Mangaluru: Organisations, including the Congress, have failed in conveying to the people the real meaning of secularism, said Congress leader and former Minister for Primary and Secondary Education B.K. Chandrashekar here on Saturday.

Speaking after inaugurating a seminar on “Indian secularism” organised by the Centre for Nehru Studies of Mangalore University at Mangalagangotri, Mr. Chandrashekar said that the country was known for its diversity and this can be preserved only when people are made known of the real meaning of secularism. He said that secularism as perceived by the Western countries was different from what was seen in India.

Mr. Chandrashekar said that there were many in India following different religions. Such people cannot be outlawed. He said that there was a dire need to separate political power from religion in India. Mr. Chandrashekar regretted that that were only about 20 people in universities in India who speak aloud on secularism.

Writer Rajendra Chenni said that there were no problems in the country till the boundaries of religion were unclear. Problems have arisen only when some people started drawing boundaries of religion and make people believe in it. Vice Chancellor (In-charge) Kishore Kumar C.K. also spoke.

Earlier, the Academic Council, in its meeting at the university, approved the statute related to establishment and functioning of the Centre for Nehru Studies. The centre will be managed out of the interest accrued on the corpus fund of ₹ 3 crore given by the State government in 2016-17, the statute said.