Communalism

Article by - Pranshutosh

This article was written by him during his tenure of internship under Legal Soch Foundation.

Abstract

Communalism refers to a belief of one religion one presented as superior to those of other religion. When the demand of one religious groups are formed in opposition to another and when state power is used to establish domination of one religious groups over the rest, we call it as a communalism. Which are the paces in word where communalism is spread even now like India and how the feeling of communalism had begun. The British India company In modern India developed communalism feeling in the society and later it causes many violence and riots. There are many factors responsible for communalism like economic backwardness, role of media's; social media etc and what are the ways through which we can overcome from this felling of communalism.

Introduction

Communalism simply means a theory or system of government in which virtually autonomous local community are loosely for federation. It is a strong attachment to one’s own community. It understood as a categorized under the political philosophy ethnic and cultural diversity of Africa has the root cause of development of communalism as political philosophy. In South Asia communalism means the difference between the different religion group and difference among the people of different religious groups and difference among the people of different community. Communalism is not only seen in South Asia but also on Australia, Asia, Africa, America and Europe. Somewhere communalism is significant social- economic and political issue in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Mayanmar.

What is communalism?

It is consider as a philosophy which has three components.

1] It is believed that people have common secular intrest and should follow the same religion.

2] Like India which has different religious society. The ideology of one religion is different from

the follower of another religion.

3] He followers of the different religion are totally hostile, anatagainist and incompatiable.

Communalism in India. Communalism is more highlighted in the religion and cultural diversity of India. As we also know that political leaders has made a tool of this communalism mainly to come in power by dividing people on the basis of religion, case and ethenic identity which also arises in violence and riots.

Buddha was the first Indian prophet who describe about the securalism and further Kung Ashoka also tried to give advice of peace and love in the society. This all happened in Ancient India. In Medieval India, rulers of Islam which spread the mindset of castesim and many rulers destroy temple and mosque which also the cause of violence in India. In modern India, British government rule India and had the big impact on the culture of India.

Communalism justification

Mainly in India the rise and growth of communalism had seen British government implemented the tool of ‘’divide and rule’’. They spread haterd between the Hindu and Muslim which destroy the brotherhood of Hindu and Muslim. The collages, schools had also role in the rise of communalism and fundamentalist protests. They totally succeed in spreading feeling of communalism in the society.

Why is communalism still alive and well in modern India?

We all know that constitution of India gives Fundamental Right to every citizen. In minority, the community had Fundamental Rights under article 28, 29, 30 which give free to manage their education institution and also give right to conserve their own culture. We had seen in the case of Shah Bano Case, Individual right is being used by the personal law board on the basis of their community law. UCC also has created a ambiguity among the people mainly all thwsw happening for the vote bank. These all things are done by our political leaders to come into the power. Even after the independence India is burning in the fire of communalism. ‘’Our belief alone is true’’ rest is untrue or incomplete, we find this kind of mentality of fundamentalist. . Though India's socio-economic conditions have improved since independence, and even economic reforms implemented after 1991 have helped to improve them, there are still many issues facing Indian society that pose a threat to its variety. Population growth, poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment all create a plethora of compulsions, particularly among the younger age. As a result of their lack of right thinking, many members of the younger generation stay unemployed and impoverished, and become involved in evils such as communalism. The attempts to eradicate poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment are not yielding the results that they should.

We all know that partition in 1947 was also the politics. It created many violence,, riots and many people died in violence. Poverty, population, illetracy, unemployment had created lot of problem to India and these are the main things that help the communalism is to alive. Some infamous communal violence in India are Partition of 1947, Sikh riots

in 1984, Ethnic masjid demolition in Ayodhya in 1992, Assam communal violence in

2012, Muzaffarnagar violence in 2013 etc, there are many movies also pictured on these

violence like ‘’Bombay’’& ‘’Black’’, Friday, ‘’Train to Pakistan’’,Gandhi, Hawayein

,Machis etc.

Factors responsible for the communal violence are divisible politics, Economic gains,

History of communal riots, Politics of appeasement, Isolation and economic

backwardness of muslim community, administrative failure, psychological factors,role of

media, social media.

Conclusion

Communal violence is common now days throughout the world. They are known by various

alternative names, as in China, the communal violence in Xinjiang province is called ethnic

violence. Communal violence and riots have also been called non-State conflict, violent civil or minority social or inter-communal violence and ethno-religious violence. Violence between

Buddhists and the Muslim Rohingya, inhabit Rakhine state (formerly Arakan province) which

stretches along most of Myanmar’s coast up to the Bay of Bengal and borders the Chittagong province of Bangladesh, erupted in 2013. Such violence in neighbouring countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Pakistan causes violence in retaliation in India also. It also catalyses the problem of refuges, as in case of Pakistani Hindus, etc. Sri Lanka is also facing international critics and United Nations related to ethnic clashes and action of government against minority Tamilians, which has direct bearing on India and Sri Lanka relations and India’s internal security. Increasing diversity, due to influx of populations from all corners of world in western countries like USA, UK, Canada, Australia, etc. is posing the challenge of ethnic clashes and violence in their respective societies.

Reference

1] https://www.insightsonindia.com/2014/11/07/communalism-meaning-and-issues/

2] https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper1/communalism