Emphasising the urgent need for the people of India to detoxify the communal mindset , CPI(M) Polit Bureau member M.A. Baby here on Tuesday expressed concern over the systematic erosion of freedom of religion, as guaranteed by the Constitution, under the current regime.
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Speaking at a colloquium on “The Status of Freedom of Religion in India” at Mahatma Gandhi University, he said that communal forces challenged the very idea of India and undermined constitutional mandates and obligations. Toxic patriotic campaigns and communal ideological fervour have escalated to dangerous levels, with even non-believers increasingly targeted.
Irfan Engineer, Director of the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), warned that the increasing polarisation today threatens the very essence of India’s secular identity. Valson Thampu and R. Rajagopal were among those spoke at the event.
The colloquium was organised by the Inter-University Centre for Social Science Research and Extension (IUCSSRE) and the Mar Chrysostom Chair at Mahatma Gandhi University in association with the CSSS, Mumbai.