Secularism in Public Events

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Context:

The Supreme Court reaffirmed secularism as a part of India’s Constitution while dismissing a petition challenging a Muslim author’s participation in the Mysuru Dasara festival.

Constitutional Principles

Secularism as Basic Structure: The Court reiterated that secularism is a fundamental part of India’s constitutional framework.
Equality in State Events: Public events organised by the State cannot discriminate based on religion, ensuring inclusive participation.
Freedom of Religion Clarified: Articles 25 and 26 guarantee individual religious rights but do not restrict others from participating in cultural or religious celebrations.

Context of Mysuru Dasara

Festival Participation: Banu Mushtaq, a Muslim author, inaugurated the festival at Chamundeshwari Temple as part of a State-sponsored cultural event.
Legal Validation: Both the Karnataka High Court and Supreme Court upheld that her participation did not violate any constitutional provision.
Public vs Private Events: The Dasara festival is a public event, not a private religious ceremony, allowing people of all faiths to partake.

Social and Political Implications

Pluralistic Society: Restricting participation in public gatherings based on religion undermines India’s social harmony.
Historical Unity: Festivals and pilgrimages have historically united diverse communities, transcending social and religious barriers.
Political Misuse: Opportunistic political actors exploit communal sensitivities, creating rifts and threatening coexistence.

Practice Question:

Examine the role of secularism in India’s public life and discuss how judicial intervention ensures protection of constitutional principles during state-sponsored cultural events.

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