Indian Ambassador Confirms His Country's Constitution Guarantees Religious Freedom

JAKARTA - Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Manoj Kumar Bharti said India's constitution guarantees freedom of religion and religious practice for all religions.

"All countries are governed by one constitution, which is important in maintaining a sense of uniformity and equality," said Manoj Kumar Bharti, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, April 19.

He said special constitutional provisions for minority groups in India gave them the autonomy to preserve and practice their culture.

Given the pluralistic nature of Indian society, it is possible that certain problems may arise between the two different cultural or ethnic groups, Bharti said.

He said India's independent judicial system set an example in upholding the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Bharti said India is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society like Indonesia. Since ancient times, he continued, various social, ethnic, religious groups have lived in harmony with each other in India and the essence of Indian culture is to respect all differences and debates.