{"id":37110,"date":"2024-04-08T10:05:11","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T10:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=37110"},"modified":"2024-04-08T10:05:12","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T10:05:12","slug":"communalism-in-contemporary-india-upsc-indian-society-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/communalism-in-contemporary-india-upsc-indian-society-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Communalism in Contemporary India – UPSC Indian Society Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Communalism in contemporary India remains a significant socio-political phenomenon, deeply rooted in the country’s complex historical, cultural, and religious landscape. Defined by the promotion of exclusive identities based on religion or ethnicity, communalism often leads to tensions, conflicts, and polarization within society. Despite India’s pluralistic ethos and constitutional commitment to secularism, communal ideologies continue to influence politics, public discourse, and social interactions. The rise of religious nationalism and communal rhetoric, coupled with historical grievances and economic disparities, perpetuates communal divisions and challenges the nation’s social cohesion and democratic values. In navigating the complexities of communalism, India grapples with the dual imperative of preserving diversity while fostering unity, highlighting the ongoing struggle to reconcile competing identities and forge a more inclusive national narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attitudinal violence and structural violence continued to contribute immensely to physical violence in the forms of communal riots and mob lynching. Though the number of communal riots has declined, the discourse of communal violence driven by competing religious ideologies remains the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, though it appears that the number of communal riots has declined, that in no way can be construed as decline in communal discourse leading to communal violence itself. While the number of communal riots is declining, the number of mob lynching is increasing. Mob lynching is an instrument to achieve the objective of sustained communal polarization by involving communal symbols like cow, the issue of love jihad, etc., targeting minority religious communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newer issues are being used to heighten the discourse of communal violence- For instance, Violent protests and clashes erupted in Manipur as the Manipur High Court directed the State Government to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community based on a 10-year-old recommendation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If at all, through discriminatory legislations and increasing dismantling of democratic institutions which were expected to safeguard democracy, communal violence is taking deeper roots in our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n