Context

• Nietzsche’s provocative declaration of God's demise serves not just as a philosophical provocation but also as a metaphor for the transformation of societies from theocracy to secular democracies.
• This tension between the sacred and the secular, between faith and rational governance, is particularly visible in the Indian experiment with secularism.
• Even though India is home to deeply entrenched religious traditions, its modern Constitution chose the path of secular governance.
• Yet, secularism remains among the most contested political ideas in contemporary India, caught in a crossfire between historical legacy, constitutional ideals, and majoritarian impulses.

Nehru, Organised Religion, and the Moral Foundations of Secularism and the Idea of Indian Secularism

• Nehru, Organised Religion, and the Moral Foundations of Secularism
  • Jawaharlal Nehru, a key architect of Indian secularism, was deeply critical of organised religion.
  • He regarded it as a source of dogma, bigotry, and superstition, sentiments he expressed candidly in his autobiography.
  • Unlike many modern politicians who mobilise religious identity for electoral gain, Nehru envisioned a polity where religion remained outside the realm of statecraft.
  • His vision of secularism was not atheistic but rationalistic, grounded in Enlightenment values and ethical governance.
• Indian Secularism: Neither French nor American, But Distinctively Indian
  • The Supreme Court of India has repeatedly clarified that Indian secularism does not mirror the French model of laïcité (strict separation) nor the American model of non-establishment.
  • Instead, it has crafted a unique path accommodating religious pluralism while maintaining state neutrality.
  • Contrary to some conservative narratives that see secularism as privileging minorities, true secularism actually ensures the autonomy of all religions, including Hinduism.
  • When a religion becomes state religion, it ceases to be autonomous.
  • Historical examples, from the collapse of Islamic autonomy in medieval India to the political instrumentalization of Christianity in Europe, attest to the dangers of state appropriation of religion.
  • Philosophers such as John Locke and Roger Williams had already argued centuries ago that the state’s jurisdiction lies in civil interests, not the salvation of souls.
  • Secularism, then, is not anti-religion but pro-religious freedom, a necessary precondition for the flourishing of diverse beliefs. 

India’s Indigenous Model of Religious Pluralism and Constitutional Legacy

• Ashokan Dhamma: India’s Indigenous Model of Religious Pluralism
  • Indian secularism has indigenous roots far deeper than often acknowledged.
  • Emperor Ashoka’s edicts, issued over two millennia ago, provide a philosophical template.
  • Rock Edict 7 promoted equal respect for all religions; Rock Edict 12 warned against glorifying one’s religion while condemning others.
  • Ashoka’s Dhamma was not a theology but an ethical code of governance rooted in compassion, tolerance, and civic coexistence, what modern theorists would now call constitutional morality.
  • Political theorist Rajeev Bhargava has highlighted Ashoka’s influence on modern Indian secularism.
  • Far from being a Western transplant, the Indian model of secular governance is embedded in its ancient civilizational ethos.
• Constitutional Legacy
  • The assertion that secularism entered Indian constitutionalism only in 1976 is not just misleading, it is historically dishonest.
  • The 1928 Motilal Nehru Committee Report, the 1931 Karachi Resolution, and even the 1944 Hindu Mahasabha draft constitution all called for a secular state with no official religion.
  • The Constituent Assembly debates further reinforce this trajectory. When H.V. Kamath proposed starting the Preamble with in the name of God, the proposal was democratically defeated.
  • While the word secular was not included in the original Constitution, the ideal was embedded in its spirit.

International Models: Comparative Constitutionalism

• The United Kingdom has an established church (Anglican) yet guarantees religious freedom and equality under law.
• Ireland and Greece mention God and Christianity in their preambles but constitutionally forbid religious discrimination.
• Even Pakistan and Sri Lanka, despite officially endorsing a state religion, constitutionally acknowledge minority rights and religious freedom.

The Path Forward: Between Identity and Ethics

• The fundamental question India must face is not whether it should retain secularism, but what kind of secularism it wants to practice.
• If modernity is fatiguing, as some cultural nationalists argue, the alternative cannot be regression into theocratic nationalism.
• Should India emulate Saudi Arabia or Iran, or build on its Ashokan heritage?
• Even the BJP, historically critical of Nehruvian secularism, once spoke of positive secularism, not its abolition.
• The real danger lies not in critiquing past models, but in replacing them with majoritarian impositions that violate both the Constitution and civilizational ethics.

Conclusion

• Nietzsche’s God may be dead, but his shadow, the desire for transcendence, identity, and belonging, looms over every secular state.
• The Indian Constitution did not deny religion but restrained it within ethical and legal boundaries.
• The silence of the Constitution on the word secular was never a silence on the spirit of secularism.