8/17/2019 Communalm

1/15

COMMUNALISM&GENDER

Prof. Adapa Satyanarayana

Department of History

Osmania UniversityHyderabad

8/17/2019 Communalm

2/15

COMMUNALISM&GENDER

• Evolution of Indian Culture: HistoricalPerspective

• Composite Culture and Coexistence of

different Religions- Unique feature of IndianCivilization

•  Advent of Islam –Bhakti-Sufi traditions

•Popular religion and cohabitation of Hindu-Muslim Communities

• Seeds of Communalism –Divide&Rule theory

2

8/17/2019 Communalm

3/15

• India is a land of multiple faiths and religionsleading often to violence and hatred among thepeople. Those who fan this religious violence donot consider religion as a moral order but use it

as a means and weapon to pursue their politicalambitions. Communalism essentially leads toviolence as it is based on mutual religioushatred. This phenomenon leads to distinction

between a communal organisation and areligious organisation. Communalism essentiallyhas following main features.

3

8/17/2019 Communalm

4/15

Communalism

• It is based on orthodoxy.

• 2) It is exclusive in out look, a communalist considershis own religion to be superior to other religions.

•

3) It is based on intolerance.• 4) It also propagates intense dislike of other religions.

• 5) It stands for elimination of other religions and itsvalues.

• 6) It adopts extremist tactics including use of violenceagainst other people.

4

8/17/2019 Communalm

5/15

Communalism

• Communalism is used in Modern India to denote attemptsto promote primarily religious stereotypes between groupsof people identified as different communities and tostimulate violence between those groups. It derives notfrom community but from "tensions between the(religious) communities. "communalism" is seen as existingprimarily between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians.In contemporary India, "communalism" designates not onlythe conflicts between extremist religious communities.

• Political parties are generally considered to play animportant role in stimulating, supporting and/orsuppressing communalism

5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotype

8/17/2019 Communalm

6/15

Communalism

• after the partition of the country, sections of theIndian elite from both

• the communities are also to be blamed for theproblem. Communal violence in independent

• India has been caused by many factors. Some generalfactors are : First the class divisions

• of our society and the backwardness of our economyhas resulted in uneven development

•

of the economy. It is the upper classes of the less-developed communities that have enjoyed

• the fruits of limited growth and hence it is they whohave also enjoyed political power.

6

8/17/2019 Communalm

7/15

Communalism

• Over a period of time some sections among this elitedeveloped a sense of rivalry vis-à-vis theircounterparts in other communities. In order to drawsupport from the masses of their own community,

these leaders have often encouraged communalfeelings to trengthen their political support. Thus, thetraditional beliefs of the society are perpetuated tothe advantage of the elites. When they, many amongcommon people, feel insecure because of some

adverse circumstances, they often tend to rely onreligion, which make them vulnerable to politicalmanipulation to inflame communal passions, sometimes leading to violence .

7

8/17/2019 Communalm

8/15

Communalism

• Communal violence also increases becausecommunal parties carry on religious propagandain an offensive manner, thereby creating ill-will

among the members of the variouscommunities. The political parties in India whichadopt a communal attitude should be blamedfor encouraging communal feelings which often

cause communal violence.•  power of smugglers and criminal gangs, local

rivalries

8

8/17/2019 Communalm

9/15

Communalism

• between traders of different communities

often leads to such violence. Large cities are

• also prone to periodic communal riots

because of the power of smugglers and

criminal gangs. The communal violence after

the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1993 is

an example.

9

8/17/2019 Communalm

10/15

Communalism

• communal riots occur in towns which have ahistory of communal riots. Aligarh andHydrabad, among other cities, suffer from this

trend. Presence of a large proportion ofreligious minorities increases political rivalrybetween the upper strata of both thesecommunities who often appeal to their

communal identity to gain support. In oursociety class identities still remain submergedunder caste and communal identities.

10

8/17/2019 Communalm

11/15

Communalism

• Communalism in India and the sub-continent,the cynical misuse of religion for political endshas been used to mobilise large sections of thepeople and through this mobilisation gain

power. Violence is espoused and used by outfitsendorsing this brand of politics. Since 1998, withthe Bharatiya Janata Party coming to power –dominating the NDA alliance at the Centre and

in many States, especially Gujarat—

this hasassumed fascist dimensions as the GujaratGenocide 2002 shows.

11

8/17/2019 Communalm

12/15

Communalism

• Arms training by the Bajrang Dal in camps isinsidiously, yet publicly arming Indian civil society,creating a public climate of animosity and threat.Verbal abuse is daily flung at Indian minorities making

a mockery of secularism as enshrined in the IndianConstitution.

•  Quite apart from the real threat faced in some areasby foreign-bred mercenaries, a real and potent threat

to the Indian social fabric comes from home-grownterrorists of these outfits who spread terror andvenom to silence entire neighbourhoods into silence. 

12

8/17/2019 Communalm

13/15

8/17/2019 Communalm

14/15

Communalism

• the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which the Congressparty played a major active role in the killing ofmore than 3,000 Sikhs following the assassinationof Indira Gandhi.

• the 1992 Bombay Riots in Bombay more than200,000 people (both Hindus and Muslims) fledthe city or their homes during the time of theriots.

• 1992 December 2- Babri masjid demolition bySangparivar and subsequent communal violencein various parts of India

14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Riotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_Riotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riotshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_anti-Sikh_riots

8/17/2019 Communalm

15/15

Communalism

• the 2002 Gujarat violence, 900-2000 dead,

mostly Muslims 

• the 2002 Kaluchak massacre, 31 Hindus killed.

• the 2002 Marad massacre, 14 Hindu deaths -

Indian Union Muslim League conspired and

executed the massacre.

• the 2006 Kherlanji massacre, lynching of four

Dalits.

15

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_violencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluchak_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marad_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Union_Muslim_Leaguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherlanji_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherlanji_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherlanji_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherlanji_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Union_Muslim_Leaguehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marad_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marad_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marad_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluchak_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluchak_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluchak_massacrehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslimhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_violence