The Crisis of Secularism in India

In: Mirovaja ėkonomika i meždunarodnye otnošenija: MĖMO, Band 65, Heft 4, S. 132-138

Abstract

Received 11.01.2020. The article discusses the problem of the decline in the spirit of Indian secularism, both in connection with the significant loss of popularity of the INC party and the general crisis of liberal values in the world, examines the reasons for the complication of intercommunal dialogue and the reduction of public space for tolerance. The understanding of such key ideas as secularism, religious tolerance, multiculturalism, pluralism in political culture and society determines not only its prospects on its path to modernization, but also determines the fate of these societies. In addition to the ideological confrontation around the listed concepts within the Indian political system, the study examines the special role of educational institutions at all levels and the media in expanding the space of public dialogue and also outlines the difficulties faced by the country's political institutions. Based on the examples of recent experience in resolving the Kashmir problem and the adoption of the Citizenship Law, an attempt is made to assess the mutual influence of the secular self-awareness of Indians and religious dynamics in a complex structured Indian society on political processes. The paper assesses the impact of the Hindutva ideology on reducing the degree of secularity in modern India and the role of the Sangh Parivar family (Hindu ethno-nationalist organizations) in the course of the country's forced "saffronization" policy.