Beyond Secularism : The Rights of Religious Minorities

Contents: Introduction. 1. Religious and political communities in India. 2. Approaching minority rights: some perspectives. 3. Grounding minority rights in the democratic principle. 4. Grounding minority rights in the principles of substantive equality. 5. Thinking through rights I: the discontent with rights. 6. Thinking through rights II: a theoretical exploration. 7. Thinking through rights III: some questions, some considerations. 8. Of communities and cultures: an exploration. 9. The individual and community. 10. Negotiating collective and individual rights. Conclusion: wrapping up the argument synoptically. Bibliography. Index.

"This book revisits the idea of secularism and explores the reasons for its apparent inability to bridge divisions in Indian society. The author argues that the rise of majoritarianism has precipitated the need to move beyond the current understanding of secularism in order to effectively protect minority identities. Chandhoke exposes the theoretical shortcomings of secularism and examines its relation to normative political ideas such as democracy, equality, and rights. This book is a vital contribution to the public discourse on minority rights and is essential for political scientists, sociologists, philosophers, and students of political theory and Indian politics."