COMMUNALISM

Special project report on

“COMMUNALISM”

SUBMITTED TO

DR. Uttam kumar Panda

(FACULTY – SOCIOLOGY)

SUBMITTED BY

PANKAJ SHARMA

SEMESTER-III
SECTION- ‘A’
ROLL NO- 100
(B.A., L.L.B. Hons.)

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 30-11 -2018

HIDAYATULLAH NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY,

NEW RAIPUR (C.G.)

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Declaration
I, Pankaj Sharma, hereby declare that this project report entitled ‘COMMUNALISM’
submitted to Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur is record under original work
done by me and that no part of this work has been plagiarized without citations .

Pankaj Sharma

Semester- III

Section A

Roll No- 100

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COMMUNALISM

Acknowledgement

I, Pankaj Sharma, feel myself highly exulted to come out with the work
“COMMUNALISM” as it gives me tremendous pleasure of having done thorough research
on the subject to present in a comprehensive manner.

I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide
Dr.Uttam Kumar Panda for his exemplary guidance and constant encouragement
throughout the course of this work.

Pankaj Sharma

Section A

Roll No 100

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COMMUNALISM

Contents

Declaration

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction...................................................................................5

Objectives of the study........................................................7

Research Methodology........................................................7

2. Characteristics of Communalism....................................................8
3. Causes for the growth of communalism.........................................11
4. Communal Riots ……………………............................................12
4.1 Features of communal Riots taking place in India …………13
4.2 Incidences of riots …………………………………………14
5. Suggestion to control and Eradicate Communalism ……………..15

Conclusion............................. .....................................................................17

Bibliography/ Webliography.......................................................................18

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COMMUNALISM

Introduction
Communalism has become one of the biggest menaces of modern India, problem that arises
between the socio- religious relations of the people who belong to various minority
communities on the one hand and the majority community on the other, can be referred to as
“communalism” or “communal problems”. Communalism and communal riots normally
arises when religious matters are politicalised. Communalism is often understood as an
ideology which states that the society is divided into religious communities whose interests
differ and are, at times, even opposed to each other it is a kind of antagonism which is found
between the religious communities.

Definition :

Ram Ahuja – “The antagonism practised by the members of one community against the
people of others community and religion and can be termed as “communalism”. 1

It is basically an ideology which consists of three elements:-

 A belief that people who follow the same religion have common secular interests i.e.
they have same political, economic and social interests. So, here socio- political
communalities arises.
 A notion that, In a multi-religious society like India, these common secular interests
of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from the interests of the follower of
another religion.
 The interests of the follower of the different religion or of different ‘communities’ are
seen to be completely incompatible, antagonist and hostile.

Communalism is political trade in religion. It is an ideology on which communal politics

is based. And communal violence are conjectural consequences of communal ideology.

In the words of Bipin Chandra “communalism is the belief that because a group of people
follow a particular religion, they have as a result, common social political and economic
interests.”2

1
Prof. Ram Ahuja “social problems in India”(1992) pg. 25
2
Bipin Chandra, Communalism in Modern India, Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi, 1984, p.2

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research is descriptive and analytical in nature. Secondary and electronic resources have
been largely used to gather information and data about the topic.

Books and other reference as guided by the faculty have been primarily helpful in
giving this project a firm structure. Websites, dictionaries and articles have also been
referred.

Bibliography has been provided at the end to acknowledge the same

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

• To explore the evolution of communalism in India.

• To understand how Communalism diffused into politics in India.

• To suggest certain remedial measures to control communalism in India.

Hypothesis
Communalism, is referred in the western world as a “theory or system of government in
which virtually autonomous local communities are loosely in federation”. Communalism is a
political philosophy, which proposes that market and money be abolished and that land and
enterprises to be placed in the custody of community. But in the Indian sub-continent context,
communalism has come to be associated with tensions and clashes between different
religious communities in various regions.

Scope of study
In this project, the author only discusses communalism growth, causes, Incidence, and
suggestion for eradication.

Mode of citation
The mode of citation of this project is bluebook 19th edition.

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Evolution of Communalism

I. Divide and Rule Policy of the British:

The British rulers adopted the policy of 'Divide and Rule' to strengthen their roots while
living in India. They divided the people of various communities of India and spread the
feeling of distrust among them and hence they sowed the seeds of communalism in India.

II. Political Organisations:

Different communal organisations are found in India which have created hatred among the
people of various religious communities by propagating, and hence they are the root cause of
communalism.

III. Inertia indifferent Government:

When the government does not take proper action at the proper time, communalism spreads
among the subjects. Sometimes the government favours on the religion and leave others
which create differences.

IV. Ineffective Handling of Communal Riots:

Sometimes the state governments have been proved ineffective to curb the communal riots in
their respective states. It also results in spreading the communalism.

The beginning of communalism can be traced to the pre-independence days. In the first war
of independence (1857) the Hindus as well as the Muslims had united to throw the British
imperialism out of India. Communalism in India is result of the emergence of modern
politics, which has its roots in partition of Bengal in 1905 and feature of separate electorate
under Government of India Act, 1909.Later, British government also appeased various
communities through Communal award in 1932, which faced strong resistance from Gandhi
ji and others. All these acts were done by the British government to appease Muslims and
other communities, for their own political needs. This feeling of communalism has deepened
since then, fragmenting the Indian society and being a cause of unrest.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMUNALISM

Communalism as a Socio-political is becoming more and more complex today. Unless we

know the real nature of communalism it becomes difficult for us to differentiate between
what communalism is, and what it is not. It is important to note that adherence to a religion is
not communalism. Attachment to a religious community is not communalism. The religiosity
of a community is not communalism. There is the maincharacteristics of communalism
especially in the Indian context.

1. Communalism is a philosophical notion.

2. It is a multifaceted process.
3. It has a wider base which incorporates social, economic and political aspects for its
manifestation.
4. It causes competition, ferocity, distrust, disharmony and tension among different
communities.
5. Communalism is used by the upper class people and elites as advice for separation
and mistreatment of the communal identities of the poorer groups of their co-
religionists.
6. Communalism is simply planned by opportunistic political and economic interest of
contending groups and factions within a political party or by political parties.
7. Communalism assaults at the roots of egalitarianism, secularism and national
amalgamation.
8. .The consequences of Communalism are ruinous.

Causes for the growth of Communalism

The main factors and forces which have have encouraged the growth of communalism in
India:

I. Socio-economic reasons:
The professional classes and the bourgeoisie emerged later among the Muslims than among
the Hindus. There was rivalry for jobs, trade and industry between the two communities. The
Muslim bourgeoisie used the lower middle classes of the Muslims against the Hindu
bourgeoisie to further their class interests.

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Because of the economic backwardness of India and rampant unemployment, there was
ample scope for the colonial government to use concessions, favours and reservations to fuel
communal and separatist tendencies. Also, modern political consciousness was late in
developing among the Muslims and the dominance of traditional reactionary elements over
the Muslim masses helped a communal outlook to take root.

II. British policy of divide and rule:

Muslims were generally looked upon with suspicion initially, especially after the Wahabi and
1857 revolts, and were subjected to repression and discrimination by the Government. Also,
the introduction of English education had undermined Arabic and Persian learning which
added further to the economic backwardness and exclusion of the Muslims from service.

After the 1870s, with signs of the emergence of Indian nationalism and growing politicisation
of the educated middle classes/ the Government reversed its policy of repression of Muslims
and, instead, decided to rally them behind it through concessions, favours and reservations,
and used them against nationalist forces.
The Government used persons like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan to counter the growing influence of
the Congress. Sir Syed Khan had a broadminded and reformist outlook initially but later he
started supporting the colonial government, exhorting the Muslim masses to stay away from
the Congress and not to get politicised. He also started talking of separate interests of Hindus
and Muslims.

III. Communalism in history writing:

Initially suggested by imperialist historians and later adopted by some chauvinist Indian
historians, the communal interpretation of Indian history portrayed the ancient phase as the
Hindu phase and the medieval phase as the Muslim phase. The conflicts of ruling classes
during the medieval phase were distorted and exaggerated as Hindu-Muslim conflicts.

IV. Side-effects of socio-religious reform movements:

Reform movements such as Wahabi Movement among Muslims and Shuddhi among Hindus
with their militant overtones made the role of religion more vulnerable to communalism.
Reforms, at times, were seen as a process of insulating one community from the influence of
another religious community.

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V. Side-effects of militant nationalism:

The early nationalists made conscious efforts to remove minority fears. DadabhaiNaoroji,
presiding over the second Congress session (1886), declared the intentions of the Congress
not to raise socio- religious questions in its forums. In 1889 the Congress decided not to take
up any issue opposed by the Muslims.

But later, with the coming of militant nationalism, a distinct Hindu nationalist tinge was
palpable in the nationalist politics. For instance, Tilak’sGanapati and Shivaji festivals and
anti-cow slaughter campaigns created much suspicion.

Aurobindo’s vision of an Aryanised world, Swadeshi Movement with elements like dips in
the Ganga and revolutionary terrorism with oath-taking before goddesses were hardly likely
to enthuse Muslims into these campaigns in a big way. The communal element in the
Lucknow Pact (1916) and the Khilafat agitation (1920-22) was too visible to be of
insignificant consequences.

VI. Communal reaction by majority community:

Naturally, the minority communalism met with a reaction from the majority community
which set up militant organisations like the Hindu Mahasabha (established in 1915) and
RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS—established in 1925).

The resultant one-upmanship of different versions of communal tendencies was one factor
which deterred any effective counter-offensive against communalism.

VII. During Second World War:

The British Indian Government gave a virtual veto to the League on political settlement. The
League made full use of this privilege and stuck to its demand of a separate Pakistan
throughout the negotiations under the August Offer, Cripps’ proposals, Shimla Conference
and Cabinet Mission Plan. Finally, it got what it had aspired for—an independent Pakistan
comprising Muslim majority areas of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, North-West Frontier
Province and Bengal in 1947.

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VIII. Post-independence:

Most communal riots prior to 1947 were rooted in the policy of British colonial rulers. But
after the partition, a section of the Indian elite of both sections are also blamed for the
problem. Communal problems Post independence has been caused many factors, some of
which are:

The class division of society and the backwardness of our economy resulted in unequal and
unbalanced economy.

It is the upper classes of the less developed communities that have enjoyed the fruits of
limited growth and have hence enjoyed the political power.

If we were to take a surface view of bare facts of any communal riot in India, it would appear
that the riot was caused by an incident so insignificant that we would stand amazed at how
such a trifling matter could cause so much Larson, loot and murder. It however does not
require much thinking to know that this incident was not the real cause of the riot. The basic
cause for all communal disturbances is the communal atmosphere pervading the country and
the communal tension built up between two communities. The communal atmosphere
provides a ready tilled soil for communal minded people to sow seeds of communal hatred
and nurture them until the bitter harvest of communal riots are reaped.

Communal Tensions or Riots

The biggest outcome of the communalism is communal tensions or riots. When religious
matters are politicalised it leads not only to communalism but also to the communal riots.
Communal violence is a form of violence that is perpetrated across ethnic or communal
lines, the violent parties feel solidarity for their respective groups, and victims are chosen
based upon group membership.

Indian law defines communal violence as "any act or series of acts, whether spontaneous or
planned, resulting in injury or harm to the person and or property, knowingly directed against any
person by virtue of his or her membership of any religious or linguistic minority, in any State in
the Union of India, or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes within the meaning of clauses
(24) and (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution of India".

The Incidence of communal riots are steadily increasing in India. Ever since politics came to
be communalised, communal violence has increased quantitatively. According to a study
Conducted in India in 1966-67, as many as 310 instances, in 1985-87 the figured increased to

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1300 and in 2013-14about 1530 instances were occurred. It is reported that property worth
Rs. 18 Crore was damaged in communal riots between 1983 and 1992 and 12352 persons
were killed and 11534 injured. It is observed that some states are found regularly suffering
from the problem of recurring communal riots.

Gandhi was its first victim followed by the murder of many persons in the 1970s and the
1980s.Emergency of the mid-1970s commenced the trend of criminal elements entering
mainstream politics. This phenomenon has now entrenched itself in Indian politics to such an
extent that religious fanaticism, casteism and mixing of religion and politics have increased in
varied dimensions. Political parties and political leaders adopt ‘holier than thou’ attitude in
relation to each other instead of taking a collective stand against these negative impulses
affecting our society.

The Hindu organisations blame Muslims and Christians for forcibly converting Hindus to
their religions. without indulging in the controversy whether prosylitisation or religious
conversions were coercive or voluntary.

Features of Communal Riots:

A probe of the major communal riots in the country in the last five decades has revealed that:

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(1) Communal riots are more politically motivated than fuelled by religion. Even the Madan

Commission which looked into communal disturbances in Maharashtra in May 1970 had

emphasised that “the architects and builders of communal tensions are the communalists and

a certain class of politicians—those all-India and local leaders out to seize every opportunity

to strengthen their political positions, enhance their prestige and enrich their public image by

giving a communal colour to every incident and thereby projecting themselves in the public

eye as the champions of their religion and the rights of their community”.

(2) Besides political interests, economic interests to play a vigorous part in fomenting

communal clashes.

(3) Communal riots seem to be more common in North India than in South and East India.

(4) The possibility of recurrence of communal riots in a town where communal riots have al-

ready taken place once or twice is stronger than in a town in which riots have never occurred.

(5) Most communal riots take place on the occasion of religious festivals.

(6) The use of deadly weapons in the riots is on the ascendancy.

Incidences of communal riots

The incidences of rioting shot up after 1963. Serious riots broke out in 1964 in various parts
of East India like Calcutta, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Ranchi. Another wave of communal
violence swept across the country between 1968 and 1971 when the political leadership at the
centre and in the states was weak.

The communal riots in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh in December, 1990, in
Belgaum (Karnataka) in November 1991, in Varanasi and Hapur (Uttar Pradesh) in February
1992, in Seelampur in May 1992, in Samaipur Badli in Delhi, Nasik in Maharashtra, and
Munthra near Trivandrum in Kerala in July 1992, and in Sitamarhi in October 1992—all
point out the weakening of communal amity in the country.

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After the demolition of the disputed shrine in December 1992 at Ayodhya, when communal
violence flared up in various states, more than 1,000 people were said to have died in five
days. It was after this violence that the government banned Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh
(RSS), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS) and the
Jamait-e-Islami Hind in December 1992.

After the bomb blasts in Bombay and later in Calcutta in April 1993, the communal riots in
Maharashtra and other states claimed more than 200 lives of both Muslims and Hindus. Soon
after the Bombay blasts, a well-known Imam of Delhi stated: “It is basically a matter of
survival now. We cannot rule out taking up arms in order to stay alive”.

The Sangh Pariwar leaders claimed that India is a Hindu Rashtra that only the Hindu culture
is the authentic Indian culture, It is such aggressive approach of Hindu and Muslim fanatics
that leads to communal riots. While 61 districts out of 350 districts in India were identified as
sensitive districts in 1961, 216 districts were so identified in 1979, 186 in 1986, 254 in 1987
and 186 in 1989.

Apart from the loss in terms of lives, the communal riots cause widespread destruction of
property and adversely affect economic activities. For instance, property worth Rs. 14 crore
was damaged between 1983 and 1986 {Times of India, July 25, 1986). In the 2,086
incidences of communal riots in three years between 1986 and 1988, 1,024 persons were
killed and 12,352 injured.

After the communal riots in Maharashtra, Bengal and other states in 1993, no serious riots
were reported for about three years; but in May 1996 Calcutta once again witnessed
communal riots on an issue of taking a Moharrum procession along a particular route in
violation of police permission. It was reported that the trouble was not spontaneous but was
planned and had background of political rivalry.

The case studies of Baroda and Ahmedabad communal riots in Gujarat in Central India,
Meerut, Aligarh and Moradabad riots in Uttar Pradesh, Jamshedpur in Bihar, and Srinagar in
Kashmir in North India, Hyderabad and Kerala riots in South India, and Assam riots in East
India vindicate my thesis. Muzaffarnagar riots 2013: Its again clashes between the Hindu and
Muslim communities, have claimed 48 lives and injured 93 in the Muzaffarnagar district,
Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the worst religious violence in India.

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Suggestion to control communal tension

Communalism is a creeping paralysis which demands solution. Communal riots pose a

permanent threat to the religious harmony. It is true that giving suggestion is an easy task but
putting them into practice is itself a big challenge. Prof. Ram Ahuja suggests that the
problem of communal riots must be tackled in 2 ways: 3

A) Undertaking immediate remedial measures

1. Setting up peace committee
2. Use of new strategies and plans by the state
3. Supervision the media
4. Suppressing the extremists
5. Abolition of communal parties
B) Long term remedial measures
1. To make the people free from communal frenzies and passions
2. Preventing communalisation of the state and the political Elites in power
3. Protecting the civil society from being communalised
4. Educational system should be free from communal ideas and ideologies
5. Role of the media
6. Ideology that economic development by itself brings down communalism is not
correct
7. Legislation against forcible Conversions

The solution of such problems cannot be one or two steps by government. Apart from
legislative support, administrative efficiency and alertness with the help of modern tools and
technology, the major onus lies on the citizens themselves by avoiding communal violence.
Though its bit philosophical in nature, as it’s not a concrete solution, but the sustainable
changes can be brought only by those steps.

Each of us, have to make a balance between our own religious community and national
interests, we have to unite with nationalism, and then should move forward. The teachings of
a religious community may be great, but the followers of the community concerned should
understand that nationalism is greater. If they do not become familiar with this fact, they will

3
http// www.aicc.org

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be away from national stream; they will suffer. This fact relates not only to India but also to
many other countries of the world.

We have to be rational while making decisions. Each and every religious community has
been founded on the basis of certain values that were best and necessary for circumstances of
the country and times. Goodness like adjustment with others, or co-operation, or consistency
can be found in their teachings. But by not moving according to the teachings of their
religious community those who depend upon fundamentalism and conservative practices, or
those who use their co-religionists taking advantage of their poverty, illiteracy or innocence,
are dishonest towards their own self, their co-religionists and also towards those great leaders
who founded the religious community. Everyone must understand this fact also. Along with
this, leaders of all communities, by knowing it, must come forward for an atmosphere
surcharged with harmony, in which lies their welfare too. The religious teachers should
promote rational and practical things through religion promoting peace and security.
Policies like appeasement, fun and frolic with the sentiments of people for individual and
party interests, and selection of candidates on the basis of religious community or sect by
keeping aside the qualifications, one, certainly, does the things against national interest or
nationalism; are reflections of lower national thinking. That is why; these kinds of acts
should be stopped at government level and also at the level of political parties.

Thus, in order to get rid of the problem of communalism in India, there is a need of collective
efforts. All will have to discharge their duties. If we do so, definitely harmony will prevail.
Everybody will prosper. This must be done; this was the dream of Mahatma Gandhi for a free
India.4

4
Ramjee Singh, Gandhi and the Twenty First Century, Peace Publishers India, New Delhi, 1993, p.119

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Conclusion

Communalism according to us is becoming one of the most complex and central issues facing
the Indian left. We don’t claim to have arrived at the ultimate and precise analysis of this
problem. Communalism in India, ever since the struggle for Independence from British rule
began, has been the art of realising secular ends through religious means, by the elites of both
the communities. It is a fast spreading social epidemic which originates and grows up in the
minds of the masses. This menace cannot be bridled by sheer legislations rather effective
measures to check the spread of this divisive and destructive ideology should be taken. The
policy of appeasement adopted by political parties in the name of religion is against secular
values. If the ideal of Sarvadharmasamabhava is not adopted by these political parties,
communal tension will continue infinitely.

Communalism can be combated with the help of globalisation as a tool. In the globalised
world, all countries are becoming integrated and dependent on each other. Movement of
people from one place to other is becoming very easy, in such conditions to avoid such
potential violence, governments are already promoting cultural exchanges through shows,
programs, heritage walk, culture.

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References

1. www. jstor.org

2. https://books.google.co.in/books

3. www. Academia.edu

4. http://www.countercurrents.org/communalism.htm

Books

1. Das, Veena, ed. Mirrors of Violence: Communities, Riots and Survivors in South Asia.
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1990.

2. Banu, Zenab, Politics of Communalism, Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 1989. Barrier,

Gerald, Roots of Communal Politics, Delhi: Arnold Heinemann, 1976.

3. Bhalla, G.S., et al., India: Nation State and Communalism, New Delhi: Patriot Publishers,
1989

4. Bhardwaj, K.K., Combating Communalism in India, New Delhi: Mittal Publications, 1993

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