Freedom of religion in India

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Constitution of India
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Freedom of religion in India is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 25-28 of the Constitution of India.^[1] Modern India came into existence in 1947 and the Indian constitution's preamble was amended in 1976, to make India a secular state.^[2] Supreme Court of India ruled that India was already a secular state from the time it adopted its constitution, what actually was done through this amendment is to state explicitly what was earlier contained implicitly under article 25 to 28.^[3] Every citizen of India has a right to practice and promote their religion peacefully. However, there have been numerous instances of religious intolerance that resulted in riots and mob violences; notably, the 1984 Sikh Massacre in the New Delhi territory, 1990 Exile of Kashmiri Pandits (Brahmins) from Kashmir (Cashmere), the 1992-93 Bombay Riots in Mumbai (Bombay), the 2008 Anti-Christian riots in Odisha (Orissa) & other anti-Christian violence in India. Some perpetrators of the 1984 Sikh Massacre in New Delhi area, have not been brought to justice despite widespread condemnation.^[4][5][6][7]

India is one of the most diverse nations in terms of religion. It is the birthplace of four major religions: Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. Even though Hindus form 80 percent of the population, India also has religious adherents concentrated in certain places: Jammu and Kashmir has a Muslim majority, Punjab has a Sikh majority; Nagaland, Meghalaya & Mizoram have Christian majorities; states such as Maharashtra, Gujrat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Karnataka have significant minorities of Jains; the Himalayan States such as Sikkim, Ladakh & Arunachal; the state of Maharashtra and the Darjeeling District of West Bengal have significant concentrations of Buddhist populations. Other than Hindus and Muslims, India is home to Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian, Indigenous & Irreligious populations. Islam is the largest minority religion, as Indian Muslims form the third largest Muslim population in the world & account for over 14 percent of the India's population.

Rajni Kothari, founder of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies has written, "India is a country built on the foundations of a civilization that is fundamentally tolerant."^[9]