2 political ideas of nehru jawahar lal nehru was. He directed safely the destinies of free india for seventeen years against innumerable odds. This character of the secular state has been almost accepted by all. In his presidential address to the lahore congress in december 1929, nehru affirmed that he was a socialist and republican, making him the enfant terrible of indian politics. Secularism for gandhi was an absolute necessity to bring about any form of constructive and allencompassing political movement. Jawaharlal nehru the first prime minister of india. The gandhinehru secularism places the importance of the states neutrality between indias many faiths.
Secularism in the indian context penn law university of. Religion, secularism and the state niraja gopal jayal jawaharlal nehru university april 2017 like the unhappy families of the opening line in tolstoys anna karenina, every plural society is diverse in its own way, and alarming number are also unhappy. Secularism in india has strayed from the stipulated path. Jawaharlal nehru was an avowed supporter of socialism. As a result, he was drawn towards fabian socialistic concept and became interested in the political movements of the day. The importance of jawaharlal nehru in the context of indian history can be distilled to the following points. Unlike in the west, where secularism came mainly out of the conflict between the church and the state, secularism in india was conceived as a system that sustained religious and cultural pluralism. The idea of state in nehru two roads diverged in a wood, and i took the one less.
Chapter vi nehru on secularism an evaluation evaluating any aspect of nehru s ideas is a daunting task. Apr 22, 2020 contrast this with the form of secularism introduced into india by jawaharlal nehru after the demise of both mahatma gandhi as well as vallabhbhai patel. The father of indian secularism, jawaharlal nehru, with the congress party of india, developed a strategy of containment by which he meant that there should be a distance between the state and the religious passions of society. It is this tradition of the saints and sages, which is a source of fundamental reality, which has given the indian people a moral foundation and certain moral concepts which hold together our ideals and our life in general, jawaharlal nehru 1965. Is there any difference between gandhis secularism. Jun 12, 2018 secularism removed by nehru, put back by indira the word secularism was first proposed to be included in the preamble of the constitution of india, during a debate on 15 november 1948 by prof k. Indian secularism is fundamentally different from western secularism. Nehru, at that time adopted few basics rules for dealing with militant agitations and their demands.
Ambedkar was secular but religious, while nehru was secular and atheist who believed in horoscopes. Boucher was supposed to speak on the indous nuclear deal but as prof kamal mitra chenoy enlightened the masses thatit was not prudent on part of the administration to invite boucher for the lecture at a time when the nuke deal is a debatable issue and pending before the nuclear suppliers group. Secularism removed by nehru, put back by indira the word secularism was first proposed to be included in the preamble of the constitution of india, during a debate on 15 november 1948 by prof k. Under jawaharlal nehru, the concept of a secular nationstate was officially adopted as indias path to political modernity and national integration. Nehru attended lectures of progressive intellectuals like bernard shaw, bertrand russell and j. A secular country is where people belonging to different faiths get treated the same, as do their institutions of worship and other aspects of their existence. Nov 08, 2014 nehrus view was equal protection by the state to all religion. Many thousands of moslems who had intended to flee to pakistan now stayed in india, staking their lives on nehrus ability to protect them and assure them justice. Yes secularism is an import just like cricket and english language. Nehrus conception of socialism economic and political.
Constitution is fully secular, though the american society may not be. Nehru visited ireland in 1910 and was attracted by the sinn fein movement. Roy was highly critical of the character of indian state. Nehru is known as an architect of indian secularism. But with regard to the purpose and object of a secular state, there is hardly any unanimity and in fact there is divergence of opinion. Jul 24, 2018 nehrus secularism, in contrast, seemed to have advocated equality of religions, neutrality towards all religions, disassociation of religion from the state, equal opportunity for the followers of all religions, and free play for all religions chandra 2004. Apart from his study of hinduism, buddhism and jainism, he was an avid reader of christian and islamic scriptures as well.
Jawaharlal nehru and incorporated in the indian constitution, contains the main three features. Religion according to him is selfcentred, egoist and intolerant of other opinions and ideas. Apr 06, 2018 a study of the constitution and the debates that went into its framing reveals that ultimately it was the latter vision that prevailed as it received endorsements from stalwarts like ambedkar and. Jawaharlal nehru, state, democracy, advaitavedanta, religion, socialism. Gandhi, maulana abul kalam azad, nehru and others were deeply committed to the ideal of secularism, though each expressed it in very different manners.
Jawaharlal nehru s views on religion and secularism, indeed even his considered political practice, were very different from the nehruvian secularism that emerged soon after his death, a handiwork of intellectuals close to his daughter, indira gandhi. Nehru had discerned this main element of the shared memory of indian culture, and he attempted to build an edifice of secularism on it. Nehru s exposition of secularism is rooted in affirmation of social and political equality. It is impossible to comprehend nandys arguments about secularism, the west. We are building a free secular state, where every religion and belief. Why nehru dropped and indira inserted the sword in the constitution ironically though, it was nehru along with the chairman of the drafting committee of the constitution, b r ambedkar, who were also most opposed to the idea of including the word secular in the preamble of the constitution. This is especially so when it is on a controversial topic like secularism. Contrast this with the form of secularism introduced into india by jawaharlal nehru after the demise of both mahatma gandhi as well as vallabhbhai patel. As the question of secularism today has aroused a lot of controversy and in the name of nationalism many of our. According to this definition, one which will not be found in any dictionary, secularism has been defined as a oneway street, where vastly different standards get adopted while dealing. Nehru not believing in afterlife preferred a life free from religious obstacles.
Nehruvian secularism was anything but secular the sunday. Secularism became the mantra of the indian nation, a nation exhausted by partition and sectarian riots and above all the assassination of gandhiji. The nehru years in indian politics african studies. Menon dr sunil khilnani, director of the kings india institute, dr. Pdf pandit jawaharalal nehrus views on secularism marathi. This is the text, with a few verbal modifications, of a lecture delivered by t. We were again told, an agent of usimperialism has no right to speak. However, indian secularists correctly identify the indian states distinctive. He was also one of the principal leaders of indias independence movement of the 1930s and 40s. To understand secularism in india, we need to understand secularism in general, its origins in europe, protestantism versus roman catholicism, christianity versus judaism, the role of church, european history and the conditions under which secularism was imported to india. His father, motilal nehru 18611931, a selfmade wealthy barrister who belonged to the kashmiri pandit community, 4 served twice as president of the indian national congress, in 1919 and 1928.
Nehrus greatest contribution to india and to the world should be the. On 19th may 2016,congress party must have placed the champagne bottles back in the larder, given the scale of its setbacks. When he entered political life, he applied his knowledge of history to infer that the communal forces received wide support from the political authorities. Madan at the presidents panel in honor of the fulbright fortieth anniversary program, on the occasion of the 1987 meeting of the association of asian studies in boston. English paper, i have discussed the nationalism views on nehru 1. Why secularism in india lost its meaning in nehru s india, secularism became synonymous with the idea that everything hindu is bad and everything antihindu is secular and good. Critics hold nehru responsible for the problems associated with secularism. It is an argument of this paper that nehruvian views on secularism must give way to nehrus own views on the matter which have great. He wanted to accept his life with all the problems and improve it. Instead of shedding religious partisanship, the pseudo secularists fomented it in order to capture vote banks212. Tutored at home until the age of 15, nehru subsequently attended harrow in england and, later, trinity college, cambridge.
Secularism its meaning, models and issues insightsias. Evolution of constitution nehru initiated the process of constitution making with the eight point resolution for independent india on december th, 1946. Supporters of the indian concept of secularism claim it respects minorities and pluralism. Nehru and his views on secularism mainstream weekly. Secularism in india, secularism in india essay, indian. Summary of what is religion by nehru english summary. In practice, unlike western notions of secularism, indias secularism does not separate religion and state. Nehrus commitment to the values ofindividual freedom and equality was no less than his belief in secularism. Religion, he said, like language is social for the reason that either is essential for social life and the individual has to have it because without it he cannot. He virtually laid the foundation for modern india, in his thoughts and deeds. Nehru did not define secularism properly and politicians took advantage of his failure to elucidate the concept. Biography of jawaharlal nehru free pdf download nehrus idea of indias modern nationhood consisted of four key dimensions.
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