Indian Secularism frames Individual Freedom from Religion

In the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a 35-year-old woman lawyer, after years of dispute with the local authorities, has succeeded in obtaining an official certificate confirming that she belongs neither to a religion nor to a caste. The woman comes from a very secular family, all her siblings and children have names that do not relate to any caste or religion.
While Indian secularism is theoretically supposed to guarantee freedom of religion, this now enforced freedom of religion presents itself as problematic in everyday life, since the assignment to castes and religions plays an important, self-evident role in many public areas, such as education.

More information in The Free Press Journal.