Abstract
The religious, cultural and ethnic diversity in Indian society presents challenges as well as opportunities for the democratic structure of the state. India has used the vanguard of secularism to celebrate the diversity. However, its metamorphing interpretations have created a conflict between secular ideology and minority rights. The existence of personal laws derived from religion; the affiliation of political parties with fundamentalist religious organizations; and the rallying of a significant proportion of the Hindu Diaspora behind Hindutva philosophy are indicative of the conflict. This study aims at discussing the state of minorities in India and its interface with the domestic politics and the country’s standing abroad. In this context, a probing look at the Indian experience due to its aspirations for regional leadership becomes pertinent. The paper argues that safeguard of minority groups in India particularly attracts the attention of the world community due to its complicated social fabric that is characterized by social ostracism on the ground of caste, ethnicity and religion.
Keyword(s)
STATE, INDIAN MINORITIES, impact, DOMESTIC POLITICS, COUNTRY’S STANDING ABROAD