COMMUNALISM
Discuss the impact of post liberal economy on ethnic identity and
communalism (2023) – 15 Marks
Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative
deprivation.’ Argue by giving suitable illustrations. (2018) – 15 Marks
Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving
one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in
independent India. (2017) – 15 Marks
DEFINITION OF COMMUNALISM
The antagonism practised by the members of one community against
the people of other community and religion can be termed as
communalism” – Ram Ahuja
According to Bipan Chandra, in his book, “India since Independence”,
“Communalism is an ideology based on the belief that Indian society is
divided into religious communities, whose economic, political, social and
cultural interests diverge and are even hostile to each other because of
their religious differences.”
Communalism, in the Indian context, is most commonly perceived-form
as the phenomenon of religious differences between groups that often
leads to tension, and even rioting between them. A man of religion is not
communal, but a man who practice politics by linking it with religion is
communal. Hence we can define communalism as “political trade in
religion”.
TYPES OF COMMUNALISM
Communalism, as a political movement, seeks to mobilize members of a
particular religious community for political action. In India, Communalism
has been a major source of social conflict with political implications.
What are the different connotations of Communalism?
Communalism can manifest itself in different forms, including
Assimilationist: According to this dimension, members of minority
communities should give up their distinct cultural and religious identities
and assimilate into the dominant culture and society. For example, The
Hindu Code Bill applies to Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains in addition to
Hindus.
Welfarist: This connotation refers to the belief that members of minority
communities should be provided with special welfare and affirmative
action programs to improve their socio-economic status. For instance,
the Jain community associations utilize a welfarist approach by providing
resources such as hostels, scholarships, and employment opportunities
for the members of the community.
Retreatist: By following the retreat approach, minority communities
retreat into their own separate and distinct communities, away from the
dominant culture and society. It is evident from the example of Bahaism,
where members are prohibited from participating in political processes.
Retaliatory: In retaliation, people retaliate against the dominant culture
and society in response to perceived injustices and discrimination. For
example, Assam Violence of 2012 between the Bodos and Bengali-
speaking Muslims.
Separatist: Separatists believe that members of minority communities
should form a separate state as an independent country. For example,
there was a separatist tendency, especially in the 1980s, among
religious fundamentalists in Punjab for the demand of Khalistan as a
separate country
ELEMENTS IF COMMUNALISM
Mild: It is the belief that people who follow the same religion have
common secular interests i.e. common political, social and cultural
interests.
Moderate: In a multi-religious society like India, the secular interests of
followers of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from the interests of
the followers of another religion
Extreme: Interests of different religious communities are seen to be
mutually incompatible, antagonistic and hostile
HISTORY OF COMMUNALISM
Communalism as a belief or an ideology has been the product of the
colonial rule in India. In this sense it is product of modern times in India.
Earlier also,there were large number of instances of inter-sect or inter-
cult or religious conflicts and violence. But they were not communal in
the sense it came to be understood from the mid-nineteenth century. The
communalism in India largely was product of the colonial policies
towards different communities, especially after the 1857 revolt.
A clear demarcation was made by many historians between the ancient
period of Indian history and the medieval. Prominent among them was
British historian James Mill of the early nineteenth century. They
endorsed that since ancient India was ruled by Hindu rulers, it was a
period of much growth and prosperity against the continuous decay of
the medieval period under the Muslim rulers. This readily suggests that
the basic character of polity in India is defined by religion which relied on
the beliefs that Indian society and culture had reached ideal heights in
the ancient period. On the contrary, Muslim communalism harped upon
the glory of the Muslim rulers. Such distorted texts of Indian
historysignificantly contributed to the rise of communalism.
Socio religious reform movements
Revivalist movements like Arya Samaj, Shuddhi Movement (among
Hindus), Wahabi Movement , Tabligh movements(among Muslims) etc.
gave impetus to communalist tendencies.
Arya Samaj (Founded in 1875) : Arya Samaj, founded by Swami
Dayananda Saraswati, aimed at promoting Vedic values, opposing idol
worship, and advocating for social reform. While the Arya Samaj aimed
at reform within Hinduism, its emphasis on Vedic values and opposition
to certain practices perceived as non-Vedic contributed to Hindu-Muslim
tensions. The movement's reconversion efforts and antagonism toward
other religions heightened religious divisions.
Aligarh Movement (Founded in the 19th Century):The Aligarh
Movement, led by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, focused on educational
reforms for Muslims, emphasizing modern education, science, and
[Link] the movement aimed at socio-economic upliftment, it
unintentionally led to the formation of a distinct Muslim identity. The
emphasis on Urdu as a cultural marker and the promotion of separate
electorates contributed to the crystallization of religious identities
During freedom struggle
Bal Gangadhar Tilak through the launch of Shivaji and Ganesh festivals
gave impetus to the mass movement and gained popular support
Separate electorates - Morley Minto reforms : The Morley-Minto Reforms
introduced the concept of separate electorates for various religious
communities in [Link] separate electorates, voters of different
religious communities were grouped separately, and members of each
community could only vote for candidates of their own [Link]
was seen as a measure to provide representation to different religious
groups and safeguard their interests.
Khilafat movement 1920 : The Khilafat Movement began in 1919 as a
pan-Islamic response to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and
the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate by the Allied Powers after World
War I. The Khilafat Movement contributed to the crystallization of
communal identities, leading to the emergence of communal politics in
India.
Muslims like Aga Khan, Nawab Moshin-ul-Mulk etc. founded the All India
Muslim League, to consolidate Muslim interests. The AIML was
established with the goal of advocating for political representation for
Muslims in British India.
Eventually organizations like the Punjab Hindu Sabha (1909), All India
Hindu Mahasabha (1st session in 1915), etc. were founded.
Post 1937 : (extreme communalism)
During the period, M.A. Jinnah declared that ‘Muslims should organize
themselves, stand united and should press every reasonable point for
the protection of their community.’ He eventually stated that Muslims
would be suppressed under the Hindu dominated Congress after the
British left India and thus, the only recourse would be a separate state
for Muslims i.e. creation of Pakistan. the Muslim League, led by Jinnah,
passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding a separate nation for Indian
Muslims. Hindu communalism too did not lag behind. The Hindu
Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), began
propagating extreme communalism.
Jawaharlal Nehru’s secular notion of Indian identity was given
cognizance, after the inception of India as a republic after [Link] then
prime minister was against the intrusion of any religious identity politics
within the workings of the post colonial state. Here, what Nehru meant
was to separate religion from state and to give importance to all
religions. This is so because in order to overcome the divisive politics of
the colonial state of dividing the Hindus and the Muslims. Thus under,
Nehru’s secular guidance and Gandhi’s stewardship the Congress party
that led India to Independence endorsed inter-communal tolerance
rather than strong secularist ideology
REASONS FOR COMMUNALISM POST INDEPENDENCE
1. Colonial legacy
2. Economic inequalities -Socio-economic factors such as poverty,
unemployment, and lack of access to resources can contribute to
communal tensions as different communities compete for scarce
resources
Role of Media: The role of media in shaping communal ideologies and
spreading misinformation and hate speech can contribute to the rise of
communal tensions.
Religious factors: In some cases, religious factors such as religious
fundamentalism and extremist ideologies can contribute to communal
tensions. For example, religious extremist groups and fringe elements
can incite communal violence against minorities.
Political factors: Political factors such as competition for power and
resources, as well as divisive political rhetoric, can contribute to the rise
of communalism. Some political leaders and parties may use communal
rhetoric to mobilize support and gain power
The Sachar Committee, officially known as the Prime Minister's High-
Level Committee on the Social, Economic and Educational Status of the
Muslim Community of India, was appointed in March 2005 by the then-
Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh. The committee was chaired
by Justice Rajinder Sachar, a retired Chief Justice of the Delhi High
Court. The primary objective of the committee was to assess the social,
economic, and educational status of the Muslim community in India.
Key findings and recommendations of the Sachar Committee report
include:
Economic Status:The committee found that Muslims in India, on
average, lagged behind other communities in terms of economic
indicators such as employment, income, and asset ownership.
Educational Status:The report highlighted disparities in educational
attainment among Muslims. It pointed out lower enrollment rates, higher
dropout rates, and a lower representation of Muslims in higher education
and professional courses.
Employment Opportunities:The Sachar Committee report noted the
under-representation of Muslims in various government jobs and
services, including the civil services. It highlighted the need for increased
opportunities and fair representation in public employment.
Access to Basic Services:The committee observed that Muslims faced
challenges in accessing basic services like health, sanitation, and
housing. Infrastructure development in Muslim-majority areas was often
reported as inadequate.
Recommendations:The Sachar Committee made several
recommendations to address the socio-economic and educational
disparities faced by Muslims in India. These recommendations included
increasing educational opportunities, improving access to credit,
enhancing employment prospects, and implementing affirmative action
measures.
COMMUNAL OUTBREAKS POST INDEOENDENCE
Anti-Sikh riots (1984): Sikhs in large numbers were murdered by mobs
post assassination of the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi.
Issue of Kashmiri Hindu pundits (1989): Spread of Islamic
fundamentalism and terrorism in Kashmir valley led to mass killing and
large-scale exodus of Kashmiri pundits during 1989-90. The region
continues to be threatened by communal violence.
Babri Masjid incident (1992): On December 1992, a large crowd of
Hindu kar sevaks demolished the 16th century Babri masjid (mosque) in
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh claiming the site to be Ram Janmabhoomi
(birthplace of Ram). This led to months of inter-communal rioting
between the Hindus and Muslims resulting in deaths of hundreds of
people.
Godhra Riots (2002): In February 2002, four coaches of the Sabarmati
Express were set on fire. The passengers, mostly Hindu pilgims were
returning from Ayodhya after a religionceremony at the site of the
demolished Babri Masjid. Following the attacks, several Hindu
groups declared state-wide bandh in Gujarat and started brutally
attacking Muslim colonies.
This went on for months post Godhra incident, resulting in the death and
displacement of
thousands of Muslims.
• Assam violence (2012): There were frequent clashes between the
Bodos and Bengali
speaking Muslims due to increased competition for livelihood, land and
political power. In
2012, one such outbreak escalated into a riot in Kokhrajhar, when
unidentified miscreants
killed four Bodo youths at Joypur. This was followed by retaliatory
attacks on local Muslims
killing two and injuring several of them. Almost 80 people were killed,
most of whom were
Bengali Muslims and some Bodos. Approximately, 400,000 people were
displaced to
makeshift camps.
• Muzzafarnagar Riots (2013): The clashes between the Hindu Jats and
Muslim communities in Muzaffarnagar, UP resulted in at least 62 deaths,
injured 93 people and left more than 50,000 displaced. The riot has been
described as "the worst violence in Uttar Pradesh in recent history", with
the army being deployed in the state for the first time in the last 20
years.
STEPS NEEDED TO COMBAT COMMUNALISM
Political:
Political communism should be avoided as directed by the Supreme
Court’s directives.
Identification and mapping of riot prone areas. For Example, the Delhi
police used drones to monitor to maintain vigil during communal
festivals.
Media, movies, and other cultural platforms can be influential in
promoting peace and harmony.
Social Media should be monitored for violent and repulsive content and
taken off immediately.
Social:
Religious leaders and preachers should promote rational and practical
things through religion promoting peace and security.
Children in schools must be taught through textbooks and pamphlets to
maintain brotherhood and respect for all religions.
Creating awareness in the society about the ill effects of communism
through mass media.
Economic:
Poverty is one of the major factors for communal violence. Poverty
alleviation measures are thus important for promoting communal
harmony.
Eradicating the problem of unemployment among the youths, illiteracy,
and poverty and that too with honesty and without any discrimination.
There is a great need to work towards eradicating the problem of
unemployment among the youths, illiteracy and poverty and that too with
honesty and without any discrimination
Reducing the educational and economic backwardness of minorities like
Muslims. This can uplift their socio-economic status and reduce their
deprivation compared to Hindus
