Pluralism, Texts, and Oaths

[Noel Salmond]

At 11:36 AM 3/9/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Many Tamils take oath with Tirukkural in courts, swearing in
>ceremonies, weddings. For a good translation,
>K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar, Tirukkural, an English verse rendering,
>M. P. Birla Foundation, 1988.
>
>P.S.Sundaram, The Kural, Penguin is easily available.
>
Would this be a text also used by Tamils from Sri Lanka for the same
purposes?
What is the policy of the Indian courts with regard to the use of sacred
texts for oaths, is it optional altogether? Was or is their use debated
given the commitment to secularism?

in abysmal ignorance, but with many thanks

Noel Salmond
Carleton University
Ottawa, Canada