Answer: 

Introduction:

Secularism is a principle of separation of religious institutions and state. India, since Independence, has been following a peculiar notion of secularism, whereby all religions are treated equally and supported by the State.

However, this concept, at present, is undergoing paradigm shifts. While the judiciary is enriching the concept of secularism by inserting Constitutional morality as a significant component of secularism, there is a growth of misguided perceptions about secularism. The ultimate outcome of these changes is the rise of various challenges to our diverse cultural practices.

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Body:

Challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism

• Misinterpretation of Secularism: Some people interpret secularism as a rejection of traditional cultural practices and religious beliefs. This leads to the stigmatization of certain cultural practices as “backward” or “primitive”.
• Secularism as ‘anti-religion’: This perception discourages various religious practices like rituals, clothing, thoughts etc. People who wear the saffron dress, who keep beard and pat skull cap (Taqiyah) and all considered fundamentalists. Those who do not believe in good or abandon their religious beliefs are marked as secular. This thought is leading to a slow degradation of cultural practices.
• Restrictions on Religious practices: Certain religious practices have been banned in the name of secularism. These restrictions can be seen as an infringement on religious freedom and cultural practices.
  • Example: Judiciary banning bursting of crackers; ban on Jallikattu; Consumption of certain meats as per local preference is interrupted by banning slaughter of those animals.
• Right to Equality: Secularism has been used as the basis for furthering principles like gender equality in religious practices. The practice of triple talaq and the ban on entry of women in Sabarimala temple were all declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.
• Discrimination in laws: There are different civil laws for different religious communities. It is being sought to be unified into one in the name of secularism. But this would subdue the varieties in our cultural practices.
• Political manipulation: The concept of secularism is sometimes used for political gains. This can lead to the suppression of certain cultural practices for the sake of electoral gains.

Conclusion:

India must always be the perfect picture of booming diversity. It is obvious that while some of the challenges are the outcome of the misleading notion of secularism, others are due to the exploitative and discriminatory nature of cultural practices only. The solution lies in getting all the stakeholders like religious leaders, judges, right’s activists, civil society groups, NGOs and government representatives together over a common platform to discuss the challenges and to bring unanimity for preserving the cultural practices of our country.

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