Sarva Dharma Samabhava
Also called: Equal respect for all religions (Gandhian) · Topic: Secularism: Western and Indian Models · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Sarva Dharma Samabhava means "equal respect for all religions". It is Gandhi's idea. For Gandhi, religion could not be kept out of politics, and by religion he meant the moral values that all faiths share, not any one faith. Under this idea, the state engages with every religion and treats them all with the same respect, instead of staying away from them. It is a popular way of describing Indian secularism, but NCERT calls it inadequate. Living side by side is not enough, and the state does not have to respect every religious practice, such as caste hierarchy.
Example
On 11 November 1976, while the 42nd Amendment was being debated, Law Minister H. R. Gokhale defended "Dharma Nirapekshata" in the Rajya Sabha as the Hindi word for "secular". In the same reply he cited Gandhi's ideal of equal respect for all religions. These are two different ideas, and the amendment did not choose between them.
Don't confuse with
- Dharma Nirapekshata: means neutrality towards religion, where the state keeps away from all faiths. Sarva Dharma Samabhava means the state engages with all faiths equally.
- Principled distance: the state may step in or stay out, and help or hold back, depending on what best serves freedom, equality and peace. So it can act against unfair practices inside a religion, such as untouchability, instead of respecting them.