1

DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

COMMUNALISM

Subject: Political Science

Submitted to: T. Y. Nirmala Devi
Submitted by: Prateek Kumar
Roll no: 2013085
Semester: 2nd
Session: 2013-18

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am very thankful to everyone who all supported me for I have completed my project effectively
and moreover on time. I am equally grateful to my Political Science faculty T. Y. Nirmala Devi.
She gave me moral support and guided me in different matters regarding the topic. She had been
very kind and patient while suggesting me the outlines of this project and correcting my doubts. I
thank her for his overall supports.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank my friends who helped me a lot in gathering different
information, collecting data and guiding me from time to time in making this project despite of
their busy schedules, they gave me different ideas in making this project unique.

Thanking you
Prateek Kumar

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that my Project Work entitled The Politics of Communalism. Submitted by
Mr. Prateek Kumar is the record of work carried out during semester-II of First Year B.A. LL.B.
Course for the academic year 2013-2018 under my supervision and guidance in conformity with
the syllabus prescribed by Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University.

Place: Visakhapatnam
Date:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION...5-7
2. AIMS & OBJECTIVE....8
3. HYPOTHESIS.8
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.....8
5. CHAPTERISATION
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.

MEANING OF COMMUNALISM....9,10
CAUSES OF COMMUNALISM.11-13
EMERGENCE OF COMMUNALISM IN INDIAN POLITICS..14
COMMUNALISM AND INDIAN POLITICS.....15
THE POLITICS OF COMMUNALISM A THREAT TO INDIAs UNITY16-19
LATEST NEWS REGARDING POLITICS OF COMMUNALISM..20-23
PROBLEMS DUE TO THE POLITICS OF COMMUNALISM IN INDIA....24
SUGGESTION FOR THE ERADICTION OF COMMUNALISM.25
CONCLUSION.26

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY..27

INTRODUCTION
The politics on communalism by political leaders is an old phenomenon indeed. On the Hindu
side, it appears along with the crystallization of militant Hinduism in the late ninth century. It
was primarily aimed at mobilizing the Hindu community against what was perceived by some

Hindu leaders at the Muslim threat. It can be proved by some of the most important examples.
Tilaks reinterpretation of processions in honor of Ganesh festival beginning in the 1890s, the
case of the Ram Lila in Allahabad, representation an anti-Muslim Unitarian mobilization. In the
1920s, following the Khalifat movement, the same logic operated1.

A unique feature of our country is that the major religions of the world are practiced here like
Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. Hinduism is a
dominant religion and others are in minority. But we can notice comparative peace and
friendliness among other religions. Unluckily this peace and friendliness are not seen among the
Hindus and the Muslims.
The two have never respected each other's identity and broken out from time to time in various
parts of the country. And whenever there is a riot, national integrity has fallen into danger.
We can trace the history of communal riots in the background of our independence. We gained
our independence after a long and difficult struggle. Our leaders had a vision of a free and a
united country, which inspired them to fight eventually not one but two countries were formed,
India and Pakistan. The separate state of Pakistan was created for Muslims. When these two
states were formed terrible problems arose.
There were many Hindus in Pakistan and Muslims in India. Some communal minded people
began to inflame communal passion. They began to riot and kill people belonging to the other
faith. Communal hatred showed its true color as lakes of innocent people were massacred and
millions rendered homeless.
The horrors of partition had a strong effect on everyone's mind. The creation of Pakistan could
not solve the communal problems. Hindus and Muslims remained at daggers drawn. The makers
of the constitution resolved that India would be a secular state where everyone would be free to

1 Wilkinson Steven I., Religious, political and communal violence, Oxford publication, edition- first in
2005

practice his/ her religion. But due to some misguided people and corrupt Politicians several
communal riots have broken out even after independence.
In 1979, Aligarh was utilized by communal riots and it took several months to bring the situation
under control. In 1980 there were communal riots in Moradabad, Aligarh, Allahabad, and Delhi.
Again in 1987 and 1991 there were widespread riots in Meerut. To crown them all was the drab
Carnage which occurred in the year 2002. It looked a partition again.
These communal riots are the greatest blot on humanity they spread hatred and insecurity. They
lead to a great destruction of life and property. The normal lives of people are disturbed which is
a great loss to the country as well.
For the well being of all our people and the country, it is important that we respect other religions
and live in peace and harmony. Our leaders can be of great help in this field. They can inspire
people to outlook the differences between Hindus and Muslims. Social workers should extend
their helping hands in preparing an atmosphere of love, friendship and harmony. Disputes should
be solved peacefully.
The media of mass communication should promote an atmosphere of natural understanding by
high highlighting the similarities in the culture of the two communities. The T.V., newspaper and
the radio should not give any such news which may inflame communal feelings. Instead the
news should aim at restoration of peace which alone can save humanity.

Thus, Communalism became even more significant vehicles of violence when local power
politics was at strike. The relative democratization of the political system, which followed the
Government of India act of 1919, favored the emergence of a political class which was more to
the sensibilities of the electorate and was concerned, therefore, with defending religious
institutions such as processions. Over the years, a specific pattern of communal-based riots has
emerged, for ideological and electoral reasons.
The growing importance of elections in a democratic framework and the increasingly tense
relations between Hindu and Muslims from the 1970s onwards largely explain this development.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, however, the different aspects of the politics of communalism
were increasingly integrated2. Hindu nationalist leaders used communalism and riots to mobilize
supports more and more frequently, especially at the time of elections, when it was particularly
useful for them to polarize the electorate along religious lines.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

The researcher prime objective is to validate the Meaning of Communalism and its causes. Its
aim is to find out the Emergence of communalism in India, relation of Communalism and
Politics, Problems due to Politics of Communalism and some latest news regarding
communalism. And finally the researcher will conclude the research work.

HYPOTHESIS
The researcher hypothesizes that, the topic of my project THE POLITICS OF
COMMUNALISM is a very burning topic of todays India. Most of the politics are done on
communalism. Even most of the politicians are asking for vote in the names of Communalism.
As we that India is the country of all religions. Here all the religions got equal importance. But
due the Politics of communalism, it seems to be unequal. And sometimes it results into riots also.

2 Words Essay on communalism, Accessed on 06/09/2013 at 22:55 IST ,

http://www.preservearticles.com/2011081510568/506-words-essay communalism-free-toread.html

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The various books, websites, magazines and newspaper are referred for this topic. The sources
from which the material for this research collected are secondary. So the methodology used in
the research has been Doctrinal. No non-doctrinal method has been used by the researcher in this
project work.

MEANING OF COMMUNALISM
Communalism is an ideology of politics allegiance to a religious community. It means to use a
religious community against another communities or the nation. It exploits religion for political,
personal, financial or electoral gains3.
It is described as a tool to mobilize people for or against by raising an appeal on communal
lines. Communalism is associated with religious fundamentalism and dogmatism.
Abdul Ahmad says, Communalism is a social phenomenon characterized by the religion of two
Communities, often leading to acrimony, tension and even rioting between them.
Prabha Dixit writes,
Communalism is a political doctrine which makes use of religious and cultural differences to
achieve political ends.
According to Asqhar Ali Engineer, Moin Shakir and Abdul Ahmed, it is an instrument in the
hands of to upper Cass to concentrate power by dividing people. The elites strive to maintain a
3 Puja Mondal, Problems of Communalism in India, Accessed on 06/09/2013 at 23:11
IST, http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/communalism/problems-of-communalism-inindia-essay/4091/

status quo against transformation by dividing people on communal and religious lines.
Communalism may be perceived as a total commitment to a set of beliefs and it, s far from
rationality.
Communalism is the belief that because a group of people follow a particular religion they have,
as a result, common secular, that is, social, political and economic interests.
It is the belief that in India religious groups like Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians form
different and distinct communities; that all the followers of a religion share not only a
commonality of religious interests but also common secular interests; that there is, and can be, no
such thing as an Indian nation.
But only a Hindu nation, or a Muslim nation and so on; that India can, therefore, only be a mere
confederation of religious communities.
Inherent in communalism is the second notion that the social, cultural, economic and political
interests of the followers of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from the interests of the
followers of another religion.
The third stage of communalism is reached when the interests of the followers of different
religions or of different religious 'communities' are seen to be mutually incompatible,
antagonistic and hostile.
Thus, at this stage, the communalists assert that Hindus and Muslims cannot have common
secular interests, and that their secular interests are bound to be opposed.

CAUSES OF COMMUNALISM
There are a number of causes which are responsible for the prevalence of communalism. Some
of the important causes of communalism are discussed below.
1. Tendency of the Minorities:

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The Muslims fail to be intermingled in the national mainstream. Most of them do not participate
in the secular nationalistic politics and insist on maintaining tor separate identity the elite among
the Muslims have failed to generate the appropriate national ethos.
2. Orthodoxy and Obscurantism:
The orthodox members of minorities feel that they have a distinct entity with their own cultural
pattern, personal laws and thought. There are strong elements of conservatism and
fundamentalism among the Muslims. Such feeling has prevented them from accepting the
concept of secularism and religious tolerance.

3. Design of the Leaders:

Communalism has flourished in India because the communalist leaders of both Hindu and
Muslim Communities desire to flourish it in the interest of their communities. The demand for
separate Electorate and the organization of Muslim league were the practical manifestations of
this line of Thought. The British rule which produced the divide and rule policy, separate
electorate on the basis of religion strengthened the basis of communalism in India Ultimately the
partition of the country into India and Pakistan provided further an antagonistic feeling towards
each other.

4. Weak Economic Status:

A majority of Muslims in India has failed to adopt the scientific and technological education.
Due to their educational backwardness, they have not been represented sufficiently in the public
service, industry and trade etc. This causes the feeling of relative deprivation and such feelings
contain the seeds of communalism.
5. Geographical Causes:

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The territorial settlement of different religious groups especially Hindus, Muslims and Christians
Causes in them wide variation in the mode of life, social standards and belief system. Most of
these patterns are contradictory and this may cause communal tension.
6. Historical Causes:
The Muslims, all over the subcontinent, are converts from Hinduism, which was facilitated due
to the caste-hate relations and under the compulsions of Muslim rulers. The problems of social
segregation, illiteracy and poverty that had set apart the low caste people remain unresolved for
them, as the foreign elite that rubbed never shared power with them. Their work ended with the
conversion of the Indians and the converts began by imitating the masters in thought, speech and
dress. It caused their alienation. Gradually, elements of communalism entered in the Muslim
community. The separatist elements in the Muslim community, from the very start of the national
resurgence had discouraged others of their community, from associating themselves with it. As a
result Muslim league was formed which demanded partition of the country.
7. Social Causes:
Cultural similarity is a powerful factor in fostering amicable relations between any two social
groups. But the social institutions, customs and practices of Hindus and Muslims are so divergent
that they think themselves to be two distinct communities.

8. Psychological Causes:
Psychological factors play an important role in the development of communalism. The Hindus
think that the Muslims are fanatics and fundamentalists. They also believe that Muslims are
unpatriotic. On the contrary, the Muslims feel that they are being treated as second rate citizens
in India and their religious beliefs and practices are inferior. These feelings lead to communal illfeeing.
9. Provocation of Enemy Countries:

12

Some foreign countries try to destabilize our country by setting one community against the other
through their agents. Pakistan has played a role in fostering communal feeling among the
Muslims of our country. Pakistan has been encouraging and promoting communal riots by
instigating the militant sections of Indian Muslim community. Kashmir youths are trained by
Pakistan to destabilize Indias internal security by spreading communal venom
.
10. Negative Impact of Mass Media:
The messages relating to communal tension or riot in any part of the country spread through the
mass media. This results in further tension and riots between two rival religious groups

EMERGENCE OF COMMUNALISM IN INDIAN POLITICS

Some of the important reasons for the emergence of communalism in Indian politics are given
below1. Because of historical reasons, many of the Indian Muslims consider themselves closer to the
Muslims of other countries rather than other religious groups of India.
2. Some of the Muslims and their leaders undermine the feeling of nationalism and espouse
religious fundamentalism.
3. Indian Muslim leaders suffer from minority complex and fear psychosis and find the reasons
of backwardness of Muslims on communal lines. They always blame the government for their
backwardness and allege that the government is discriminatory towards Muslims.

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4. The narrow approach of our neighbor Pakistan towards Indian Muslims incites the feeling of
separateness and fundamentalism among Indian Muslims.
5. The educational and economic backwardness of Indian Muslims keep them away from
national mainstream and perpetuates fundamentalism and separation among them. They become
easy victims of vested political interests.4
The policy of vote bank towards Muslims, adopted by political parties has further encouraged the
divisions among different religious groups and obstructed the possibility of religious harmony
and closeness.

COMMUNALISM AND INDIAN POLITICS

The relationship between communalism and Indian politics was institutionalized way
back in 1909 by the Morley-Minto Reforms and subsequently through the Montford
Reforms of 1919 which led to separate electorates. Though the system was abolished in
1947 the germs of communalism remained in independent India as well.
The introduction of universal adult franchise in independent India was one of the historic events
of the nation. This gave the people of this country an opportunity to elect their representatives, a
right which was denied to them for long. However, political parties soon began to look for easy
ways of mobilizing votes. Besides using caste they also used religion to woo voters.
Interestingly, the law of the land does not debar the formation of political parties on the basis of
caste or religion. Even the Supreme Court in a judgment delivered on 17th July, 1995, ruled that
political parties which identify with a particular caste, community, religion or language can seek
4 Religion and Communalism in Indian Politics, Accessed on 06/09/2013 at 23:30 IST,
http://younghopes.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/religion-and-communalism-in-indian-politics/

14

votes to promote their cause without harming or creating hatred for other caste, community,
religion or language. Unfortunately, many political parties today cross their limits and this has
created

number

of

communal

violence

in

recent

years. 5

Moreover, communal issues are often brought up during the time of elections; this is mostly done
to divert attention from real issues of basic development. A section of politicians have been
manipulating communal issues for their selfish ends. This section of individuals and groups are
more prone to use divisive ideologies like communalism to ensure their political power.
Communalization of politics has today become a threat to secular character of the nation.
In Independent India, the tendency of communalism has increased in the democratic process.
Thus, Muslims have been treated as a Vote Bank by different political parties in differen times.
Political parties have adopted the policy of appeasement towards Muslims and other minority
groups like Sikhs and Christians to seek their political support.

The Politics of Communalism, a threat to Indias unity

All kinds of communalism are dangerous. Just before 1947, the main damage to national unity
was inflicted by Muslim Communalism which led to the partition of India. After 1947 it is the
Hindu communalism which poses great threat to Indias democracy and its unity. A Thinker.
India is a secular State. Secular means non-religious, but in the context of Indian polity. It means
theco-existence of all religions without any kind of discrimination. Though our constitution
safeguards for the minorities, the actual implementations of the provisions is a complex one.
Indian people are generally known for their non-violence, tolerance, brotherhood character, that
is why number of religion has flourished in India society. After the traumatic partition and
bloodshed, during the partition, has given the political parties, several inflammable issues for
exploiting communal passions for their political gains. Not only the politicians, but also the
5 INTRODUCTION TO ISSUES IN INDIAN POLITICS: CASTE, COMMUNALISM, Accessed on
06/09/2013 at 23:45 IST,http://www.kkhsou.in/main/polscience/issues_indian.html

15

religious heads of minorities and majority community instead of trying to mitigate the communal
fringy, flared it up with their speeches and actions. The destruction of BABRI MASJID and
burning alive the Hindu Kar Sewaks in Godhra (Gujarat) and the incidences of violence in
Gujarat after Godhra Massacre, have torn the Secular Fabric of Indian Democracy to
uncountable pieces. One incidence after another creates more hatred, more incidences, and more
communalism in the country.
During struggle for independence, several reformers and freedom fighters were committed to the
Task of modernizing the religious practices in India but what is seen now a day? Communal
violences have become the order of the day. The socio economic backwardness, illiteracy,
poverty of the vast population of our country, both Hindus and Muslims, has always remains a
fertile ground for fanaticism, and communal hatred. The hard-liner or extremists on both sides
never they to educate the common people, about the demerits of their communal feelings so that
they may continue to exploit them of their vested interests. Such attitude on the part of religious
leaders, contributed to a great extent in the growth and development of communalism in Indian
society which surely will sometime work as a nuclear war head and destroy the while country.
In India, throughout the past century, communal forces have tried to capture the political centers
tyage. For the various means they have sought to disrupt the unity and integrity of the country,
tried to gnaw at the very secular foundations of India culture and history. But overtime they have
failed. Yet, the consequences of such thought have often been traumatic. One has to but mention
the holocaust of 1947, assassination of Mahatma Gandhi demolition of the Babri Mosque at
Ayodhya and the riots accompanying it etc. to get a feel of the trauma. The Muslim
fundamentalists have made it an issue of their identity and existence. The Hindu fundamentalist
are also not behind inciting the gullible masses, to rise against the Muslims, by making them
believe that Hindus in Hindustan are being treated as second class citizens.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS) and the Sangh Parivar, which is an umbrella sheltering
and nurturing organization like Bharitya Janata party (BJP), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the
Bajrang Dal, the Shiv Sena and other of their ilk, is such a conglomerate. The backbone of the
now infamous Saffrom Brigade i.e. the organizations following a militant Hindu
Fundamentalist agenda and fascist principles, is the RSS. In fact the family came into being
because the RSS was rejected by people after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and thus
chose to remain in background.

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The basic fabric of Indian society and polity, which is heterogeneous, composite and democratic,
The basic fabric of Indian society and polity, which is heterogeneous, composite and democratic,
Can under attack by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang (RSS) and its various supporters in different
guises. The most important of these is BJP. The politicians or religious leaders of BJP, VHP, RSS
and Bajrang Dal might have some good reasons in reviving the past glories of Hinduism, but the
cruel fact is that their efforts for such revival are creating communal tensions among Muslims.
After independence all the political parties have exploited religion and caste sentiments in
furthering their political goals.
Over the past years, the Muslim community in India has been demonized in both subtle and overt
Ways. Hindu right is obsessed with sexuality and power, which manifested themselves in most
Gruesome form during the riots via both the systematic attacks on Muslim women and the
widespread and false stories circulating those Hindu women were being abducted and raped by
Muslim men.
They second key obsession is with nation. It is telling that immediately after the burning of the
Sabarmati, the Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani said that the event was Pakistani-inspiration, in
the absence of any evidence. Although some claimed that this was to divert blame away from the
local Muslim community, the record of the Sangh Parivar, and Advani in particular, shows that
the fundamental motivations are quite the opposite to put the nationality of Indian Muslims
under question.
Creating strong associations between the notion of Muslims and the notion of foreigner is a
part of the Sangh Parivar project of the construction of India as a Hindu State. During the riots it
is common for mobs to chant the verse there seemed only two living places for MuslimsPakistan or the cemetery (kabrastan) Traditionally secular forces in India have attempted to
undermine these notion by stressing the Indian-ness and loyalty of Indian Muslims, with the
role of so many in the freedom struggle, etc.
In the aftermath of Gujarat, what was seen by many as a cynical attempt to divert attention away
from the carnage, the Indian government engineered a confrontation with Pakistan which
brought the region to the edge of nuclear war. On 14 May 2002 an army barracks at Kaluckhak
near Jammu was stormed by militants and both soldiers and their families were killed. Although
there have been such regular attacks before- indeed ones which have taken a greater tool this
time India immediately geared up for war with Pakistan. It is very uncertain what degree of

17

control Pakistan commands over militants infiltrated into India, but with the countr5y still reeling
from the violence in Gujarat it was clearly a convenient time to divert everyones attention
towards the permanent enemy.
All groups, whether Hindu or Muslim, which encourage narrow communal identities are adding
to the problem. The reality is that real peoples identities are fluid and complex, whereas the
project of ethnic nationalism requires the construction of narrow identities, and then the use of
those identities to mobilize people. In this way, the apparently innocent encouragement of
religious identity can be part of a process which culminates in violence.
Riots are rarely spontaneous events. Probably the most incorrect caricature of the recent violence
is of spontaneous tit for tat violence. To highlight the organized nature of violence is not to brush
away the difficult questions of where exactly mass violence and mass sexual violence comes
from and how these are connected with authoritarianism and sexual repression.
The religious right in India exploits to a great extends its multiple faces, from the more
respectable to the more extreme. The key point to recognize is that the differences between the
organizations are tactical rather than ideological.
There are no golden pasts. History, especially the pre-British history of India, has become a
battleground with Hindu Nationalist reminding us of an apparently beautiful pre-Islamic era, and
secularists attempting to counter this with examples of peace, progress and cohesion achieved
during the time of Mughal rule. The reality is that such simplifications of history are always
dangerous. All empires, pre-Islamic, and post-Islamic have been born though brutal conquest and
expansion hand have seen great social injustices. Many have also had their times of relative
peace and stability, and social progress.
Today it is probably more useful to question the overall way the history is caricatured, rather than
getting bogged down in detailed debate. Enmity between India and Pakistan is crucially linked to
the ability of the Sangh Parivar in India to orchestrate violence against Muslims. Fear of the
enemy without and the enemy with feed off each other. The perceived threat of terrorism, the
associated climate of fear, and the need for strong leaders which this breeds are preconditions
for getting the complicity of significant sections of the population in a genocidal project.
Thus the anti-communal movement must be linked to a peace movement. Undermining the
construction of India as a Hindu state, undermining the construction of Pakistan as a Muslim

18

state, and undermining their cross-border tensions because of Terrorism all linked ingredients in
preventing a slide towards fascism and war.
In a country like India, with so much plurality and diversity, talking of Hindu state, or Hindustan
for Hindus, shall be a dangerous sign, totally the well-established, secular fabric of Indian
Constitution. The un-secular forces organizations must keep in mind that communalizing India
will bring horror in the country and the people will eat other and time is near that we will be
again under foreign rule. Unless an all-out attempt is made to contain the communal forces, the
very unity of India is in danger. A total ban on all types of communal organizations must be put
forth. A social and cultural movement should be launched to awaken the people about the reality
of the communal violence and their effects on them and on the country as a whole. The process
has to start from top. All political parties and religious organizations must stop delivering
inflammatory speeches and inciting the general masses in the name of religion. A wrong action
on the part of a community cannot be equalized by another wrong action by another community.
For the survival of the country, secularism has to survive for the survival of secularism, religious
friendship, togetherness and tolerance are must. Communalism can only destroy the unity and
integrity of the nation; it cant help in creating friendship, fraternity or togetherness.6

LATEST NEWS

'Goondaraj' SP and Congress playing politics of 'communalism': BJP7

6 communalism a threat to Indias unity, Accessed on 05/O9/2013 at 22:18 IST,
http://www.rosemaryinstitute.com/essayarticles/1834-essay--communalism-a-threat-toIndias-unity

7 ANI, Goondaraj' SP and Congress playing politics of 'communalism': BJP,

Accessed on 05/09/2013 at 22:45 IST, http://in.news.yahoo.com/goondaraj-sp-congressplaying-politics-communalism-bjp-105615483.html

19

New Delhi, Aug. 26 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the
ruling Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for imposing restrictions on the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) from going ahead with its 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra in Ayodhya.
Reacting to the accusation that his party had vandalized the Samajwadi Party's office, BJP
spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the allegations were baseless.
"The restrictions put on the religious yatra are against democracy. Now, tell me how is it possible
to attack the office of the goondaraj itself? This is a joint game played by the Congress and the
SP to politicize the whole issue. It is an effort by them to lead the common man astray,"
Javadekar said.
"It is a joint effort by the Congress and the Samajwadi Party to not let Parliament to function, as
well as impose restrictions on religious yatras in Uttar Pradesh. They are together going about
their politician based on religion and communalism," he added.
Meanwhile, The Uttar Pradesh Government's massive crackdown to prevent the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad (VHP) from going ahead with its 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra in Ayodhya on
Sunday, led to protests on the streets of Delhi on Monday.
About 2,000 VHP activists protested at Jantar Mantar and the police used water cannons when
some of them tried to break barricades to go towards Parliament. In the Lok Sabha, BJP member
Yogi Adityanath accused the UP government of insulting Hindus by not allowing the VHP to go
ahead with its planned yatra.
Senior VHP leaders Pravin Togadia and Ashok Singhal were among the nearly 1,700 people
arrested in a massive crackdown by the Uttar Paradesh administration to foil the saffron outfit's
yatra on Sunday that was banned over fears of a communal flare-up.
The planned 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra' was to have lasted till 13th September crisscrossing six districts of Uttar Pradesh.

20

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had earlier on Saturday dismissed a plea for
allowing the 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra', stating that there is a possibility of tension, and
added that the restriction will be maintained.
The VHP has vowed to kick off its 'Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama' around Ayodhya to revive its
demand for a Ram temple.
The Samajwadi Party Government has banned the proposed Yatra, as a preemptive measure
against communal flare-up, and put in place elaborate security arrangements by rushing in 10
companies of the Rapid Action Force and 12 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary
(PAC). (ANI)

BJP going for communal polarization: CPI-M

On October 04, 2013, The BJP and its affiliates are fuelling communal passions as the "Gujarat
model" of development has increasingly come under attack, the CPI-M has said.

Mulayam wants BJP rule in the country: Beni Prasad Verma

On September 27, 2013, Beni Prasad Verma fired fresh salvo at Samajwadi Party supremo
Mulayam Singh Yadav accusing him of practising politics of communalism.

Narendra Modi, Raman Singh skip NIC meet

On September 23, 2013, Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP`s 2014 PM candidate Narendra Modi
has decided to skip the crucial meet. Meanwhile, BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman
Singh has also decided not to attend the meet.

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Goondaraj` SP, Congress playing politics of `communalism`: BJP

On August 26, 2013, The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit out at the ruling Congress
and the Samajwadi Party for imposing restrictions on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) from
going ahead with its `Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra in Ayodhya.

Will not tolerate communal activities in UP, says Shivpal Yadav

On August 20, 2013, Justifying UP govt`s decision to deny permission to VHP`s proposed yatra
at Ayodhya, Shivpal Yadav said the govt. will not tolerate communalism.

Burqa of secularism better than nakedness of communalism: Congress

On July 15, 2013, Taking on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi over his burqa remark, Ajay
Maken, head of the Congress` communications department, said the `veil of secularism` was
better than blatant communalism.
Congress, other anti-BJP parties afflicted with `secularities`: Rajnath Singh
On June 24, 2013, slamming its adversaries for trying to create a divide on lines of secularism
and communalism in the country, the BJP today charged the Congress and its allies with
suffering from "secularities" disease.

Nitish`s attack on Modi: Congress questions `silence` of Left, SP8

8 Accessed on 05/09/2013 at 22:30 IST, http://zeenews.india.com/tags.aspx?
tag=Communalism&page=1

22

On April 16, 2013, Congress latched on to Nitish Kumar`s attack on Narendra Modi to target the
Left and the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of being silent on the issue of communalism.

Problems due to the politics of Communalism in India

Indian society is pluralistic from religious point of view. Here, we have the followers of all the
great religious systems. Hindus constitute the bulk of the population and they inhabit in all parts
of the country. Muslims constitute the largest religious minority. But the adjustment between the
Hindus and Muslims has been a failure several times, resulting in violent communal riots.
In the communal riots during the period of independence millions of people were rendered
homeless while millions of others lost their property. Communalism was responsible for the
division of the country into India and Pakistan. The partition was expected to resolve the riddle,
but it failed. There is, yet, to develop the neighborhood living pattern between Hindus and
Muslims9.

Suggestions for the Eradication of Communalism:

The following measures may be taken for the eradication of communalism.

9 Puja Mondal, Problems of Communalism in India Essay, Accessed on 06/09/2013 at 23:11

IST,http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/communalism/problems-of-communalism-in-indiaessay/4091/

23

1. Abolition of Communal Parties:

All the political parties which thrive on religious loyalties should be banned or abolished by the
Government. Even non-political cultural organizations should always be kept under constant
vigil so that they cannot preach communalism.
2. Transmission of the Past Heritage:
Feelings of nationalism should be inculcated in the minds of people by reminding them about the
Glorious moments of history in Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs were combined to safeguard the
interest of the country.
3. Public Opinion:
Efforts should be made through mass media for changing the attitude of people towards other
Communities. People must be aware of the evils of the communalism.
4. Inter-religious Marriage:
Youth organizations and other types of associations should be formed in every locality to give
Opportunity to people of different communities to come closer and know each other. This may
help them to practice inter-religious marriages which will lessen the social distance among the
members of different religious groups. Both the Government and people should make efforts for
eradication of communal tension and conflict.

24

CONCLUSION
After going through various books, online materials and other data sources, the researcher has
concluded that, the religious processions are occasions lend themselves to the outbreak of
Communalism or communal riot because the participants have an intricate relation to space and
an exceptionally strong sense of belonging to their community.
However, the available evidence suggests that these conditions are certainly necessary but not
sufficient for collective aggression. In most of the cases cited in this project, such potential
energy exploded when it was directed and even sparked off by ideologically minded leaders.
Indeed, as communalism has become increasingly politicized, they have become more directly
correlated with riots.
The pattern of communalism based riots which emerged in the late nineteenth century with the
reinterpretation of the Ganesh festival was initiated by Hindu leaders eager to unify and mobilize
Hindus- allegedly in reaction to Muslims assaults. This type of ideological communalism, as a
vehicle for recurrent acts of violence, was to be found again in the 1920s in Nagpur. At the time,
the democratization of the political system brought forth a small political class which, divided as
it was into parities and factions, was all the more inclined to exploit the religious sentiments of
the electorate. In fact, the transformation of Hindu processions into shows of force and the
triggering of communal violence were sometimes seen as a means of polarizing the voters along
religious lines. Another significant change lay in the partial nationalization of the Hindu-Muslim,
as promoted by yatra politics.
By concluding, the researcher must say that, Politicians should not do their politics on
communalism because India is the country of mixed caste and religion, And this is the only
country where all the religions got equal importance. For mentioning the dignity of our country,
Politicians instead of doing Politics of communalism they must support all the religion equally
and should also propagate the feelings of brotherhood. By this there will be no any chance for the
occurrence of riots

25

BIBLIOGRAPHY
WEBSITES:1. www.rosenmaryinstitute.com
Accessed on 15/O3/2014 at 22:18 IST
2. zeenews.indc.com
Accessed on 15/03/2014 at 22:30 IST
3. in.news.yahoo.com
Accessed on 15/03/2014 at 22:45 IST
4. www.preserveariticles.com
Accessed on 16/03/2014 at 22:55 IST
5. www.yourarticlelibrary.com
Accessed on 16/03/2014 at 23:11 IST
6. younghopes.wordpress.com
Accessed on 16/03/2014 at 23:30 IST
7. www.kkhsou.in
Accessed on 16/03/2014 at 23:45 IST

BOOKS:1. RELIGIOUS POLITICS AND COMMUNAL VIOLENCE, written by- Steven I.

Wilkinson, Oxford publication, edition- first in 2005
2. POLITICS OF INCLUSOION, Written by- Zoya Hasan, Published by- Oxford,

Edition- First published in 2009