India has been the home of nearly all the major faiths and traditions. Indian society is known for its deep religiosity. All the major world faiths have their strong presence and their coexistence on a massive scale. Over 1.25 Billion people with all the myriad diversity of rituals, traditions, festivals, places of worship dotting every nook and corner of the country present a unique mosaic that i
s phenomenal to say the least. Although the Indian constitution and Indian political system swear by secularism, in the typical Indian context it does not mean divorce between religion and state but as clearly described in our constitution it means equal respect for all religions ( Sarva Dharma Samvaad ). Yet the social scene of the country is mired in caste inequalities, religious violence, gender injustices, environmental degradation and exploitative practices that are a blot on our great culture and traditions. It is in this backdrop that SDS was formed when we as youth and the future of this vast and diverse country felt profoundly challenged at its social degradation and decided to come together in a meaningful way to launch a constructive interfaith dialogue which would not only bring together youths from across the country and across all faiths to join hands for interfaith dialogue but also collectively crusade against the social ills that plague our society.
