Communalism in India

Communalism is a social and political ideology that emphasizes the division between states based on religion, ethnicity, beliefs, etc. In general, historical events like conflicts within communities and religious divisions are the cause. Communalism is a significant social problem in nations like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India.

Communalism in India is an essential part of Indian history and has existed much before independence. It came to emerge more aggressively with modern politics which was aggravated by British colonialism and imperialism. There are different instances of communalism, which was used for gaining political advantage as well as creating communal unrest.

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Communalism

What is Communalism?

Communalism is the term for a social and political practice that prioritizes a specific community’s interests, identity, or solidarity over those of society as a whole. These communities are frequently founded on caste, religion, or race. Usually, it entails advancing group interests at the price of greater community or national cohesion. Various aspects of communalism can be observed, such as the politicization of religious or ethnic identities, discrimination, segregation, and acts of violence within communities.

But communalism can also backfire, especially when multiple communities are formed with different ideologies and different interests or when marginalized groups are excluded. As a result, the consequences of communalism can change based on the particular situation in which it is implemented. The intricate and continuous topic of communalism is a subject of discussion among scholars, leaders, researchers, and community members globally.

Types of Communalism

Though the thought and concept of Communalism is one topic to make it simpler sometimes it can be defined in three ways:

1. Political Communalism

To gain and maintain political power, leaders often utilize the strategy of exploiting community divisions. This tactic creates a sense of political communalism, where diverse groups of individuals are split along political lines and ideologies. This not only perpetuates a divisive and polarizing environment but also makes it harder for communities to come together and work towards a common goal.

2. Social Communalism

Social communalism is the result of societal beliefs and values that lead to divisions between different groups, causing conflicts and rivalries. It can create subgroups with their traditions and limit interactions between them. It can lead to intolerance and discrimination, making it harder for people to work together towards common goals.

3. Economic Communalism

Economic Communalism refers to conflicts that arise due to differences in economic interests between various groups of individuals or communities, leading to tensions in society.

Evolution of Communalism in India

Communalism, a force that divides people based on religion, ethnicity, and caste, has had a significant impact on India’s social and political landscape. Its influence can be traced back to the colonial period, the movement for independence, partition, and the post-independence era, leaving a lasting imprint on the country’s history. It is crucial to comprehend the evolution of communalism in India to grasp current issues and find ways to promote peace in society.

Colonial legacy:

Communitarianism has its roots in the exploitation of religious, ethnic, and caste differences under British colonial rule through means such as religious patronage to maintain electoral separation and control. was built by.

Early nationalist movements:

Early Indian nationalist leaders such as Gandhi and Nehru opposed colonialism, despite continued tensions caused by events such as the caliphate movement and Hindu-Muslim riots. It aimed to overcome communal gaps and promote secular ideas.

Partition and Independence:

The partition of India in 1947 was driven by communal tensions, which resulted in massive violence, large-scale immigration, and the formation of India and Pakistan along religious lines, leaving long-term scars in both countries.

Post-Independence Challenges:

Independent India struggled to unite its diverse population in the face of political opportunism, socio-economic inequality, and communalism fueled by external influences, and in 1984 It led to anti-Sikh riots and incidents such as the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992.

Modern Dynamics:

Modern India continues to struggle with communism through religious polarization, hate speech, mass violence, identity politics, and extremist ideology spread through social media, political polarization, and economics It is exacerbated by inequality, urbanization, and globalization, creating new challenges posed by the population. With it comes social cohesion.

Causes of Communalism in India

“We remain strangers

even after so many meetings

blood stains remain,

Even after so many rains.”

– Faiz ahmed Faiz {insert photo of hindi writing}

1. Historical Divisions: Throughout India’s history, religious conflicts and partitions have caused significant turmoil, including the Partition of India in 1947. This event led to the formation of Pakistan and the displacement of millions of people along religious lines. The trauma of these past divisions still affects communal sentiments to this day.

2. Political Manipulation: Many politicians resort to manipulating people’s religious identities to divide communities and gain support, which can ultimately lead to increased communal tensions. This kind of political maneuvering can have serious consequences and can negatively impact society as a whole.

3. Socio-Economic Disparities: Economic disparities between religious groups can fuel hostility and conflict, as marginalized communities may feel excluded and oppressed, leading to feelings of alienation towards other faiths.

4. Religious Fundamentalism: Fundamentalist religious groups often disseminate extreme interpretations of religious texts, which can lead to a rise in communal divisiveness and violence. This can result in an increase in hostility and intolerance towards other groups.

5. Lack of Interfaith Dialogue: The lack of genuine discussion and engagement between religious communities can lead to misunderstandings and prejudices, which in turn can be exploited by communal forces.

Stages of Indian Communalism 

Rise of Nationalist

The first stage involved the rise of nationalist Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, etc; the roots of which were laid down in the late 19th century with Hindu revivalist movements like the Shuddhi movement of Arya Samaj, and Cow Protection riots. For Muslims, movements like Faraizi to bring the Bengali Muslims back to the path of the truth of Islam, are some of the movements.

Liberal Communalism

The second stage is referred to as liberal communalism, which believes in communal politics but is liberal in the case of democratic, humanist, and also nationalist values and was mostly before 1937. Like, Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League are a few examples.

Extreme Communalism

This was the final stage of communalism and demand for a separate nation, which was based on the ideals of fear and hatred and the tendency to use violence in language as well as deeds. Like Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League after 1937.

Dimensions of Communalism

T.K Oman, who was an Indian Sociologist mentioned six dimensions of Communalism, like the following:

Dimensions of Communalism	Features
Assimilationist	Small religious groups are integrated into larger religious groups.
Welfarist	Welfare and betterment of a particular community lead to welfarist communalism.
Retreatist	When a community asks members to either participate or abstain from politics, leads to retreat communalism.
Retaliatory	In rivalry, one community harms the people of another community.
Separatist	Demand for a separatist identity surfaces and demand for separation demands from a larger group.
Secessionist	To have a separate political identity, a group of people demands secession from a state or nation.

Why does Communalism to persist in India?

Articles 28, 29, and 30 of the Indian Constitution grant minorities the right to manage their educational institutions and preserve their culture. However, personal law boards often prioritize these rights over individual rights, leading to conflicts. A uniform civil code is needed to avoid community-based pressure groups negotiating for their interests and to narrow religious divisions, as envisaged by Article 44 of the Indian Constitution’s Directive Principles for States.

India has followed a secular nation-building approach since gaining independence and provided fundamental rights to all. Despite being free for 68 years, communalism persists in the country. This can be attributed to various factors, including religious and political grounds. The third factor is socioeconomic, while the fourth is international. It is important to note that these are just a few explanations for the persistence of communalism in India.

Religious fundamentalism leads to conflict, hostility, and struggle due to the belief that only their own belief is true, resulting in a lack of tolerance towards other religious sects. Politics has fueled communal tensions in India for decades. Abuses like appeasement and candidate selection based on caste and religion have contributed to the problem, and subsequent riots have involved political parties. The country has suffered significant losses as a result. India’s socio-economic conditions have improved since independence, but challenges remain, including population growth, poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment, particularly among the younger generation. Efforts to address these issues have been slow, and negative activities like communalism remain a concern.

Effects of Communalism in India

Some of the major occurrences of communalism in India are as follows:

Partition of India, 1947

The Partition of India is one of the most historical moments in Indian history, which happened in 1947. After partition, millions of people were forced to move from both sides of the border- Hindus in Pakistan and Muslims in India were killed on a mass scale, women were raped and many children lost their parents and became orphaned without homes. Hatred was everywhere and everywhere only bloodshed could be found. There was a growing problem for refugees on both sides of the boundary and their rehabilitation became one of the biggest challenges ever faced by the Indians.

Anti-Sikh Riots, 1984

Sikhs were massacred in large numbers by this anti-Sikh mob which resulted in one of the largest bloodsheds in India. This massacre took place in response to the assassination of Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi by her own Sikh bodyguard, in response to her actions for authorizing the military operations.

Ethnic Cleansing of Kashmiri Hindu Pundits in 1989

Kashmir often referred to as the heaven of India; saw a serious blow due to the Extremist Islamic terrorism in Kashmir valley, which led to mass killings and also a large-scale exodus of the Kashmiri Pundits from the valley to various regions of India, which gave the status of refugee in their own country and since then Kashmir has seen communal violence and ongoing unrest till the present, which affected the development of people and the state.

Babri Masjid Demolition in Ayodhya, 1992

Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Rama and hence is represented as a sacred place for the Hindu religion. Mughal general, Mir Baqi had built a mosque, named after Babur and disputes started since then and riots took place. But in 1990, due to the process of political mobilization, there was some atmosphere of protest by the Hindu groups, and on a large scale “Kar Sevak” visited Ayodhya, in support of demolishing the Babri Masjid and building the Ram temple there. These movements have resulted in large-scale bloodshed.

The incident in 2002, when the “kar sevak” returning from Ayodhya in a Sabarmati Express were killed by fire in their train coaches. This act ignited extended communal violence in Gujarat. Hindus and Muslims became antagonists to each other and to date, people have been fighting for justice in the Supreme Court.

Assam Communal Violence, 2012

The northeastern states of India are known for their distinguished tribal population and a variety of ethnic diversity and also large-scale infiltration of Bangladeshi Immigration, which has altogether changed the demography of the Northeastern states, often leading to bloodshed. In 2012, ethnic clashes could be felt between Bodos and Muslims. Tensions between Bodo and Bengali-speaking Muslims increased to a riot in Kakrajhar in 2012 when some unidentified miscreants killed four Bodo youths in Joypur.

Muzaffarnagar Violence ,2013

The ethnic clashes between Jat and the Muslim community are very disputed and have many versions to them. According to some versions, after suspicion posts on Social Media platforms and according to others, escalated because of the eve-teasing case in Shamli. Nature and scale of loss to the country concerning human resources and peace were huge.

Communalism is fundamentally a philosophy on which public governmental issues are based. Communalism accepts that individuals of various religions have unique interests in political and monetary issues. Putting the interests is some of the time said of the local area over the interests of the person. Communalism, in an expansive sense, implies serious areas of strength for one’s local area. In a well-known talk in India, it is perceived as an unfortunate connection to one’s religion.

The Delhi Riots, 2020

A major communal violence broke out in New Delhi, in February 2020. Where the main issue was only disagreement between two parties (pro- or anti-CAA). The violence resulted in the deaths of over 50 people and injuries to hundreds more, as well as making people homeless.

Steps to Deal with Communalism

Certain reforms are needed in the present system of the judiciary, for dealing with communalism in India. A few steps are mentioned below:

• Increasing the representation of minority communities and the weaker sections in all wings of law enforcement.
• Guidelines should be codified and specialized police training to deal with communal riots and to set up special investigating and prosecution agents.
• Value-oriented education focuses on values of peace, non-violence, etc.
• The government can encourage and also support civil society and NGOs to run projects to create communal awareness.
• Need for minority welfare schemes.

UPSC Questions Related to Communalism

Important questions related to communalism are as follows:

1. UPSC 2020 Mains GS-I- Has caste lost its relevance in understanding the multi-cultural Indian society? Elaborate answers with illustrations.
2. UPSC 2019 Essay Paper- Best for an individual is not necessarily best for society.
3. UPSC 2018 Essay Paper- “The past” is a permanent dimension of human consciousness and values.
4. UPSC 2017 Mains GS-I – Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has been transformed into the latter in independent India.
5. UPSC 2018 Mains GS-I – Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.’ Argue by giving suitable illustrations.

FAQs on Communalism in India

What is communalism in India?

In India, communalism is a term used to describe the politicization of religion and the tendency to view society through the lens of religious identity. Communalism has been a persistent problem in India’s history, with tensions and conflicts often arising between Hindus and Muslims, as well as other religious groups.

What are the types of communalism?

Types of communalism include political communalism, social communalism, economic communalism.

What are the three stages of communalism?

The three stages of communalism include: communal consciousness, liberal communalism and extreme communalism.

What are the negative effects of communalism?

Communalism has the potential to negatively impact national development. This can lead to disruptions in economic activity, destruction of infrastructure and property, and even loss of human life.

Who is the father of communalism?

Lord Minto is the father of communalism.