An In-Depth Analysis into the Freedom of Religion in India

Submitted By- Yashvardhan Gullapalli

Introduction
With almost 1.3 billion people, India is the world's second-most populous country and the
cradle of four major global religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. It also has
around 180 million Muslims, second only to Indonesia and Pakistan in terms of population.
About 30 million individuals make up a small Christian minority. India, an ostensibly secular
country with tens of thousands of ethnic groups and 22 recognised languages, has a long
history of religious tolerance (with periodic and sometimes serious lapses). It has a
constitution that protects religious freedom. Hindus make up the great bulk of the country's
population (almost four-fifths). Hindu nationalism has risen as a political force in recent
decades, weakening India's secular foundation and contributing to fresh attacks on the
country's religious minorities, according to various assessments.
India, which is most known for its spiritual beliefs, intellectual thinking, and culture, has also
given birth to a large variety of faiths, some of which still exist today. Religion is only a
question of personal preference, perception, and belief. Considering the Indian situation, we
can infer that the people of this nation have deep confidence and reliance on their religion
since they believe it gives purpose and reason to their life. When it comes to those who are
deeply committed to their religion, they leave no stone unturned in demonstrating a high level
of commitment to their faith.
Citizens in India have several fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. The
right to freedom of religion is one of the fundamental rights protected by the constitution.
Because India is a secular country, every individual residing inside its borders has the
freedom to practise whichever religion he or she chooses. This freedom essentially empowers
any Indian citizen to preach, practise, and spread the religion of his or her choosing. This
freedom allows him to freely preach about his religion, promote it to everyone without fear of
official retaliation, and practise it in a peaceful way within the country's authority.

Influencing Factors
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (Indian Peoples' Party or BJP) national election win in 2014
drew additional attention to the topic of religious freedom in India. The BJP traces its roots to
a political party founded in 1951 in collaboration with the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteer Organization or RSS) and has since taken control
of several state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state with
over 200 million residents, one-fifth of whom are Muslims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP's leader, is a self-professed Hindu nationalist and
lifetime RSS member with a tumultuous past: Large-scale anti-Muslim riots occurred in
Gujarat in 2002, during Modi's 13-year stint as chief minister, killing over 1,000 people, and
he was accused of collusion and/or inactivity (he was later formally exculpated). Modi was
refused entrance to the United States in 2005 under a seldom invoked rule restricting entry
for foreign government officials found involved in grave breaches of religious freedom, and
he had no formal interactions with the US government until 2013.
When it comes to ethnicity, religion, creed, community, caste, and other factors, India may be
described as a land of variety. It is a land where millions of people of various castes, sub-
castes, races, languages, and faiths have lived from time immemorial. Differences in
community, religion, or caste are not seen as a hindrance to growth, but rather as a critical
aspect that contributes to enriching culture not just in the society, but also in the nation as a
whole.
When it comes to expressing one's religious values, India is completely neutral, unbiased, and
impartial. The Indian Constitution guarantees that no citizen is denied the freedom to freely
practise his or her chosen religion on Indian soil. The notion of secularism is held in high
respect by the Constitution, which places great emphasis on it. Secularism is extremely
important, and it has earned respect in the eyes of the law. The word "secular" was added to
the preamble of the constitution by the 42nd amendment.

Religious Freedom Issues

International attention is drawn to reported violations of religious freedom in India,
particularly when the Modi government and its partners are thought to be pushing through
with emotional, Hindu nationalist projects promised in the BJP manifesto and eagerly desired
by Hindu organisations. Perceived human rights violations have strained relations between
the United States and India, notably inside the United States Congress. Domestically, the
BJP's national triumph in 2014 looks to have emboldened extreme organisations in ways that
might jeopardise India's and the Modi administration's international reputation. Religious
intolerance, according to several prominent Indian business executives, would undermine the
country's economic interests.

Hindutva as Governance Policy

The Asian Subcontinent had been ruled by Muslims for nearly 500 years before British
authority became direct in 1857. Many Hindu nationalists and historians claim that during
this time, Hindu customs and institutions were repressed. Some were energised to "fix" this
historic pattern as the Indian independence movement emerged in the early twentieth century.
For the independent Indian state, secularism became a more-or-less institutionalised
ideal. Although there are many different interpretations of it in theory and practice.
Because Hinduism does not have a specific sacred text to which conformity can be
demanded, “Hindu fundamentalist” is not an accurate term to describe a purveyor of
“Hindutva” or “Hinduness.” Moreover, as conveyed by one scholar, “India’s diversity along
linguistic, regional, and caste line means defining a ‘Hindu culture’ is problematic.” For
political parties such as the BJP and its antecedents, Hinduism as a concept is almost always
concurrent with nationalism, the core belief being that India is an inherently Hindu nation,
even if the establishment of a strictly Hindu state is not a goal.
In simple terms, the key tenets of the Hindutva ideology are three: (1) Hindus are the rightful
rulers of India, which is a Hindu nation; (2) the Christian and, especially, Muslim minorities
are viewed with ambivalence because their religious allegiances are not indigenous to India
(in a way that those of Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains are); and (3) caste divisions undermine
Hindu unity.
Hindu nationalists have a relatively short, but long-standing list of political goals. Many of
these are found in the BJP’s 2014 election manifesto. RSS leaders were mostly disappointed
by the BJP-led government that ruled India from 1999 to 2004, in large part because then-
Prime Minister Vajpayee and his lieutenants were not seen to be taking up core RSS issues.
While out of power in the latter half of the 2000s, the RSS and BJP suffered a degree of
mutual alienation; at one point in 2010 the then-RSS chief suggested that the BJP be
dissolved and replaced by a new party. Yet the organization’s leaders appeared to view the
BJP victory in 2014 as crucial to the very existence of the RSS. Its leaders thus threw the full
weight of their organization behind Modi’s campaign while enjoying a correlate spike in
participation in 2014.