Class 11 Political Science: Secularism — Chapter Question Set

a) 111 — The textbook states: SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them?

d) to answer that concern — The textbook states: In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern.

c) India — The textbook states: In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India.

b) politician swears by it — The textbook states: On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it.

a) to be secular — The textbook states: Every political party pr ofesses to be secular .

d) India — The textbook states: On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India.

c) challenged not only by clerics and religious — The textbook states: Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics.

b) the meaning of secularism? — The textbook states: In this chapter we will engage in this ongoing debate by asking the following questions: /box3What is the meaning of secularism?

a) Indian — The textbook states: /box3Is secularism a western implant on Indian soil?

d) India — The textbook states: At the end of this chapter you should be able to understand and appr eciate the importance of secularism in a democratic society like India, and learn something about the distinctiveness of Indian secularism.

c) 112 — The textbook states: Overview SecularismSecularism 112 Political Theory 8.1 WHAT IS SECULARISM?

b) Europe — The textbook states: Though Jews faced discrimination for centuries throughout Europe, in the present state of Israel, Arab minorities, both Christian and Muslims, are excluded from social, political and economic benefits available to Jewish citizens.

a) Christians — The textbook states: Subtle forms of discrimination also continue to persist against non-Christians in several parts of Europe.

d) Pakistan — The textbook states: The condition of religious minorities in the neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh has also generated considerable concern.

c) societies in today’s world — The textbook states: Such examples remind us of the continuing importance of secularism for people and societies in today’s world.

b) Domination In — The textbook states: Inter-religious Domination In our own country, the Constitution declares that every Indian citizen has a right to live with freedom and dignity in any part of the country.

a) discrimination continue to persist — The textbook states: Yet in reality, many forms of exclusion and discrimination continue to persist.

d) 2,700 — The textbook states: Consider three most stark examples: o More than 2,700 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and many other parts of the country in 1984.

c) not punished — The textbook states: The families of the victims feel that the guilty were not punished.

b) Several — The textbook states: o Several thousands of Hindu Kashmiri pandits have been forced to leave their homes in the Kashmir valley; they have not been able to return to their homes for more than two decades.

a) 1,000 — The textbook states: o More than 1,000 persons were killed during the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002.

d) in which they lived — The textbook states: The surviving members of many of these families could not go back to the villages in which they lived.

c) form or the other — The textbook states: They all have to do with discrimination in one form or the other.

b) targeted and victimised on account of their r — The textbook states: In each case members of one community are targeted and victimised on account of their religious identity.

a) denied — The textbook states: In other words, basic freedoms of a set of citizens are denied.

d) instances of religious persecution and they r — The textbook states: Some might even say that these incidents are instances of religious persecution and they reflect inter-religious domination.

c) first and foremost a doctrine that opposes al — The textbook states: Secularism is first and foremost a doctrine that opposes all such forms of inter-religious domination.

b) 113 — The textbook states: An equally important dimension SecularismSecularism Political Theory 113 of secularism is its opposition to intra-religious domination.

a) Domination Some — The textbook states: Intra-religious Domination Some people believe that religion is merely the ‘opium of the masses’ and that, one day, when the basic needs of all are fulfilled and they lead a happy and contented life, r eligion will disappear.

d) sense of human potential — The textbook states: Such a view comes from an exaggerated sense of human potential.

c) unlikely that human beings will ever be able — The textbook states: It is unlikely that human beings will ever be able to fully know the world and control it.

b) will never become immortal — The textbook states: We may be able to pr olong our life but will never become immortal.

a) luck from our lives — The textbook states: Disease can never be entirely eliminated, nor can we get rid of an element of accident and luck from our lives.

d) endemic to the human condition — The textbook states: Separation and loss are endemic to the human condition.

c) man-made and hence eliminable — The textbook states: While a large part of our suf fering is man-made and hence eliminable, at least some of our suffering is not made by man.

b) responses to such sufferings — The textbook states: Religion, art and philosophy are responses to such sufferings.

a) not anti-religious — The textbook states: Secularism too accepts this and therefore it is not anti-religious.

d) of some deep-rooted problems — The textbook states: However, religion has its share of some deep-rooted problems.

c) on an equal footing — The textbook states: For example, one can hardly think of a religion that treats its male and female members on an equal footing.

b) Hinduism — The textbook states: In religions such as Hinduism, some sections have faced persistent discrimination.

a) Hindu — The textbook states: For example dalits have been barred from entering Hindu temples.

d) Hindu — The textbook states: In some parts of the country, Hindu woman cannot enter temples.

c) organised — The textbook states: When religion is organised, it is frequently taken over by its most conservative faction, which does not tolerate any dissent.

b) the country and outside — The textbook states: Religious fundamentalism in parts of the US has become a big problem and endangers peace both within the country and outside.

a) persecution of dissenting minorities — The textbook states: Many religions fragment into sects which leads to frequent sectarian violence and persecution of dissenting minorities.

d) only with interreligious domination — The textbook states: Thus religious domination cannot be identified only with interreligious domination.

c) form, namely, intra-religious domination — The textbook states: It takes another conspicuous form, namely, intra-religious domination.

b) opposed to all forms of institutionalised rel — The textbook states: As secularism is opposed to all forms of institutionalised religious domination, it challenges not merely interreligious but also intra-religious domination.

a) 114 — The textbook states: It is a normative doctrine which seeks to realise a secular society, i.e., one devoid of SecularismSecularism 114 Political Theory either inter-religious or intra-religious domination.

d) well as within, religions — The textbook states: Put positively, it promotes freedom within religions, and equality between, as well as within, religions.

Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics. At the end of this chapter you should be able to understand and appr eciate the importance of secularism in a democratic society like India, and learn something about the distinctiveness of Indian secularism. Secularism is first and foremost a doctrine that opposes all such forms of inter-religious domination.

SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them? Can you imagine a secularism that does not give you the freedom to keep the name you are identified with, wear the dress you are used to, change the language you communicate in? Indian secularism equally opposed the SecularismSecularism Political Theory 119 oppression of dalits and women within Hinduism, the discrimination against women within Indian Islam or Christianity, and the possible thr eats that a majority community might pose to the rights of the minority religious communities.

In other words, let us consider how a state committed to the ideal of secularism should r elate to religion and r eligious communities. SecularismSecularism Political Theory 117 SecularismSecularism 118 Political Theory Indian secularism does not focus only on church-state separation and the idea of inter -religious equality is crucial to the Indian conception. It is true that by rejecting the idea of separation as mutual exclusion, Indian secularism rejects non-inter ference in religion.

This secularism was not about principled distance from organised religion, instead it involved, active intervention in and suppression of, religion. A secular state may ke ep a principled distance from religion to promote peace between communities and it may also intervene to protect the rights of specific communities. Indian secularism follows the concept of principled distance which also allows for noninter fer ence.

SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them?

This is the question that emerged in the previous chapter.

In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern.

In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India.

On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it.

Every political party pr ofesses to be secular .

On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India.

Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics.

In this chapter we will engage in this ongoing debate by asking the following questions: /box3What is the meaning of secularism?

/box3Is secularism a western implant on Indian soil?

At the end of this chapter you should be able to understand and appr eciate the importance of secularism in a democratic society like India, and learn something about the distinctiveness of Indian secularism.

Overview SecularismSecularism 112 Political Theory 8.1 WHAT IS SECULARISM?

Though Jews faced discrimination for centuries throughout Europe, in the present state of Israel, Arab minorities, both Christian and Muslims, are excluded from social, political and economic benefits available to Jewish citizens.

Subtle forms of discrimination also continue to persist against non-Christians in several parts of Europe.

The condition of religious minorities in the neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh has also generated considerable concern.

Such examples remind us of the continuing importance of secularism for people and societies in today’s world.

Inter-religious Domination In our own country, the Constitution declares that every Indian citizen has a right to live with freedom and dignity in any part of the country.

Yet in reality, many forms of exclusion and discrimination continue to persist.

Consider three most stark examples: o More than 2,700 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and many other parts of the country in 1984.

The families of the victims feel that the guilty were not punished.

o Several thousands of Hindu Kashmiri pandits have been forced to leave their homes in the Kashmir valley; they have not been able to return to their homes for more than two decades.

SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them? SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them? This is the question that emerged in the previous chapter. In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern.

This is the question that emerged in the previous chapter. SecularismSecularism Political Theory 111 Chapter 8 Secularism When different cultures and communities exist within the same country, how should a democratic state ensure equality for each of them? This is the question that emerged in the previous chapter. In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern. In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India.

In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern. This is the question that emerged in the previous chapter. In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern. In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India. On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it.

In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India. In this chapter we will try and see how the concept of secularism may be applied to answer that concern. In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India. On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it. Every political party pr ofesses to be secular .

On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it. In India, the idea of secularism is ever present in public debates and discussions, yet there is something very perplexing about the state of secularism in India. On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it. Every political party pr ofesses to be secular . On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India.

Every political party pr ofesses to be secular . On the one hand, almost every politician swears by it. Every political party pr ofesses to be secular . On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India. Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics.

On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India. Every political party pr ofesses to be secular . On the other hand, all kinds of anxieties and doubts beset secularism in India. Secularism is challenged not only by clerics and religious nationalists but by some politicians, social activists and even academics. In this chapter we will engage in this ongoing debate by asking the following questions: /box3What is the meaning of secularism?