School as a Secular Space in Contemporary India

Abstract The Constitution of India upholds secularism as a key ideal. Yet it does not provide a definite idea of what secularism must entail. This book journeys into the life of a Government-aided non-religious school in Delhi to understand how the abstract concept of secularism is interpreted and enacted in the school. As it unpacks the school, revealing layers of conformity, negotiation, and contestation to the school’s conception and practice of secularism, it also offers general insights into the nature of secularism in India. In India, the concept of secularism weaves a connection with nationalism, religion, and community-based assertions. It grounds itself in the concepts of equality and social justice. The book explores plural and even competing narratives of secularism. Noting dilemmas and contradictions as well as contestations surrounding the idea and practice of secularism in the school, the book argues that these are not confined to the school alone; they mirror the paradox of secularism in the Indian society.