Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
bill with thisproposal has been pending before theParliament for more than
a decade.
COMMUNALISM
It is a system in which beliefs of one religion are presented assuperior to
those of other religions.
COMMUNAL POLITICS
When the demands of one religiousgroup are formed in opposition
toanother and when state power is usedto establish domination of one
religiousgroup over the rest. This manner ofusing religion in politics is
communalpolitics.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS
1. Gandhiji used to say that religion cannever be separated from politics. He
believed that politics must be guidedby ethics drawn from religion.
2. Human rights groups in our countryhave argued that most of the victims
ofcommunal riots in our country arepeople from religious minorities.
3. Womens movement has arguedthat family Lawsof all religionsdiscriminate
against women.
COMMUNALISM CAN TAKE VARIOUSFORMS IN POLITICS
1. The most common expression ofcommunalism is in religiousprejudices,
stereotypes of religiouscommunities and belief in the superiorityof ones
religion over other religions.
2. A communal mind often leads to aquest for political dominance of onesown
religious community. For thosebelonging to majority community, thistakes
the form of majoritariandominance.
3. Political mobilisation on religiouslines is another frequent form
ofcommunalism. This involves the use ofsacred symbols, religious
leaders,emotional appeal and plain fear in orderto bring the followers of one
religiontogether in the political arena.
4. In electoralpolitics this often involves special appealto the interests or
emotions of votersof one religion in preference to others.
5. Sometimes communalism takes itsmost ugly form of communal
violence,riots and massacre. India and Pakistansuffered some of the worst
communalriots at the time of the Partition.
WHAT WERE THE SEVERAL CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS TAKEN TO SOLVE
COMMUNALISM IN INDIA?
1. India is a secular state. There is no official religion and our Constitution
does not givespecial status to any religion.