Locating Multiculturalism and the Cultural rights of Minorities

Multiculturalism as an ideology implies equal respect and consideration for varied cultural groups and their cultural identity while recognising equality at an inter group level to be its underlining principle. It tries to ensure parity among different cultures by recognising that the individuals and their selves are culturally situated and cultural forms a significant part of their individual self. This paper tries to underline the claims put forward by different minority cultural groups within a liberal democracy in terms of their right to assertion of their culture while seeking its preservation and protection as well. It also tries to understand the various conflicts that emerge owing to the assertion of their cultural rights viz. the tussle between the individual rights and the collective rights, the vulnerability of the inside minorities within cultural groups, the issues of minoritarianism as well as majoritarianism and many more. Further, the paper seeks to address as to how far can we go in terms of justifying the legitimate claim for cultural rights of minorities for self-governance executed in the private sphere while reflecting on the implications of providing such rights to the cultural group for its individual members in terms of honouring the idea of justice and ensuring equality for the individual members of the liberal state. Therefore, it tries to do so by elucidating the theoretical work of Kymlicka, Bhiku Parekh, Sandel and Seyla Habeeb and Okin while also demonstrating the Indian case of claims of religious minorities and their assertion of cultural rights while reflecting on the various possibilities and multicultural paths that can provide a democratic reconciliation to the tussle between the collective and individual rights.