Communalism in India has evolved over a period of time and has been shaped by various policies and incidents.
Communalism in Pre-Independence India
The communal ideology went through the below-mentioned three stages and two phases (Liberal and Extremist) during the Indian National Movement and ultimately resulted in the bifurcation of India and the creation of Pakistan.
Liberal Phase:
- Post 1857 revolt, the British preferred Hindus over Muslims in matters of employment, education etc. Muslim intellectuals too realized that Muslims lagged behind their Hindu counterparts in terms of education, government jobs etc.
- Eventually, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, a Muslim intellectual founded Aligarh College to fight the bias against modern education among Muslims. He also started numerous scientific societies in the 1860s, in which both Hindus and Muslims participated.
- Communalism in India got its initial start in the 1880s when Syed Ahmed Khan opposed the national movement initiated by the Indian National Congress. He decided to support British causes and opposed the functioning of the Indian National Congress and deemed it a pro-Hindu party, which was against Muslim interests.
- Eventually, prominent Muslims like Aga Khan, Nawab Moshin-ul-Mulk etc., founded the All India Muslim League, to consolidate Muslim interests. One of its major objectives was to keep the emerging intelligentsia among Muslims from joining the Congress.
- Simultaneously, Hindu communalism was also being born. It manifested in Hindu leaders disseminating notions of tyrannical Muslim rule, espousing the language issue and giving it a communal twist. They declared Urdu to be the language of the Muslims and Hindi of Hindus. Further, anti-cow slaughter propagation was undertaken in the 1890s and it was primarily directed against Muslims.
- Eventually organizations like the Punjab Hindu Sabha (1909), All India Hindu Mahasabha (1st session in 1915), etc. were founded.
- Revivalist movements like Arya Samaj, Shuddhi Movement (among Hindus), Wahabi Movement , Tanzeem and Tabligh movements(among Muslims) etc., gave further impetus to communalist tendencies.
- This phase saw eventual communalization of leaders like Syed Ahmed Khan, Lala Lajpat Rai, M.A. Jinnah, Madan Mohan Malaviya etc.
- The British gave a momentum to the communalist divide through their administrative decisions and policies such as division of Bengal, Morley- Minto reforms (1909- Separateelectorates), Communal Award (1932) etc.
Extremist Phase
- Post 1937, India witnessed extreme communalism based on the politics of fear, psychosis and irrationality. During this phase, the interests of Hindus and Muslims were deemed to be permanently in conflict.
- Communalism acquired a popular base among urban lower middle class groups and mass movements around aggressive, extremist communal politics emerged.
- Communalism also became the only political recourse of colonial authorities and their policy of divide and rule.
- During the period, M.A. Jinnah declared that ‘Muslims should organize themselves, stand united and should press every reasonable point for the protection of their community.’ He eventually stated that Muslims would be suppressed under the Hindu dominated Congress after the British left India and thus, the only recourse would be a separate state for Muslims i.e. creation of Pakistan.
- Hindu communalism too did not lag behind. The Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), began propagating extreme communalism. They demanded that the non-Hindu groups of India adopt the Hindu culture and language and hold Hindu religion in reverence. They too espoused that Hindus and Muslims are two separate social and political entities with opposing interests.
Communalism in Post-Independence India
Colonialism is perceived as a prominent factor for emergence of communalism in India. However, overthrowing of colonial rule proved to be only a necessary condition for fighting communalism, not sufficient. Because even post-independence, communalism persisted owing to various factors as have been discussed before. Communalism has been the biggest threat to the secular fabric of our nation.
Post-independence major communal violence outbreaks include the following:
- Nellie Massacre (1983): About a thousand Assamese people surrounded the Nellie village with deadly weapons. The minority people living in the village were attacked resulting in the death of 1800 people officially. The conflicts were majorly directed to eject “outsiders” by the “original inhabitants” of Assam to protect their land, language and ethnicity. The aggression groups were different in many areas, like Bengali Hindus & Muslims against Assamese people, Hindus against Muslims, Muslims against Hindus, etc.
- Anti-Sikh riots (1984): Sikhs in large numbers were murdered by mobs post assassination of the then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
- Issue of Kashmiri Hindu pundits (1989): Spread of Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism in the Kashmir valley led to mass killings and large-scale exodus of Kashmiri pundits during 1989-90. The region continues to be threatened by communal violence.
- Babri Masjid incident (1992): On December 1992, a large crowd of Hindu kar sevaks demolished the 16th century Babri masjid (mosque) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh claiming the site to be Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace of Ram). This led to months of inter-communal rioting between the Hindus and Muslims resulting in deaths of hundreds of people.
- Godhra Riots (2002): In February 2002, four coaches of the Sabarmati Express were set on fire. The passengers, mostly Hindu pilgrims were returning from Ayodhya after a religious ceremony at the site of the demolished Babri Masjid. Following the attacks, several Hindu groups declared state-wide bandh in Gujarat and started brutally attacking Muslim colonies. This went on for months post Godhra incident, resulting in the death and displacement of thousands of Muslims.
- Assam violence (2012): There were frequent clashes between the Bodos and Bengali speaking Muslims due to increased competition for livelihood, land and political power. In 2012, one such outbreak escalated into a riot in Kokhrajhar, when unidentified miscreants killed four Bodo youths at Joypur. This was followed by retaliatory attacks on local Muslims killing two and injuring several of them. Almost 80 people were killed, most of whom were Bengali Muslims and some Bodos. Approximately, 400,000 people were displaced to makeshift camps.
- Muzaffarnagar Riots (2013): The clashes between the Hindu Jats and Muslim communities in Muzaffarnagar, UP resulted in at least 62 deaths, injured 93 people and left more than 50,000 displaced. The riot had been described as “the worst violence in Uttar Pradesh in recent history”, with the army being deployed in the state for the first time in the last 20 years.
- Beef consumption, lynching and ensuing deaths: The issue of beef consumption and transportation has been a contentious issue in India and has triggered communal outbreaks in various parts of the country. Muslims were the target of 51% of violence centred on bovine issues over nearly eight years (2010 to 2017) and comprised 86% of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents, according to an IndiaSpend content analysis.
- Ghar Wapsi programmes: It is a series of religious conversion activities, facilitated by Indian Hindu organizations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to facilitate conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism. While the organizing groups claimed that people voluntarily came forward to convert to Hinduism, some participants claimed that they were forced to do so. Also, raising the fear of ‘Love Jihad’ for inter-faith marriages.
- Delhi Riots 2020: In the year 2020, Delhi witnessed its first major riot since 1984 between Hindu-Muslim communities. In a series of bloodshed, property destruction, and rioting in North East Delhi, 53 people were killed.
Slow economic growth, cultural clashes, a feeling of being left behind, unequal development in different areas, and political actions during the time of democracy have made communal feelings stronger and kept communalism going after independence.
FAQs
1. What factors contributed to the emergence of communalism in pre-independence India?
A: Communalism in pre-independence India was fueled by various factors:
- Colonial policies: The British employed a policy of divide and rule, exacerbating religious differences to maintain control.
- Socio-economic disparities: Economic competition and social hierarchy aggravated communal tensions, particularly between Hindus and Muslims.
- Partition of Bengal (1905): The British decision to partition Bengal along religious lines stoked communal sentiments, leading to widespread protests.
- Rise of religious nationalism: Leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal Gangadhar Tilak propagated Hindu nationalism, deepening communal divides.
2. How did communalism evolve post-independence in India?
A: Post-independence, communalism in India evolved due to:
- Partition trauma: The violence and displacement during partition left lasting scars, fostering mistrust and animosity between Hindus and Muslims.
- Politicization of religion: Communal parties emerged, exploiting religious identities for political gain, leading to communal riots and tensions.
- Babri Masjid demolition (1992): The demolition of the Babri Masjid sparked communal violence and widened the gap between Hindus and Muslims.
- Economic disparities: Socio-economic disparities continued to exist, often exacerbating communal tensions, especially in times of economic downturns.
3. How did communalism impact India’s socio-political landscape pre-independence?
A: Communalism pre-independence had significant impacts:
- Fragmentation of the freedom movement: Communal tensions weakened the unity of the freedom movement, diverting focus from the struggle against colonial rule.
- Communal riots and violence: Communalism led to numerous riots and instances of violence, causing loss of lives and property, and deepening mistrust between communities.
- Demand for separate electorates: Communal politics led to the demand for separate electorates based on religion, which further entrenched religious divisions.
4. What role did political leaders play in fostering communalism in pre and post-independence India?
A: Political leaders had varying roles in fostering communalism:
- Pre-independence: Some leaders like Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar actively propagated communal ideologies, demanding separate nations based on religion.
- Post-independence: Certain politicians capitalized on religious sentiments for electoral gains, perpetuating communal divides for their political interests rather than promoting secularism and harmony.
5. How has India attempted to address communalism in its post-independence era?
A: India has undertaken various measures to address communalism:
- Constitutional provisions: The Indian Constitution enshrines secularism and equality, providing a framework for a pluralistic society.
- Legal mechanisms: Laws have been enacted to prevent hate speech, promote communal harmony, and punish those inciting violence on religious grounds.
- Social initiatives: Civil society organizations and initiatives promote inter-faith dialogue, cultural exchange, and communal harmony to bridge religious divides and foster understanding.
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