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UNITED STATES, February 21, 2003: This very extensive website offers insight into India’s secular constitution and what it means to be a secular nation as compared to a nation where religion and government power reside in the same hand. The authors comment that “the word Secular has not been defined or explained under the Constitution in 1950 or in 1976 when it was made part of the preamble. A Secular State means that the one that protects all religions equally and does not uphold any religion as the State religion. Unlike in England where the Queen is the Head of the Protestant Church, in India there is no provision to make any religion the ‘established Church.’ The state observes an attitude of neutrality and impartiality towards all religions.” German, British, Turkish and American writers give their input on what it means to be a secular state from their particular national point of view. HPI adds: It is not correct to state, as the site does, that India observes “neutrality and impartiality towards all religions” because minority religion are allowed to teach their religion in schools funded with government money, while majority religion, that is Hindu, schools are not allowed to teach religion. Further, there is not a common civil code for all citizens, but personal codes adjusted to the traditions of each major faith and different for Hindus, Muslims, Christians, etc. Countries such as the US allow only minor exceptions to the civil code by reason of religion.

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