Author: Ronojoy Sen
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2012
Language: English
Pages: 237
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9780198085355
Description
This pioneering book analyses India’s approach to secular governance in light of the judgments delivered by the Indian Supreme Court. It focuses specifically on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion and its influence on the discourse of secularism and nationalism.
The volume, examining the role of the Court in defining and demarcating religion, religious freedom, practices, and organizations, also addresses important issues such as interpretative traditions and legal doctrines developed by the judiciary over the years.
This edition will be useful to students and scholars of law, modern Indian history, and political science.
COMMENTS:
“This book is an indispensable introduction to the way in which the court has shaped Hinduism in particular; substituting its own authority with traditional authority.”
--- Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Outlook
“On the basis of a wide range of supreme court rulings, Sen suggests that the Indian state has pushed its reformist agenda at the expense of religious freedom and neutrality.”
--- V. Venkatesan, Frontline
Contents
Introduction
1. Defining Religion: The Supreme Court and Hinduism
2. The Doctrine of Essential Practices: The Judges Shape a Rational Hinduism
3. In the Name of God: Regulating Religion in Elections
4. Good Citizens: Religion and Educational Institutions
5. Boundaries of Faith: The Court and Conversion
6. Imposing Legal Uniformity: The Court and Muslim Minority Rights
7. Judging Religion: A Nehruvian in Court
8. Conclusion
Select Bibliography
Case Index
Subject Index