UNMASKING INDIAN SECULARISM

•Was the rationale behind choosing secularism as a state policy correct?•Was a western concept suited to a deeply religious Indian society•Was secularism destined to fail?In a bold attempt to help break the impasse in Hindu–Muslim relation, this book brings a much-needed perspective to a polarized debate on conflicting notions of secularism. It calls for de-hyphenating the so-called ‘Muslim Question’ (place of Muslims in a Hindu-majority India) from the wider debate on secularism and advocates a new Hindu–Muslim deal based around the centuries-old common cultural heritage skirting religious differences.In a refreshing break from liberal orthodoxy, the book explores the idea of a secular Hindu state which will recognize Hinduism as the official religion but guarantee equal rights to all its citizens, irrespective of their faith: a version of Britain’s secular Christian state.An incisive analysis of why secularism failed and the rise of majoritarian Hindu nationalism, it underlines the urgent need for a new road map to restore communal harmony before it’s too late for course correction.