New Delhi, India – The government of India announced this week that it will begin inscribing the phrase “In Gods We Trust” on all newly minted coins and banknotes. The symbolic change is meant to reflect the nation’s religious traditions, but it is already igniting fierce debate among minority communities.
Prime Minister Rakesh Malhotra unveiled the plan during a press briefing at Parliament House on Thursday. He described it as a natural recognition of the faith and culture that have sustained India for millennia. “For too long, our currency has been a sterile representation of numbers and denominations,” Malhotra said. “Now, it will also carry the imprint of our civilizational spirit. We are a land where the divine takes many forms, and ‘In Gods We Trust’ honors that truth.”
As the announcement settled, attention turned to the religious roots of the phrase. India’s majority Hindu population, nearly 80 percent of the country’s 1.4 billion citizens, has long practiced a polytheistic faith rooted in reverence for multiple deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, and Durga. Temples across the subcontinent remain central to community life. Scholars quickly noted that the wording was tailored to India’s polytheistic heritage, rather than borrowing directly from Western currency mottos. Dr. Priya Ranganathan, a historian of religion at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said, “It is a reassertion of India’s plural spiritual heritage, one that embraces many gods and many paths.”
Not everyone welcomed the news, and conversations soon shifted toward the concerns of India’s Muslim minority, which accounts for about 14 percent of the population. Critics argued that placing “In Gods We Trust” on national currency marginalizes communities that adhere to monotheistic traditions. Ahmed Khan, a community leader from Hyderabad, said, “India’s Constitution promises secular governance. When the government elevates polytheism on national currency, it tells Muslims, Christians, and others that their faiths are second-class. This is not unity, this is exclusion.”
From there, the debate spread to Parliament and beyond. Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party praised the change as cultural pride. Finance Minister Sunita Iyer described it as “a small but powerful gesture, reminding every citizen of the divine roots of our civilization.” Opposition lawmakers, however, cautioned that the move could inflame interfaith tensions. “At a time when the country should be focusing on jobs, inflation, and education, we are debating gods on our currency,” said Arjun Patel of the Indian National Congress. “This is a distraction with dangerous consequences.”
Attention also turned to the practical rollout of the new design. The Reserve Bank of India confirmed that the inscription will first appear on the 50 and 100 rupee notes early next year, with updated designs of coins following six months later. A complete overhaul of the currency is scheduled to be phased in over the next three years. Officials noted that the transition would include replacing older notes as they are withdrawn from circulation. Printing presses in Nashik and Mysuru have already begun test runs, according to government sources.
The rollout is also tied to India’s scheduled currency overhaul, which was already planned to introduce new anti-counterfeiting measures. In a press release issued Friday, the Reserve Bank stated, “The inclusion of the phrase ‘In Gods We Trust’ will coincide with advanced security upgrades to India’s legal tender. These include color-shifting inks, tactile embossing for the visually impaired, holographic threads, and redesigned watermark technology.” The statement added that the national currency would undergo “its most comprehensive redesign in three decades,” aimed at curbing a rise in high-quality counterfeit notes smuggled into the country in recent years.
As the public considered this change, discussions began to widen about the possibility of overhauling the currency altogether. Several lawmakers close to the BJP suggested that portraits of gods and goddesses might replace the historical figures currently featured on notes. In closed-door meetings, names such as Ganesha, Lakshmi, and Saraswati were raised as candidates for future banknotes. “Imagine a nation where your 500 rupee note carries the blessing of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity,” said one BJP official off the record. “It would not only honor our traditions but inspire our people.”
The idea sparked new controversy. Some Hindus welcomed it as overdue recognition of their faith. Rekha Sharma, a shopkeeper in Varanasi, said, “Every time I pay at the market, I will be reminded of our gods and our faith.” Others, however, warned that the personalization of currency with deities risked offending religious sensibilities, since handling money often involves wear, dirt, and disrespect. Muslim and Christian leaders voiced stronger opposition, calling the suggestion an alarming step toward a religious state.
Truth Bureau 