Secularism in India gets vitiated at times: SC judge

New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Secularism in India gets vitiatedat times due to partisan political attitude in favour ofparticular communities, sitting Supreme Court judge Justice PSathasivam today said and warned against any compromise withcommunalism.

"Secularism in India at times is vitiated by an excessivereliance on the category of religious community," JusticeSathasivam said, adding "it is clear that secularism mustbodily dissociate itself from any compromise withcommunalism."

"It means a total, unconditional rejection of thecategory of religious community for socio-political dialogueor action," he said, addressing the third annual lecture inmemory of late eminent jurist Dr L.M. Singhvi.

Pointing out that India''s concept of secularism wasdifferent from western notions, the judge delved into thediversity of Indian society and said "a pluralistic societyis the greatest test for secularism."

"While the ideal of religious tolerance is theoreticallyaccepted in the West, it has to be really practised and livedin day-to-day life in a pluralistic society," he said in hislecture attended among others by various apex court judges,lawyers and Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily.

"It not only becomes the basis of peaceful existenceof different religious groups but also paves the way formutual sharing of each others'' beliefs," the judge said.

"It is only in such a society that a society''s secularcommitments can be tested as the leaders of such a societyare faced with the complex problem of harmonizing the claimsof various religions with each other as well as demands of asecular polity," Justice Sathasivam said.