Pradeep Ramteke
Editor-in-Chief
India is a democratic and secular country, and the Constitution here gives equal rights to the followers of every religion. The Constitution does not bind the government to any particular religion.
Therefore, secularism should be strictly followed in government offices and institutions. In this context, since displaying photos of gods and goddesses, idols or any religious symbols in government offices is a controversial issue, it should be noted that the behavior of the officials in the said offices is against secularism.
Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution of India protect the religious freedom of citizens. However, the government and its institutions do not have the right to promote any particular religion.
According to Article 27, no office can be used for the propagation of a particular religion. On the same principle, displaying pictures of any gods or goddesses or keeping religious symbols in government offices goes against the secular principles of the Constitution.
On various occasions, the courts and the government have also directed to follow secularism in government offices. But the officers are not seen performing their duties as per the directions of the Supreme Court and the government. Due to this, such officers or employees should be dismissed from service…
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1. Supreme Court verdict…
The Supreme Court has made it clear many times before that the government cannot propagate the symbols of any particular religion.
Government offices are for the service of the people and should not be linked to any religious identity.
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2. Maharashtra Government Order (2016)….
The Maharashtra Government has issued a circular in 2016, in accordance with the 2002 decision, not to display any religious symbols in government offices.
In such a situation, criminal action should also be taken against those officials who trample on the definition of secularism and arbitrarily administer religion in the office.
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3. Uttar Pradesh Government Decision (2023) –
Some district collectors in Uttar Pradesh had ordered the removal of photos of gods and goddesses from their offices, which caused a lot of discussion.
Because government offices belong to all citizens. Government offices are for all citizens, regardless of their religion.
The administration in India is run on the basis of law, not religion. Therefore, installing or recognizing specific religious symbols in public places violates the principle of equality.
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Religious freedom and government machinery…
Any person has the right to worship in private. However, since government offices are a public system, it is wrong to follow the practices of a specific religion there.
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Role of state governments taking the lead in secularism…
Some states have taken steps to ensure that no religious symbols are displayed in government offices.
1. Kerala Government –
Kerala has ordered that government offices be kept completely secular.
2. Tamil Nadu Government –
Tamil Nadu has also banned any kind of religious propaganda in government offices.
3. Delhi Government –
A campaign was launched in Delhi to remove religious symbols from some government buildings.
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Why is secularism necessary?
1. Inclusivity…
Government offices are for all citizens. No citizen should be disturbed by their religious beliefs.
2. Avoidance of discrimination…
If symbols of a particular religion are approved, followers of other religions may feel marginalized.
3. Adherence to the values of the Constitution…
The Constitution of India recognizes the principle of secularism.
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Government offices are for administrative work, not for the propagation of any particular religious trend.
Therefore, there must be a ban on displaying photos of gods and goddesses, idols or other religious symbols in such places.
This is why there are clear instructions that government officials and employees should follow the secular principles given by the Constitution and not keep any religious things in the offices.
