Religion, communalism and politics

Let us now turn to a very different and politics. But they do not
kind of social division, the division seem very wrong or dangerous.
based on religious differences. Ideas, ideals and values drawn
This division is not as universal from different religions can and
as gender, but religious diversity perhaps should play a role in
is fairly widespread in the world politics. People should be able
today. Many countries including to express in politics their needs,
India have in their population, interests and demands as a member
followers of different religions. As of a religious community. Those
we noticed in the case of Northern who hold political power should
Ireland, even when most of the sometimes be able to regulate the
people belong to the same religion, practice of religion so as to prevent
there can be serious differences discrimination and oppression.
about the way people practice that These political acts are not wrong
as long as they treat every religion
religion. Unlike gender differences,
equally.
the religious differences are often
expressed in the field of politics. Communalism
Consider the following: The problem begins when religion
 Gandhiji used to say that is seen as the basis of the nation.
religion can never be separated The example of Northern Ireland
from politics. What he meant by in Chapter 3 shows the dangers of
religion was not any particular such an approach to nationalism.
religion like Hinduism or Islam The problem becomes more acute
but moral values that inform all when religion is expressed in
religions. He believed that politics politics in exclusive and partisan
terms, when one religion and
must be guided by ethics drawn
its followers are pitted against
from religion.
another. This happens when beliefs
 Human rights groups in our of one religion are presented as
country have demanded that the superior to those of other religions,
Government should take special when the demands of one religious
steps to prevent communal riots group are formed in opposition to
D e m o c ra t i c Po l i t i c s

and protect religious minorities. another and when state power is

 Women’s movement has argued used to establish domination of one
that family laws of all religions religious group over the rest. This
I am not
discriminate against women. manner of using religion in politics
religious. So they have demanded that is communal politics.
Why should I government should change these Communal politics is based
bother about laws to make them more equitable. on the idea that religion is the
communalism All these instances involve principal basis of social community.
and secularism? a relationship between religion Communalism involves thinking
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 along the following lines. The that we often fail to notice it, even
I often crack
followers of a particular religion when we believe in it.
jokes about
must belong to one community.  A communal mind often leads to a people from one
Their fundamental interests are quest for political dominance of one’s religion. Does
the same. Any difference that they own religious community. For those that make me
may have is irrelevant or trivial belonging to majority community, communal?
for community life. It also follows this takes the form of majoritarian
that people who follow different dominance. For those belonging
religions cannot belong to the same to the minority community, it can
social community. If the followers take the form of a desire to form a
of different religions have some separate political unit.
commonalities these are superficial  Political mobilisation on
and immaterial, their interests are religious lines is another frequent
bound to be different and involve form of communalism. This involves
a conflict. In its extreme form, the use of sacred symbols, religious
communalism leads to the belief leaders, emotional appeal and plain
that people belonging to different fear in order to bring the followers
religions cannot live as equal citizens of one religion together in the
within one nation. Either, one of political arena. In electoral politics,
them has to dominate the rest or this often involves special appeal to
they have to form different nations. the interests or emotions of voters of
This belief is fundamentally one religion in preference to others.
flawed. People of one religion  Sometimes communalism takes
do not have the same interests its most ugly form of communal
and aspirations in every context. violence, riots and massacre. India
Everyone has several other roles, and Pakistan suffered some of the
positions and identities. There worst communal riots at the time of
are many voices inside every the Partition. The post-Independence
community. All these voices have period has also seen large scale
a right to be heard. Therefore any communal violence.

Gender, Religion and Caste

attempt to bring all followers of one
Secular state
religion together in context other
Communalism was and continues
than religion is bound to suppress
to be one of the major challenges
many voices within that community.
to democracy in our country. The
Communalism can take various Family laws: Those
makers of our Constitution were
forms in politics: laws that deal with
aware of this challenge. That is why,
family related matters
 The most common expression they chose the model of a secular such as marriage,
of communalism is in everyday state. This choice was reflected in divorce, adoption,
beliefs. These routinely involve several constitutional provisions that inheritance, etc.
religious prejudices, stereotypes of we studied last year: In our country,
religious communities and belief in  There is no official religion for different family laws
the superiority of one’s religion over the Indian state. Unlike the status of apply to followers of
other religions. This is so common Buddhism in Sri Lanka, that of Islam different religions.

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 in Pakistan and that of Christianity in Caste inequalities
England, our Constitution does not Unlike gender and religion, caste
give a special status to any religion. division is special to India. All societies
 The Constitution provides to have some kind of social inequality
all individuals and communities and some form of division of labour.
freedom to profess, practice and In most societies, occupations are
propagate any religion, or not to passed on from one generation to
follow any. another. Caste system is an extreme
 The Constitution prohibits form of this. What makes it different
discrimination on grounds of from other societies is that in this
religion. system, hereditary occupational
division was sanctioned by rituals.
 At the same time, the Constitution
Members of the same caste group
allows the state to intervene in
were supposed to form a social
the matters of religion in order to community that practiced the same
ensure equality within religious or similar occupation, married
communities. For example, it bans within the caste group and did
untouchability. not eat with members from other
Understood in this sense, caste groups.
secularism is not just an ideology of Caste system was based on
some parties or persons. This idea exclusion of and discrimination
constitutes one of the foundations against the ‘outcaste’ groups. They
of our country. Communalism were subjected to the inhuman
should not be seen as a threat to practice of untouchability about
some people in India. It threatens which you have studied in Class
the very idea of India. That is why IX. That is why political leaders
communalism needs to be combated. and social reformers like Jotiba
A secular Constitution like ours Phule, Gandhiji, B.R. Ambedkar
is necessary but not sufficient to and Periyar Ramaswami Naicker
combat communalism. Communal advocated and worked to establish
prejudices and propaganda need to a society in which caste inequalities
be countered in everyday life and are absent.
religion- based mobilisation needs to Partly due to their efforts and
be countered in the arena of politics. partly due to other socio-economic
D e m o c ra t i c Po l i t i c s

changes, castes and caste system

Caste and politics in modern India have undergone
great changes. With economic
We have seen two instances of the development, large scale
expression of social divisions in the urbanisation, growth of literacy and
arena of politics, one largely positive education, occupational mobility
and the other largely negative. Let us and the weakening of the position
turn to our final case, that of caste of landlords in the villages, the old
and politics, that has both positive notions of caste hierarchy are
and the negative aspects. breaking down. Now, most of the
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