Limiting Secularism: The Ethics of Coexistence in Indian Literature and Film

by Priya Kumar

With a backdrop of religious violence and escalating regional tensions in South Asia, Priya Kumar’s Limiting Secularism probes the urgent topic of secularism and tolerance in Indian culture and life. Kumar explores Partition as the founding trauma of the Indian nation-state and traces the consequences of its marking off of “Indian” from “Pakistani” and the positioning of Indian Muslims as strangers within the nation.

Kumar unpacks the implications of the Nehruvian doctrine of tolerance-with all of its resonances of condescension and inequality-and asks whether more ethical cohabitation can replace the “arrogant compulsive tolerance” of the state and the majority. Informed by Jacques Derrida’s recent work on hospitality and living together, Kumar argues for the emergence of an “ethics of coexistence” in Indian fiction and film. Considering narratives ranging from the cosmopolitan English novels of Rushdie and Ghosh to literature in South Asian languages as well as recent Hindi cinema, Kumar demonstrates that these fictions are important resources for reimagining tolerance and coexistence.

Distinctive and timely in its investigation of secularism and communalism, Limiting Secularism works to envision the radical possibilities of going beyond tolerance to living well together.

Priya Kumar is associate professor of English at the University of Iowa. 

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2008

About the author

Priya Kumar is an Indian motivational speaker, corporate trainer, columnist, radio jockey and author. She has authored nine books, out of which three are non fiction and six are fiction. Her style of writing is very versatile, where she has authored four inspirational fiction books, she has penned a book of original quotes, written two biographies and a non fiction tale of her adventures with the shamans, in the Netherlands.

In recognition of her work, she has won a total of 13 International Awards, which includes the Eric Hoffer International Book Award and the Evergreen Medal, along with several National Accolades. In 2017, Priya Kumar won the Speaking Tree Good Karma Award, for the best inspirational author, in the country.


As a motivational speaker, she believes in a unique approach and a refreshing perspective. Her positivity, upbeat attitude and undying spirit have made her one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the country.Her areas of expertise are corporate training, leadership, motivation, team-building, and personal breakthrough
Priya Kumar specializes in Fire Walking. She got her fire-walk certification from Sundoor, and went on to assist Fire Walk instructors across the world, before she introduced Fire Walking as a part of her Motivational Speaking agenda.

She has found that walking on fire is a great tool for transforming beliefs, and instilling in people a renewed confidence, about handling challenges. It challenges past beliefs, where the person has learnt that fire burns and now takes it head on, and walks on it, without as much as a sting.