‘State should leave religion to individuals’

The State should withdraw from the “realm” of religion, experts have said.

Delivering the Mohammed Ghouse Memorial Lecture at Sri Krishnadevaraya University here on Friday on ‘The challenges for secularism in India’, T.V. Subba Rao of the National Law School of India said the State associating itself with religion triggered “unwarranted” responses from successive governments, which were accused of appeasing religious groups.

“The Constitution makers debated whether the word ‘propagation’ should be added to Article 25. They expressed their views on including the word ‘propagation’ to ensure that the fundamental right to choose a religion was dependant on understanding a religion, which might warrant propagation,” Mr. Rao said.

Decrying ‘ghar vapsi’, K. Venkata Reddy, who delivered the keynote address, said the State should leave religion entirely to individuals.