Comparative Study of Essential Religious Practices under Secularism in India, France, and the USA

This paper compares and contrasts the idea of fundamental religious practices under secularism in France, India, and the US, examining how each nation strikes a balance between religious liberty and official impartiality. A positive secularism approach exists in India, where the state interacts with religion to guarantee equality while courts decide what "essential religious practices" are worthy of constitutional protection. France adheres to a more rigorous form of secularism called laïcité, which emphasizes a clear separation between religion and state, frequently limiting religious expression in the sake of maintaining governmental neutrality, particularly with regard to Islam. Under the First Amendment, the United States employs a separationist approach that guarantees both the free exercise of religion and its non-establishment. However, there are obstacles in balancing religious liberty with public policy and anti-discrimination laws. The study comes to the conclusion that although all three nations strive to maintain secularism, there are differences in how different historical, cultural, and legal settings are interpreted, making it difficult to accommodate religious practices.