The disenchantment with the secular ideal
Hindustan Times East UP|December 18, 2024
The secular ethos envisaged in the Constitution should be the foundation for governing India
Yamini Aiyar

On December 12, through an interim order, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by the current Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, delivered a brief respite against the rising tide of communalism. The bench has temporarily barred trial courts from admitting petitions and passing "effective orders" allowing surveys in cases related to the Places of Worship Act, 1991 until the validity of the 1991 law is determined. In so doing, the Supreme Court has put a temporary lid on the Pandora's box opened by former Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud's observations in the Gyanvapi mosque case that merely allowing a "survey" did not violate the Places of Worship Act.

But this respite may well be short-lived. Open majoritarianism and shrill bigotry are now the dominant culture of our polity. We are allowing this to transform us from a society that, in its founding moment, audaciously attempted to build a sense of civicness on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance bound by constitutional values of secularism into one that has fallen prey to insecure, aggressive pettiness. The plethora of petitions to examine whether temples stood where mosques do and reinterpret history are an outcome of this. The violence in Sambhal after the survey team arrived in late November is just a fleeting glimpse of what could lie ahead. To confront this malaise, we desperately need to restore our secular ethos. The real tragedy is that secularism today has very few champions.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HINDUSTAN TIMES EAST UPView all
Rain revelry no more; deluge ravaged 24 UP primary schools
Hindustan Times East UP

Rain revelry no more; deluge ravaged 24 UP primary schools

In the context of the Indian subcontinent, two things bring unadulterated joy - rain and children.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Govt presents 2nd supplementary budget of Rs 17865.72 crore

The UP government on Tuesday presented its second supplementary budget of Rs 17865.72 crore for 2024-2025, including additional provisions for sprucing up the energy sector, making Prayagraj Mahakumbh secure and magnificent, creating development infrastructure, providing additional funds for maintenance of cows and ensuring the sanctity of examinations.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

EDUCATION MIN ANNOUNCES OVERHAUL, NTA TO ONLY CONDUCT ENTRANCES

The National Testing Agency (NTA) will not conduct any recruitment exams starting 2025 and will focus on only higher education entrance exams, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Rahul, Jadeja, tailenders help India avoid follow-on at Gabba

BRISBANE: KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja were determination personified as their fighting fifties helped India avoid the follow-on on the fourth day of the weather-hit third Test against a menacing Australia that seems meandering towards a draw.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

New Zealand crush England to send Southee out on high

HAMILTON: New Zealand tore through England's batting Tuesday to crush the visitors by 423 runs in the third Test and send Tim Southee into retirement on a triumphant note.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

INJURED JOSH HAZLEWOOD TO MISS REST OF INDIA SERIES

Australia pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood is likely to miss the rest of the Test series against India after injuring his right calf during his warm-up before play in Brisbane on Tuesday.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Security concerns hinder AI adoption in India: Report

NEW DELHI: As many as 92% of Indian executives view security vulnerabilities as the foremost challenge to responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, highlighting a pressing need for robust governance frameworks to foster trust and mitigate risks in an increasingly AI-driven landscape, according to a recent report by Deloitte.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Jaitley beats Azad to be re-elected as DDCA president

Incumbent Rohan Jaitley comfortably defeated former India cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Kirti Azad to be elected as the President of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) for a third successive term.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Banking liquidity deficit hits highest in six months

The liquidity deficit in the Indian banking system hit the highest in nearly six months on advance tax payments by companies and likely dollar sales by the central bank to curb rupee volatility.

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024
Hindustan Times East UP

Sebi mulls new platform to trace unclaimed MF folios

THE PLATFORM WOULD ALLOW INVESTORS TO SEARCH FOR FORGOTTEN MF INVESTMENTS, UPDATE KYC

time-read
1 min  |
December 18, 2024