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Secularism Was Never Ours: The Wrong Word for the Wrong Country
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June 1, 2026June 1, 2026PERSPECTIVE

Secularism Was Never Ours: The Wrong Word for the Wrong Country

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What does “secularism” really mean, and does the concept fit India’s civilizational experience? In this essay, Kshiteesh Sharma traces the origins of secularism to specific Christian conflicts in Europe and argues that the term was later transplanted into India without regard for its distinct dharmic traditions. Examining the history of the 42nd Amendment, temple administration, and differing state approaches to religious communities, the article questions whether India’s current model is truly neutral or a legacy of colonial categories. Ultimately, it calls for a re-examination of governance through indigenous concepts such as Dharma and Rajadharma rather than imported frameworks.

“Perversion of India’s Political Parlance” – Sita Ram Goel’s Critique of India’s Political Language
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December 9, 2024December 9, 2024BOOK REVIEW

“Perversion of India’s Political Parlance” – Sita Ram Goel’s Critique of India’s Political Language

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Sita Ram Goel's "Perversion of India’s Political Parlance" is an in-depth analysis of how political language in India has been twisted to serve ideological agendas. Goel critiques the selective use of terms like "secularism" to marginalize Hindu cultural identity while elevating leftist and Islamic narratives. By unraveling these linguistic distortions, the book challenges readers to reflect on the profound impact of words in shaping national identity and political discourse.

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy
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August 8, 2023August 8, 2023EDUCATION, COMMENTARY, ESSAY

Ananda K. Coomaraswamy on Education in India

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This article is a summary and paraphrasing of three of the important essays by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy on the English education of those times (Education in India; Memory in Education; and Music and Education in India).
These three brilliant essays appear in the book Essays in National Idealism. He wrote on an overwhelming variety of topics, which perhaps would require a lifetime of study for any individual.
The aim of this article is to stimulate readers to undertake a serious journey to the writings of Coomaraswamy, a person whose rediscovery means a lot to present India, confused by a mass of rhetoric eulogising the notions of "modernity" and progress.
The reality of a hundred years ago, that he highlights in these essays, is unambiguously still relevant to India, with its acceptance of both the English language as the major medium of instruction and secularism as the guiding principle of our curricula.

Why are the French angry?
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November 10, 2020November 10, 2020CONVERSATION

Why are the French angry?

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The French hold liberal views about most things in life including religion, are secular and love to discuss Sartre and Camus. This time when I spoke to them, it was different. The mood, the tone was not what I had experienced in a long time