This paper examines the status of Indian women after 1947. Did Indian independence grant them full political, social and legal rights, or were the dice loaded from the start? A pattern of social dichotomy emerges. On the one hand, Indian women occupied high profile political posts as Ministers, Vice Chancellors, Tax Commissioners, judges, and heads of state. On the other hand, dowry burning, female infanticide and female fœticide are very much a part of the reality of India. This paper studies the distinctive nature of Indian secularism and its impact on Indian women as democratic citizens.