222 | INDIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE: CONTINUITY AND CF ANGE, India being a traditional society having religion as the highest value in life, no discussion on communalism shall be worthwhile without the role of religion and religious identity. Here, one can say that the sense of religious affiliation, w has commonly been central to the senae of one’s identity, is ordinarily acquired during childhood in the course of socialization. Let us go back to the basis of communalist ideology - that the society is divided into religious communities whose interests differ and opposed to each other - to see the empirical and logical fallacies the communalist organizations are proud of and their misinterpretation of the past. Are the problems of poverty, unemployment and lack of education and healthcare not common to all the religious communities? Do their interests in these matters differ or opposed to each other? Communalism can be said to have had more than a hundred years old history, affecting aspects of the socio-cultural and political life of India in myriad ways. During certain times, it lays dormant, while being potentially explosive. Bipan Chandra (1987) in his acclaimed work on communalism a “communalism was the false consciousness of the historical proctneas ofthe Taal one hundred fity years, beeause, objectively fio real conflict between the interests of Hindus and Muslims existed”. It was a false view of history. He further argues that “communalism was an expression of and deeply rooted in the “iereats,anpitaons, outlook: attitudes, psychology and point “otwieworthe middle asses ina socal sition characterised by economic stagnation and the absence of vigorous struggle to | transform society - the communal question was petty bourgeois question par excellence”. K.N. Panikkar (1991) said that | ‘communalism is a state of consciousness...... which primarily draws upon certain assumptions of distinct cultural identity [or member professing the sam gion”, Gyanendra Pandey (1990) suggested that “communalism is a form o knowledge, which in it's Indian usage, means a condition of suspicion, fear and hostility between members of different religious communities”. "All these definitions broadly touch upon the antagnostic relationship whether ‘imagined’ or real between the two major religious communities such as Hindu-Muslim, Hingu-Christian, Hindu-Sikh, Muslim-Sikh relations. Che demand for converting India into a Hindu Rashtra is the most obvious and popular manifestation of communalism & scanned with OKEN ScannerSECULARISM, COMMUNALISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM | 223 and V.D. Savarkar, Shyama Prasad Mukherji and M.S. Golwalkar are seen as the major ideologues of this school of though Savarkar, in his attempt to arrive at his concept of ‘Hindy(Rashtra’ used the medium of Hindutua and proceeded to argue that Hindutva is different from Hinduism and the term Hindutva defying all attempts at analysis, “Forty centuries if not more had been at work to mould it as it is ... Hindutva embraces all departments of thoughts and activities of the whole being of Hindu race” (Savarkar, 1989 edition), While Savarkar_tries to perfect the rhetoric of a “Hindu Rashtra” fe looks at all the non-Hindus as Torel Nr hat ee Hindus as Yoreigners’. He declares in clear terms that “there are only two courses open to the foreign elements, either to merge themselves in the national race and cae Te ge ae aLIEs mere so ong as the national race may allow them to do so and to quit the country at the sweet wil i of the national race. That is the onl ly sound view on ‘The minorities problem”, Golwalkar is very clear in his view" that if the minorities (non-Hindus) and culture of the National race (Hindus) they may have to lead a life of ignominy. “The foreign races in Hindustan... may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation, claiming nothing deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment... not even citizen right” (1939). Jamaat- -[slami, the dominantface of Muslim communalism and func ism is interested to sve India and other countries ‘as Islamic states, obviously theocratic state. In the Islamic state’ of the chief ideologue of Jamaat-e-Islami Maulana Maud faududi, certain defined and specific rights and privileges but would not be allowed to influence the policy of the state. In the wake of anti-Ahmdi jots in Pakistan in 1953, he was arrested. When confronted by Justice Munir Commission probing the Muslims because of religious differences. Maududi's candid reply Unveiled his fanatic mind. He deposed that he would not object ifthe Muslims living in India are trente e Hindu India a3 Shudra and malecha and Manw’s laws are applied on them 8 Shudra and malecha and Manus Jaws are applied on then & scanned with OKEN Scanner224 | INDIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE depriving them of all share in government and rights as cit Perhaps, that is why, Jamaat-e-Islami was bitterly o innah aitd his vision ofa modern Pakistan. Jamaat-e-lelax: was also opposed to the Jamat-e-UTéma and the Deobang Ting of ideology of Golwalkar’s Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (R.S.S.) and Jamaat-e-Islami is worth noting. Both of these had no vision of a liberal, secular, democratic state bestowin, equabrights on all the citizens irrespective of their: caste, colour and creed. Interestingly, Maulana Maududi, after Partition, fled. to Jinnah’s Pakistan. It's Indian counterpart Jamaat-e. Islami Hind remained in India. Though it remains wedded to the concepts of an Islamic state but has no courage to advocate it openly and takes a defensive stand. Each fascist system of thought and politics necessarily looks for or ‘creates"an enemy ee rte When we look at the class character of communalism we Sud that during Colonial petiod the landlords and hee period the Tandlords and bureaucratic lements (like jagis iclements), moneylenders and merchants apart from the petty bourgeoisie Provided the internal base for communalism today. “ communalism have w jor change since 1947” Gipin Chandra, ibid). Is it easy to assign a socinl class base to Bharitya Janta Party. the political front of RSS? Communalism is neither inspired by religion Nor is religion an object of communal politics, even though the communalist bases his polities on religious differences, i asan organizing principle andin the mase Phase of communalism uses religion to mobilize the masses. Communalism, especially in it’s violent form, makes a ready appeal to urban poor and z urban Tumpen elements whose number has grown rapidly 25 ERIC top SURE sconomi drsog ee BY migration into cities, tless and im, roverished, millions toda’ We on the margins of society in ushoe clusters. Their social 7 tba clusters. Their social “The social class character and base of indergone a maj SECULARISM, COMMUNA anger and frustration often ‘communal riot provides an o COMMUNAL VIOLENCE Violence between religious pogroms or terrorism draws put the underlying and lon spread of communalism. / while the communal riots g ideological precepts amo further support for com ideology and politics, wt ideologues preach in norm which communal tension: communal ideology and violence only it’s external forms of communal viol manifestation of the cor Communal ideology ‘lead differentiation, distance (Chandra, ibid). Communalism and of the overall Cree society. Communal . phenomenon where fi involved. But more th rumour mongering responsible. Any 179 an opportunity to | and ee enn iy happenings (of | justice loving, demon involvement of thao soblatantand ee against the minor citizen's organ seat, the . munali alte and backward rl & scanned with OKEN Scanner