Religion and politics are two most powerful forces which dictate the lives of people. Many modern states choose secularism over state religion to avoid putting religion on a political pedestal rather than a spiritual and a personal belief. It is crucial to also maintain cultural plurality without appearing to favour one paticular religion. The distance between the religion and politics is necessary because-
1. Its proximity to one religion promotes myopic view which disregards the views of other religions. Politics perpetuaes that religious view and causes rift in the society along communal lines. Reason for India's partition lay in playing politics with religion.
2. Vote bank politics ensures patronage to one community and not providing just and equitable administration to all citizens as equals. In extreme circumstance religious indoctrniation alienates certain religious orders as undesirables. -Jews in Germany prior to WOrld War 2 ;Ahmadiya in Pakistan
3. If politics is allowed to inter mixed with religion, communal riots at times have state sponsorship or lack of political will to stop it.Ex- Gujarat riots.
4. Politics promoting religious angles promote archaic belief system anathema to modern State. Its important that politics remain a public affair and religion a personal spiritual quest and two should not feed off each other.
But India has always had heavily religious bent of is populace , so to expect that force not to be carried into politics is impossible, India's positive secularism is a testament to how multi cultral and religious contry can survive with its ethos of "SarvaDharmaSambhav". India being a tolerant country has always had a state religion which did not persecute others while supporting all- Ex: Akbar's din-i-ilahi , Ashoka's policy on Dhamma.
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