Communalism, the divisive force that fosters animosity among different religious or ethnic communities, often finds its roots in either power struggles or relative deprivation. The pursuit of power can manifest itself in the form of political leaders manipulating communal sentiments to consolidate their authority. Illustratively, the partition of India in 1947 witnessed the tragic consequences of communalism fueled by the political power struggle between Hindus and Muslims. Additionally, relative deprivation, stemming from economic disparities or perceived injustices, can also ignite communal tensions. A poignant example is the ethnic conflicts in the Balkans during the 1990s, where economic disparity and historical grievances fueled communal strife. In both instances, communalism emerged as a tool for certain groups to assert dominance or address perceived injustices, underscoring the intertwined relationship between power dynamics and relative deprivation in the genesis of communal tensions.
Tag: Communalism.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, try to define Communalism and how it is related to politics.
- In Body, elaborate whether Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.
- Conclude with how Communalism ideology can be minimized.
Answer:
According to historian Bipan Chandra “communalism is the belief that because a group of people follow a particular religion, they have as a result, common social, political, and economic interests.” The majority community alleges that minorities have an anti-national approach while the minority points to the insecurity they are facing which often collides and triggers tensions.
Communalism Arising Due to Power Struggle:
The stagnant economy during British Rule may have affected the aspirations and economic prosperity of certain sections of society:
- Certain sections of society, usually termed as ‘Middle Class’, used communalism as a weapon for their survival at the cost of other classes in society. Consequently, other leaders from the community and political parties joined to fuel the tension of Communalism in India.
- For eg – It may be well illustrated by the emergence of modern politics with its roots in the partition of Bengal in 1905 and the feature of a separate electorate under the Government of India Act, of 1909, and 1919.
- Later, the British government also alleviated various communities through Communal awards in 1932 that endorsed strong resistance from Gandhiji and others.
After Independence: A stagnant economy may have affected the aspirations and economic prosperity of certain sections of society:
- In some States, it was seen that political competition became a cause for violence where governments that were not dependent on minority support saw prolonged and intense rioting and attacks on minorities.
- Unleashing of what are seen as “institutionalized riot systems” with rumor-mongering, recruitment of participants, and other provocative activities; and, the existence of patronage networks with their processes of give-and-take, were some other explanations of communal riots. For instance, U.P. in the 1990s went through political instability with the erosion of a single-party system.
- The State also remained mired in caste and communal politics.
- The consequence was that localized tensions and skirmishes acquired serious dimensions leading to large-scale rioting with extra-local implications in the 2000s.
Communalism Arising Due to Relative Deprivation:
- Deprivation makes different ethnic groups fight for limited resources which leads to the concept of insider vs outsider. For example, Case with Assamese and Non-Assamese and Gorkhas and Bengalis. Deprivation of the native groups led to movements throughout the state.
- The progress of one community is perceived with unpleasantness and the economic collapse of the opposite side is eagerly welcomed in a communally charged environment. The vested interest groups having economic and other anti-social motivations trigger communal conflicts to gain through a riot.
- Deprivation makes it easier to manipulate a group. Rather than self-introspect they accuse others for their situation. It affects them to support anyone who can help them marginally move above their misery.
It is important to note that while power struggles and relative deprivation can contribute to communalism, they are not the sole factors. Communalism is a complex phenomenon influenced by various socio-political, historical, and cultural factors. Understanding and addressing these root causes are crucial for fostering communal harmony, social cohesion, and inclusive development.
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