Communalism
Communalism
Communalism is
not naturally inherited characteristic or feature of any society. It is
socially, politically and culturally created phenomena. No individual is born
with the feeling of communalism but become communal in society because of
different nature of socialization he or she encountered in course of life. In
India, communalism originated in the policy of ‘divide and rule’ applied by
British colonial power to administer the country by disintegrating its people
in the name of religion. The integration of Indians at the early period of
British rule in India presented a serious threat for survival of colonial trade
and administration. India has been showing a land of blending culture,
religion, language and others, which manifests the splendid beauty of the
nation. It has been the identity of India since long time. People of India
embraced those rulers, who loved the diversity and denounced those who
plundered and instigated for disintegration in society. So it was strength for India’s
nation building process. But for British greatest obstacle because they found
it difficult of handle repeated mass protest and revolt. Though nationalism and common goal of
independence undermined the communalism in greater extent, which exhibited in
participation of people in numbers of national movement carried out at that
time, seed of communalism has not uprooted from Indian society. This has been
visible in different events and happenings in different time of
pre-independence as well as post-independence India.
Meaning
Communalism
means feeling of bitterness towards other religions. This feeling develops by
ideology not by inherited attributes. Communalism is the ideology of a social,
political and religious group that their religion and practices are superior to
that of other groups. The feelings of bitterness and ideology have developed
among the members of various religious groups because of many factors. Here we
can find the relevance of the concept of ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism of
religious groups is responsible for the problem of communalism in society.
Communalism can
be manifested as well as latent. It is manifested when ideology outburst in
conflict and violence. This happens due to manifested differentiation among
religious groups and individual’s experience of ill treatment in the name of
religion. Religious conflict or violence has always been devastating and
destructive for human society. It can be latent when there is no concrete
happening of conflict and violence.
But it does not
indicate the positivity of latent communalism, rather it is more harmful.
Communalism can brainwash the healthy mind of individual and pour the poison of
hatred and bitterness towards other religious groups, which can transmit from
one generation to other through socialization. This is how communalism is
becoming long enduring phenomena.
Factors
contributing to communalism in society
There are
numerous factors responsible for developing and sustaining communalism. Mind
has most important role, as mind interprets and constructs the meaning of
particular behavior of others. But mind is not completely independent, there is
social structure and culture determines the individual to think and interpret
the action in particular way.
There are some
factors, which are visible in society for social scientists rational people
because only they can observe these factors. The common masses can just see the
superficial cause and consequences of the occurrences of communal violence or
religious conflict or riot.
The most
important matter of fact is that people’s mind seeks justification of the
communalism. The justification of communalism can be failed if social structure
has preventive mechanism and socializing agency remain rational and liberal in
its process.
The
factors are as follows:
1. Politicization of religion
2. Polarization of people in the name of religion
3. Radicalization of common people
4. Lack consciousness regarding socio-economic
condition
Politicization
of religion:
It has very
commonly and frequently been observed that religion has become issue of
interest for politics. Political parties always seek to get political mileage
from religious issues. There numbers of religious issues in India, which have
not been solved till date. Seems no political party is interested to solve the
problem rather to make these lively. In the name
of secularism some parties appease the minority because they treat them as vote
bank. On the other hand others try to get the vote of majority by portraying
them as loyal followers and activists. Religious leaders also give political
speech instead of spiritual guidance to their followers. Religious symbols are
using for manipulating people for vote and keeping the society divided.
Polarization
of religion in the name of religion:
If we look into
the last few elections in India there has been recorded a particular type of
voting behavior based on religion. Polarization occurs as a result of exclusion
of particular religious groups from a particular party and inclusion of one
group. Deliberate expression of political leaders against religious groups also
cause dissatisfaction and create the feeling bitterness. Urge to cast vote in
the name of religion is very commonly visible in India. Political parties also give religious flavor to the
incidences of crime even. Here political parties are not alone responsible for
this but social structure and tradition mould the individual behavior, which
gives an important source to political parties to polarize the people.
Radicalization
of common people:
Some groups are
there within every religious group, who propagate the conservative ideas and
principles. Irrational ideas and practices and lack of proper religious
knowledge lead to radicalization of common people. Radical groups can’t accept
the mutual co-existence of all religious groups rather they prefer ghettoized
locality. Radicalization captures the rational state of condition of human mind
and takes the individual towards misconception and misunderstanding about
religion and ultimately develops the communalism.
Lack
of consciousness regarding socio-economic condition:
When people have
no consciousness about their poor economic and social condition, their mind and
consciousness remain under the control of religious radicalism and irrational
beliefs. Class consciousness of people tends to make them work oriented and they
use religion for their own development not for creating conservative and
limited world.
Author is Mahmudul Hasan Laskar, Assistant Professor, Dept. of
Sociology, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya. He is author and
founder of You Tube channel “Sociology for Life”. He is also the editor of this
Blog “Sociological Study”.
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