Unpacking the 'S' word

Though compact, Nalini Rajan's book packs an abundance of deeply researched information, aiming to reinforce one's understanding of secularism

Secularism: How India Reshaped the Idea

Author: Nalini Rajan

Publisher: Speaking Tiger

Pages: 171

Price: Rs 399

Secularism is a problematic word in India. Almost every political party or civil society group, whatever their political orientation, claims to be “secular” and committed to the “ism”. The author of this treatise fleshes out three definitions of the word from two dictionaries and one encyclopaedia and contends that all are “simplistic and misleading insofar as they imply that secularism is a single-value idea.” Instead, she postulates that “secularism is a far more complex, triple-value concept”.

This is the third book in an intended series of 10 publications