The Constitution was created by proud Indians who battled and vanquished European colonialism, yet also found much of value in European ideas. The modernisers included not just atheists like Jawaharlal Nehru but pious Hindus ranging from Rajendra Prasad to C Rajagopalachari, the famed translator of the Mahabharata.
Is secularism a European concept that does not belong in India? That astonishing claim was made recently by Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi. This is part of an attack on a ‘colonial mindset’ supposedly created by a thousand years of enslavement by Muslim and Christian conquerors, and now adopted by the Congress.
This article was originally published by The Times of India on Oct 5 2024.
