Secularism is a “European concept” and not “bharatiya (Indian)”, Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi said on Monday, triggering sharp reactions from the ruling DMK and the Congress who asked Ravi to “read the constitution”.
“Secularism is a European concept, not an Bharathiya concept... We don’t need such a concept in India. It originated from Europe because of the fight between the Church and the King. How can India be away from dharma? India doesn’t need Secularism,” Ravi said while at an event in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
He added that a “lot of frauds” have been committed on the people of this country, and one of them is that they have been given a wrong interpretation of secularism. “The original Preamble didn’t have the word secular. It was added during the Emergency by an insecure Prime Minister who wanted to appease certain sections of people.”
He went on to say that there has been no conflict similar to what was witnessed in Europe. Citing the Constituent Assembly discussions, he said that it was deliberated there that Bharat is a country of dharma and, “How can there be a conflict with dharma? How can Bharat be away from dharma?”
“In Europe, secularism came because there was a fight between the church and the king which went on for a long time. Secularism is a European concept and it should be left there. In India, there is no need for secularism.”
{{/usCountry}}“In Europe, secularism came because there was a fight between the church and the king which went on for a long time. Secularism is a European concept and it should be left there. In India, there is no need for secularism.”
{{/usCountry}}DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan hit back, saying: “The Governor has to read the Constitution of India... Article 25 says that there should be a conscious freedom of religion that he doesn’t know. He should go and read the constitution fully. Twenty two languages are listed in our constitution.”
In a post on X, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said: “While the idea of secularism may be different in foreign countries, in India we respect all other religions, we respect all other traditions and we respect all other practices and this is the idea of secularism in India… Is the Governor trying to undermine the fundamental principles of our Constitution?
CPI leader D Raja said that Dr BR Ambedkar had expressed that the nation would face a calamity if a Hindu Rashtra were to become a reality.