"Inclusive Rhetoric Abroad Contrasted with Domestic Majoritarian Political Discourse"
Principled distance
India's secularism model where the state neither promotes nor suppresses religion but may intervene for social reform.
Dog-whistle politics
coded political language that signals exclusionary meaning to a target group while maintaining deniability.
India's Constitution is built on the principle of equal citizenship. Articles 14, 15, and 21 guarantee equality before law, prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, and protection of life and personal liberty for every person. Articles 25 to 28 protect freedom of religion for all citizens. These provisions together form the constitutional foundation of India's secular character, which the Supreme Court has recognised as part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
The idea of secularism in India differs from the strict church-state separation model of Western liberal democracies. Indian secularism is better described as principled distance: the state neither promotes nor suppresses any religion, and it intervenes in religious affairs only to ensure social reform, equality, and public order. This model was shaped by the experience of Partition and by the vision of national leaders who saw diversity not as a problem to be managed but as the substance of the nation itself.
The Representation of the People Act, 1951 prohibits electoral appeals on grounds of religion, caste, race, community, or language under Section 123, classifying them as corrupt practices. Despite this, the boundary between permissible political speech and prohibited communal appeals has been a recurring site of legal and political contestation.
Constitutional citizenship rests on a specific idea: every citizen holds an equal and unconditional claim to dignity, security, and belonging. This is not a privilege granted by the majority to the minority. It is a right that exists independently of any political calculation or social consensus. When political discourse repeatedly questions the loyalty, identity, or belonging of a religious community, it erodes this constitutional premise even without formally violating any law.
The concept of dog-whistle politics refers to coded political language that carries one meaning for a general audience and a different, more targeted meaning for a specific group. Such language allows political actors to mobilise communal anxieties while maintaining plausible deniability. …
Discuss India as a secular state and compare with the secular principles of the US Constitution. (Answer in 250 words)
India and USA are two large democracies. Examine the basic tenets on which the two political systems are based.
Consider the following statements regarding the S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) judgment:
1.The Supreme Court held that secularism is a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
2.The judgment held that a state government acting against secularism can be dismissed under Article 356.
3.The judgment was delivered by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
With reference to secularism under the Indian Constitution, consider the following statements:
1.The word 'secular' was part of the original Preamble adopted in 1949.
2.The Supreme Court has held secularism to be part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
3.The state is prohibited from intervening in religious affairs under any circumstances.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Indian model of secularism:
1.It is based on the principle of 'principled distance', meaning the state maintains equidistance from all religions.
2.The state is permitted to intervene in religious affairs to ensure social reform and equality.
3.It is identical to the US model of secularism, which also allows state intervention in religion.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, consider the following statements:
1.An appeal to vote on grounds of religion is classified as a corrupt practice under Section 123.
2.A candidate found guilty of a corrupt practice under the Act is disqualified from contesting elections for six years.
3.The Act applies only to Lok Sabha elections and not to State Legislative Assembly elections.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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