Secularism is a modality, not a dogma: Hamid Ansari

At a time when communal incidents are increasing in the country, Vice-President M Hamid Ansari has reminded that secularism is a modality, not a dogma. Addressing the Annual International Studies Convention at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday, he said that a new multi-religiosity is threatening to throw western secularism into turmoil.

Citing several studies, Ansari said universally accepted norms are being side-stepped, disowned, or not adhered to, by groups whose identity politics based on ‘an amalgam of slogans and emotions’ and “deriving sustenance from the failure of political and developmental models gives them sufficient staying power to disrupt, even destroy existing structures”.

“They premise this on adherence to an ideal past, directly or otherwise based on their understanding of religious or religio-cultural principles and practices. An evident consequence is a de-secularisation of political discourse; one result of this has been considerably enhanced levels of faith-based conflicts in different regions,” he said.