Secularism Under Siege: Revisiting the Indian Secular State

By: Zaheer Ali

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Synopsis: This anthology makes a discerning attempt to bring into focus myriad dimensions of secularism and the foremost impediments to its attainment. The scholars who contributed to this volume have underscored that the disconnect between a modern-secular state and a conservative society is detrimental to recognizing an ideal secular-democratic polity. Then there is the burden of the past centuries that independent India has to carry on its young shoulders. The political factions in India invent their own historical narratives to advance their political agenda coupled with political and economic arguments leading to social dissensions and communal hatred, the ugliest manifestation of which is communal violence that occasionally takes on the form of anti-minority pogroms. The academic critiques of the concept of secularism and its correlated premises belted in this volume shall be of assistance not only to the scholars but also to the students of social sciences and the conscientious readers interested in knowing about the current socio-political milieu. This title is co-published with Aakar Books. Print editions not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)