Kerala CM Mourns Erosion of Secularism: "Nehru's Vision Fading as Religion Blends with State"

Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, lamented the passing of the age in which those in constitutional positions were expected to uphold the boundary separating the State from religion on Monday.

Vijayan recounted how Jawaharlal Nehru had attempted to keep religion and the State apart in a video message that was made public shortly after the dedication of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Indian secularism, according to our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is defined as the separation of religion and state. In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a constitutional authority who presided at the consecration of the Ram temple, he said, "We even have a strong tradition of maintaining that separation."

But now, it seems like the distinction between religion and the state is eroding. This is a significant change from the past, when our constitutional office-bearers were advised against attending religious gatherings because it would damage our reputation as a secular state," he said in English.

The chief minister continued by pointing out how, by neglecting the fundamental idea that divides the State from religion, religious gatherings are being staged as State events.

Protest in the Preamble

Ahead of the Ram temple dedication in Ayodhya, a number of well-known figures from the Malayalam film industry shared pictures of the Preamble to the Constitution on social media. Stars from other regions of the film industry, such as Rajinikanth and Chiranjeevi, also attended the ceremony.