Erosion Of Secularism
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
24 July 2026
Recently, Khairul Hassan Jahin of 'The Daily Star' (Bangladesh) interviewed philosopher and historian of science, Dr Meera Nanda: " Why secularism is losing ground in South Asia "
I urge the readers to go through this extremely perceptive and thought-stirring interview. Many issues (that could be uncomfortable to the current political dispensation) have emerged in this candid interview. I'm gleaning and quoting just two:
" I recently came across a good example of what reactionary modernism looks like on the ground: in India, the first popular AI-powered apps are all astrological! The jyotishis are taking the lead in putting AI to work at scale, and they are doing a thriving business because there is huge demand for these ancient superstitions. I would not be surprised if the software engineers writing the code for these programmes are themselves avid consumers of astrology."
Meera Nanda
MN: " I believe very strongly that you need a secularised culture for secularism to take root. A culture as saturated with gods, goddesses, godmen and gurus as India is today is not hospitable to secularism. Why would those for whom everything is permeated with the divine want to separate the state from the dictates of dharma? Why would those who define their identities in religious terms not want the state to be the guardian of their faith? "
Is there a secularised culture or spirit for secularism to thrive? When the academic institutes, the primary and fundamental symbols and custodians of secularism, have begun to add the names of gurus, babas and godmen to their original names and identities, can you expect even an iota of secularism?
Nagpur University is now called Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University and Bilaspur University is known as Guru Ghasidas University! The very names take the sheen off and they grate on ears. Every sant (saint) is a Rashtrasant and every 'holy' man is a Guru! Ubiquitous Shivaji's mother is Rashtra mata! Saints like Tukaram and Gyaneshwar are Vishwa sant to their followers. Everything begins with the invocation of a god, goddess, saint or a holy spirit.
The exasperating Alhamdulillah and Bismillah culture of Muslims has rubbed off on Hindus. They (Hindus) too have started to chant their religious benedictions all the time. Dubious 'spiritual gurus' and babas like Ramdev, Jaggi, Ravi Shankar, among others are being invited by the varsities to address their students and teachers. They talk rank nonsense. Obfuscation is their forte and turbidity is their hallmark. Yet the professors and students call that enlightenment! Have we ever bothered to think, what are we teaching our young generation? Aren't we teaching them abstruse and amorphous things like god, aatma, parmatma, soul, meditation, transcendence and all that jazz? Will that help inculcate scientific temperament? Will Saturn and Jupiter's movements crores of miles away affect our lives and get the youngsters jobs? One 'professor' who doubles up as a soothsayer believes that Grah-Dasha is creating the current agitation at the Jantar-Mantar!
We're systematically as well as stubbornly going backward. Secularism has lost its meaning, relevance and utility in these unscientific and religiously-surcharged times. This is alarming.
…
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/erosion-of-secularism-/d/140922
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism