Historically, because of excessive emphasis on rituals and dominance of Brahmanism in Hinduism, two heterodox religious movements came into existence viz. Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhism and Jainism were / are not regarded as some alien religions and they were / are accepted as the movements within Hinduism. Zoroastrianism (the religion of Parsees) entered India first followed by Islam and then Christianity. Although demographically Bharat has been a Hindu nation, Hindus never imposed their way of life on others. Acceptance of people of different faiths has been the hall mark of the Hindu way of life and thinking. There were no instances of religious persecution in India. Ironically, it is Hindus who ill-treated their own members. Therefore India has been both a secular and Hindu nation from the historical times. Almost all the problems that we face in the sphere of religion vis-a-visa the state at present are because of the unnecessary interference with the basic structure of our Constitution. When the Constitution was adopted, the Preamble of Constitution read: We, the People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic. But, in 1977, the Preamble was amended (forty second amendment) and the amended Preamble read: We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic. It is an unwarranted amendment. Different articles in the Constitution guarantee that India has to be a democratic nation in which all citizens enjoy equal rights, including the right to profess one’s own religion.
SND Poojary, Miramar
