Aizawl Theological College

Paper presention on
Course title: The Church and it Ministry in the Indian Context
Topic: Religion and Politics: Its significance to social change.
Course facilitator: Rev. Lalchawimawia.
Presenter: Nokdensang Respondent: Rev. B. Laldawngliana
Date: 08 Aug. 2019.
th

Introduction:

We live today – in the twentieth century, in a world which is intensely worrying, yet full of the most
extraordinary promise for the future. It is a world awash with change, marked by the terrifying possibility of
nuclear war and by the destruction onslaught of modern technology on the natural environment. The changes
in human ways of life in the last two hundred years have been very far-reaching. 1 In the following paper
attempt has been made to discuss on the given topic on Reigion and politics, its definition and sme important
features and charateristics and its impact on social change.

1. Religion:
1.1. Definition: Various explainations of the origin of the word ‘religion’ have been discussed for
centuries such as re-reading, referring to the repetition of scripture which is derieved from Latin
relegere; ‘re-connection to the divine’ or ‘to bind fast’. An alternate interpretation of the
“reconnection” etymology emphasises a sense of servitude to God.2
Probably the most influencial definition of religion in anthropology today is that of Clifford
Geertz: “A religion is a system of symbols which act to establish powerful, pervasive and long-
lasting moods and motivations in human being by formulating conception of a general order of
existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and
motivations seem uniquely realistic”. Geetz’s definition hinges on a conception of religion as
symbolic communication, in which a symbol is simply seen as a vehicle for its meaning.3

1.2. Characteristics of reilgion:

Religion should not be identified with monothiesm, most religions have involve many deities; in
certain religion there are no gods at all.4 The major world religion that has been divided on the
basis of their territory clustering under different headings such as ‘East’ and ‘West’, ‘Abrahamic
religins’, ‘Wisdom traditions’, and so on. The category ‘world religion’ of necessity demanded
the production of other ‘non-world’ categories, such as ‘primitive religions’, ‘nature religions’,

1
Anthony Giddens, Sociology (Oxford: Polity Press, 1992), 7. (here after reffered as Anthony Giddens, Sociology…,)
2
Samuel Longkumr and Moanungsang, A Reader in Primal Religious Taditions and Their Select Movement in India
(Kolkata: ESPACE, 2012), 2.
3
Peter Van Der Veer, “Religion” in Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Alen Barnard and Jonathan
Spencer ed. (London:Routledge, 2001), 482.
4
Anthony Giddens, Sociology…, 452
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 ‘new religions’, and ‘indegenous religions’.5 Characteristics that all religions do seem to share are
as follows6:
a) Religions involve a set of symbols, invoking feelings of reverence or awe, and are linked to
rituals or ceremonials (such as services) practeiced by a community of believers.
b) The beliefs in a religion involve gods, there are virtually always beings or object inspiring
attitudes of awe or wonder.
c) The rituals associated with religion are very diverse. Ritual acts may include praying,
chanting, snging, eating certain kinds of foods – or refraining from doing so- fasting on
certain days, and so on.
d) The central aim of each religion is to lead to the immediate and intimate perception of the
infinite being.7
e) Among major religious tradition a doctrine of salvation is taught, which is considered as the
highest goal or aim of the faithfull that all follower should focus to achieve.8
1.3. Variesties of religion; with special reference to Indian context:
The monotheistic religious tradition of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have a notion of a
maker- called God or Allah, who gives order to the universe and sustains all that exists in it. In
contrast to monotheism, the main philosophical tradition within Hinduism – vedanta postulates
that there is one reality and that the individual self is identified with the absolute and with every
other individual self. The indigenous religious tradtions, the tradtion of native communities
closely connected to a particular environment, present the search for order and meaning in terms
of sustaining a network of relationship. The indigenous traditions recognise many manisfestations
of life giving power – gods, spirits, ancestors, each of which contributes to the order of the world.9
Many religion in Indai have been named after their founders to distinguish them from other
religions. Hindiusm differs from other religions in this respect. It does not have a single founder,
it is rather founded on the varied religious and moral experiences and teachings of many ancient,
medieval and modern Indian sages and seers, saints and devotees. Later on Buddhism and Jainism
evovled as an offshoot of Hinduism. Slowly Christianity and Islam found its way to India as it
was being spread by the desciples and their follower, as in the case of Islam, by the rulers or
invaders.10
The major religions of Indai were born at different times, against different backgrounds.
Differences are bound to be present in them. Moreover, all of them have basic unity at the level of
deep spiritual experince, in the sphere of moral and ethical heritage, in their teachings of service
to suffering masses and in promoting cosmic harmony. Along with the major faith tradition in
India, Sufism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism etc. are praticed and followed in different parts of India
by the people.11
2. Politics:
5
Linda Woodhead, Christopher Partridge and Hiroko Kawanami, Religions in the Modern World (London: Routledge,
2016), 22.
6
Anthony Giddens, Sociology…, 452
7
V.S. Lalrinawma, Major Faith Tradition of India (Delhi: ISPCK, 2007), xiv. (here after reffered as V.S. Lalrinawma,
Major Faith Tradition of India…, ).
8
“Charateristics of Religion”, https://www.slideshare.net/anthony_morgan/characteristics-of-religion (Accessed on 27th,
July 2019).
9
Nancy C. Ring ed. Al, Introduction to the Study of Reigion (New York: Orbis Book, 1998), 5.
10
V.S. Lalrinawma, Major Faith Tradition of India…, xv-xvi
11
V.S. Lalrinawma, Major Faith Tradition of India…, xv-xvi
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 Every citizen of the world is the subject of a state. They are legally bound to obey its orders, and the
contours of their life is set by norms that it imposes. These norms are the laws, and it is in the power to
enforce them upon all who live within its boundaries that the essence of the state to be found. 12 Political
science is that branch of the social sciences that studies the state, politics, and government. Political Science
deals extensively with the analysis of political systems, the theoretical and practical applications to politics,
and the examination of political behavior. The Greek thinker, Aristotle, defined political science as the study
of the state.13

2.1. Its definition and concept:

Cambridge english dictionary defines politics as, “The activitites of the government, members of
law making organisations, or people who try to influence the way a country is governed” 14 In
hunting and gathering communities, and in small agrarian cultures, there were not separate
political authorities. Such stateless societies did not relapse into chaos. Other small cultures had
an element of political centralisation, without becoming fully fledged states. In the socieities,
there was a male chief to whom the rest of the population owed allegiance. In state socities
(traditional civilisations), these chiefly rulers became kings and emperors, who control over all
the state.15
All states, traditional and moden, share some general characteristics. A state exists where there is
a political apparatus (governemnetal institutions, such as a court, parliament or congress, plus
civil-service officials), ruling over a given territory, whose authority is backed by a legal system
and by the capacity to use force to implement its policies.16

2.2. Types of political system:

Party system may be broken down into three broad categories: two-party, multiparty, and single-
party. Such a classification is based not merely on the number of parties operating within a
particular country but on variety of distinctive features that the three system exhibit. 17 The most
popular political systems that we know of around the world can be reduced to a few simple core
concepts. Many additional types of political systems are similar in idea or root, but most tend to
surround concepts of:18

2.2.1 Democracy: One of the most important spects of the development of the modern state is its
association with democracy. The word has it roots in the Greek term demokratia, the parts of
which are demos (people) and kratos (rule), and its basic meaning is therfore a political system in
which the people, not monarch or aristocracies, rule. There are two types of democracy:

a) Presidential: Headed by a president, Example of a presidential democratic form of governement

could be United States of America, and

12
Harold J. Laski, An Introduction to Politics (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1939), 15.
13
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/political-science.htm
14
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/politics
15
Anthony Giddens, Sociology…, 300-301
16
Anthony Giddens, Sociology…, 301.
17
Jacob E. Safra and Jorge Aguilar – Cauz, The New Encyclopedia Britannica (London: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.,
2007), 983.
18
https://www.thoughtco.com/political-institutions-44026. 30th july 2019.
3|Page
 b) Parliamentary: Headed by a parliament, an Example of parliamentary democratic form of
government could be India system.

2.2.2. Republic: A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected
representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.
2.2.3 Monarchy: A form of government in which one person reigns, typically a king or a queen.
The authority, also known as a crown, is typically inherited.
2.2.4 Communism: A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy.
Often, an authoritarian party holds power and state controls are imposed.
2.2.5 Dictatorship: A form of government where one person makes the main rules and decisions
with absolute power, disregarding input from others.

2.3. Political party in India: 19

There are two types of political parties in India - National Party and Regional/State party.
Every political party must have a symbol and must be registered with the Election Commission of
India. Symbols are used in the Indian political system to identify political parties and so that illiterate
people can also vote by recognizing the party symbols.

2.3.1. Communist paty of India: Its political ideology is centred on socialism, communism and
establishment of “the state of dictatorship of the proletariat.”

2.3.2. Congress party and social liberalism: For its social liberal outlook, the Congress Party is
generally placed on the Centre-Left of the political spectrum. It adheres to the Gandhian principle of
upliftment of all sections of society.  

2.3.3. BJP and Right Wing Politics: Having its genesis in the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the BJP
maintains ideological and organisational links to the Hindu nationalist group – Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).  

2.3.4. Regional Formations: BSP and Samajwadi Party from Uttar Pradesh, Janata Dal (United)
from Bihar, Biju Janata Dal from Odisha, Asom Gana Parishad from Assam and TRS from Telangana
were among the regional parties that unanimously decided to launch a Third Front “against the pro-
rich economic policies” of  Congress and BJP. The front was also established to counter “the growth
of communal and fascist forces” and reaffirm its commitment towards farmers, dalits, other backward
classes, women and minors.

3. Religion and Politics:

Religion is highly complex concept, invovling psychological, social, and organisational components.
Some forces overlap in complex ways are, political officials, for instance, attempt to draw on religious
identities, mobilize through houses of worship and clergy, or restrict the political activities of religious
groups in order to support their position. For example; take the political speech of clergy, if they simply

19
http://www.elections.in/political-corner/political-parties-in-india-and-their-ideologies/. 30th July 2019.
4|Page
disclose their voting intentions an members of the congregation follow suit, should we describe this as
religious influence?20
Perhaps one of the primary reasons that rligious groups have emerged in political life is due to the
dramatic increase in freedom worldwide. The number of free countries grew nearly 60 percent (from 93 to
147) from 1975 – 2005 (Freedom from colonial rule). Not all countries are free or allow religious groups full
freedom to function as discussed above, but freedom is pre-requisite for peaceful engagement in politics.
Perhaps the clearest example of the relationship of freedom to political engagement is the case of the muslim
brotherhood. Once the state allowed it to function freely, the Brotherhood formed a succeful political party
that won a decisive majority in post – Mubarak Egypt.21
3.1. Religion and Politics in India:
Hindu nationalism upheld one religion, one culture and one nation. Being numerically
small, the upper castes needed mass support or lower-caste support to come to power in the "one
man, one vote" system. In order to regain political supremacy, they played the religious card to
mobilize the masses. On the one hand, they tried to homogenize the differences within Hinduism,
and on the other, they declared war against Muslims and Christians. The latter were defined as the
"other," enemy, outsiders, unpatriotic and were to be eliminated in order to realize the golden age
of Hinduism in India. Besides the R.S.S., multiple other organizations came into being, such as the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (V.H.P.), the Bajrang Dal (B.D.), the Hindu Jagran Manch (H.J.M.) and
others, under the umbrella of the Sangh Parivar with the Bharatiya Janata Party (B.J.P.) as its
political organ. They all proclaimed that Hinduism was in danger. Accordingly, the birthplace of
Ram in the city of Ayobhya in the northeast state of Ultar Pradesh had to be liberated from the
Muslims, who had built a mosque over it hundreds of years ago. The general elections in 1994 saw
the results of religion-based political mobilization. The Hindu nationalists captured the highest
number of seats they had ever won in the parliament. It was almost as if the party rode in on the
dead bodies of Muslims. But mobilization based on stirring emotions, particularly hatred, does not
last long.22
4. Social Change:

Social change may be defoned as the process in which is discernible significant alteration in the
structure and functioning of a particular social system. The tern change itself is wholly neutral. It only
implies that there is some difference through time in object under study. When we speak of social change we
simply assert that there is somechange in social behaviour, social structure and social and cultural values.
When we speak of social change as a process we imply the ideas of continuity and persisitence. He social
system is under going some change in time. It is implied that it was in one state earlier and it is in another
state now.23 Social change directly refers to observable phenomena such as, status, roles, norms, patterns of
interaction.24

20
Paul A. Djupe, “Religion and Politics” in Religion in the Modern World, ed. by Linda Woodhead, Christopher
Partridge, Hiroko Kawanami (New York: Routledge, 2016), 454. (here after referred as Paul A. Djupe, “Religion and Politics”…, )
21
Paul A. Djupe, “Religion and Politics”…, 466.
22
Lancy Lopo, “Religion and Politics in India” 19th Feb. 2000,
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2000/02/19/religion-and-politics-india (acessed on 01 Aug. 2019)
23
B. Kuppuswamy, Social Change in India (Delhi: Konark Publisher, 2001), 37. (here after refered as B. Kuppuswamy,
Social Change in India)
24
Subrata K. Mitra & V.B. Sigh, Decmocracy and Social Change in India (New Delhi: Sage Pubication, 1999), 24. (here
after referred as Subrata K. Mitra & V.B. Sigh, Decmocracy and Social Change in India…., )
5|Page
 4.1. Religion and its significance on social change:

Social change often accompanies religious change, indeed, distinguishing the two is often
impossible. In the nineteenth century, when scholars began to study religion as a system or an
institution, they offered a variety of explanations for the relationship between religious and other
social phenomenon. Karl Marx, for example, saw religious beliefs and actions primarily as symptoms
or manifestations of underlying social conditions. According to this view, religious change would
always follow fundamental social change; religious change would cause a reordering of the larger
relations of society. Max Weber, on the other hand, believed that religious though and practice play
more complex roles in the structuring of society. In some cases alterations in social and political
circumstances prompt changes in patterns of religious thought, practice, and community life.25

4.1.1. Social Reform Movement:

In India by the 1880s, Vivekananda with a small number of his follwers translated their
conviction in a massive religious movement. In 1893 he attended World Parliament of religion at
Chicago and began to organised Ramakhrishna Mission centres for devotion and services. Today
there are more than a hundred such centres all over India engaged in medical, educational, religious
anf relief activities.26 Along with Vivekananda, his contemporary like Rammohun Roy,
Balagangadhar Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore etc. made lots of contributions, throught their writtings,
philosophy, teaching and work. We can look at some social reform these enlightener has brought as27:

a. Equality of sexes on the one hand, equality of citizens on the other.

b. Right from the day Rammohun Roy published his tract on Sati in 1818; several leaders of Indian
society have been concern with the social evils.
c. Upliftment of women and Harijans.
d. Prevention of child marriage.
e. Promotion of women education.
f. Female infantecides

The most important achievement of the social reform movement is that it represents the fort
and biggest attempt on the part of the Hindu to form a voluntary organization in order to discuss
social and cultural values and discard those which are obstacles to progress and promote those which
ensure progress.

4.2. Politics and its significance on social change:

Once a foreign colonies in Asia and Africa have now become independent states, they have
accepted modern forms of political organization: their aim is to adopt the modern economic

25
Nancy C. Ring ed. Al, Introduction to the Study of Reigion…, 241.
26
Khrishna Prakash Gupta, “Religious Evolution and Social Change in India,
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/006996677400800103?journalCode=cisa
27
B. Kuppuswamy, Social Change in India…, 69-70
6|Page
 organization by industralizing their economics so that the standard of living of the people is raised.
These great changes have now induced the sociologist to be engaged in the study of social change.28

The Indian sociologist are greatly interested in the problem of social change since the Indian
society has now taken up the task of changing itself from an agricultural society to an industrial
society, from a colonial society with emperors and monarchs to a republican society, from a society
based on caste and class to a soceity which aims to be cateless and classless with eqaulity of
opportunity to evry citizen guaranteed by the Indian constitution adopted in 1950. Political
independence and the formation of one central government, urbanization on a vast scale with the
development of the great metropolitian cities, industralization, rapid mode of transportation all these
contributes to the rapid social change. 29

India even after 40 years of Independence suffers persistent poverty. The commitment to
abolish poverty was connecte with major political changes in the functioning of Indian politics
introduced by Mrs. Gandhi in the early 1970s. the weaknesses of most of the programs adopted arise
in large part out of the dificulties involved in formulating policies in New Delhi to be implimented at
the state and local leels with the existing bureaucratic apparatus.30

When Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the new repubic of India with the famous speech on
Freedom at midnight, he gave voice to a section of Indian elites that wished to see India transformed
into a modern, secular state. Its aspiration were enshrined in the constitutional norms of equal
citizenship, fundamental rights to equality and liberty, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or place of
birth, and the judicial and bureaucratic apparatus of a modern state to be implimented. 31

Conclusion:

India as a nation has been colonized and ruled by many foreign countries, especially under the British empire
for many years. During those colonial rule, nothing has been done for the progress and upliftment of the
Indian society in terms of economics, politics and other social understand. Rather, those colonial power took
all the resources and wealth of India and by the time Indian got its independence after more than 200 years
of foreign rule, it was left with nothing but the biggest social problem was poverty.

It was only after the late 18 th and early 19th century that social reformers begin to work for the social
upliftment of the people that India began to regain its stability from many years of oppression and
exploitation.

However, today looking at the present Indian society we could understand the socio-religious political unrest
that has been disintergrating Indains on ethnic and religious ground. Religious fundamentalism has strongly
take its roots in the minds of the religious dominant section of the people who shows, intolerance, hatred,
violence, and in the name of caste, creed, religion citizens are being lynched, killed, silenced and perpetuate
against basic human rights. India as a nation was built and made up by its diverse nature that is the
uniqueness of our history, however, the ideology of one nation, one uniform civi code, one religion has
plaqued the very essence of unity in diversity.
28
B. Kuppuswamy, Social Change in India…, 3
29
B. Kuppuswamy, Social Change in India…., 3-4
30
Pul R. Brass, The Politics of India Since Independence (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 260.
31
Subrata K. Mitra & V.B. Sigh, Decmocracy and Social Change in India …,266
7|Page
Therefore, every right thinking should citizen should realsie how, and from where our humble beginning has
paved the way for the development, growth and advancement from our society. It is the unity of all citizens
and their participations, whiout any disction based on creed, caste, colour, class, place of origin and reigious
belief that it has contributed in building up this nation. So it is imperative to preserve and continue to fight
for the unity of every society.

Bibliography:

Barnard, Alen and Jonathan Spencer. Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology.
London:Routledge, 2001.
Giddens, Anthony. Sociology. Oxford: Polity Press, 1992.
Kuppuswamy, B. Social Change in India. Delhi: Konark Publisher, 2001.
Lalrinawma, V.S. Major Faith Tradition of India. Delhi: ISPCK, 2007.
Laski,Harold J. An Introduction to Politics. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1939.
Longkumer, Samuel and Moanungsang. A Reader in Primal Religious Taditions and Their Select Movement
in India. Kolkata: ESPACE, 2012.
Mitra, Subrata K. & V.B. Sigh. Decmocracy and Social Change in India. New Delhi: Sage Pubication, 1999.
Ring, Nancy C. ed. Al, Introduction to the Study of Reigion. New York: Orbis Book, 1998.
Woodhead, Linda Christopher Partridge, Hiroko Kawanami. Religion in the Modern World. New York:
Routledge, 2016.
Electronic source:

Gupta, Khrishna Prakash. “Religious Evolution and Social Change in India,

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/006996677400800103?journalCode=cisa. Accessed on 01
Aug. 2019
Lopo, Lancy “Religion and Politics in India” 19th Feb. 2000, https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-
society/2000/02/19/religion-and-politics-india (acessed on 01 Aug. 2019)

“Charateristics of Religion”, https://www.slideshare.net/anthony_morgan/characteristics-of-religion

(Accessed on 27th, July 2019).

https://www.thoughtco.com/political-institutions-44026. 30th july 2019.

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