Jan 12, 2020 citizenship amendment act and religious minorities in south asia ram puniyani in the beginning of january 2020 two very disturbing events were reported from pakistan. While communalism is the exploitation of sentiments of a religionbased community for a secular goal i. Resources against communalism and religious fundamentalism. Some people feel threatened by change and the influx of foreign influences. Some of the most exciting intellectual work in the social sciences.
Religious fundamentalism defines people by what divides them. It is often partly motivated by a form of xenophobia against either strangers of another country or of another religion and a loss of. Main causes of communalism in india are as follows. Muslims, sikhs and christians in particular, fear discrimination and confrontation in the days to come. Revisiting communalism and fundamentalism in india. Fundamentalism, communalism and gender justice sage books.
Pdf the state, religious fundamentalism and women in. Rising fundamentalism and communalism threatened to tear the social fabric and the secular character of the country, the members observed. The problem of fundamentalism knows no borders, and it is a common enemy of humanity. Thus fundamental movements are not only about religious beliefs and practices, but lifestyles generally. The term communalism was constructed by the british colonial authorities as it. First and foremost, the partition of india had deeply damaged the hindu psyche. The social and legal systems of the colony were tied to their religious beliefs as well as english common law.
It is an ideology that seeks to promote conflict between religious communities. Communalism is not an equivalent of religion or even of religiosity, not even of religious revivalism or religious fundamentalism. The need is, everyone agrees, to eliminate this menace. Secondly, the hindumuslim economic competition further fuelled communalism. Our epoch is characterized by startling advances on the one hand and conditions of. For finding remedies, it is essential for us to identify the causes behind the presence of communalism. Sahiyar, based in gujarat, is part of indias autonomous womens movement and campaigns on issues that include domestic violence, personal laws, sexual harassment, dowry, sexselective abortion, and sexual violence. Fundamentalism and communalism are dangerous the hindu. Resources against communalism and religious fundamentalism in. Mar 16, 2020 report of indian peoples tribunal on communalism in orissa the truth on gujarat 2002 a tehelka investigation communalism and religious fundamentalism in india. Religious fundamentalism and terrorism elijah onyango standslause odhiambo1 abstract the study of terrorism is multidisciplinary, which includes fields like religion, sociology, criminology, political science amongst others. It derives from history, differences in beliefs, and tensions between the communities. Communalism has been a national menace, a mental disease and a big social evil.
The present study is made to analyze the impact communalism and casterism as challenges to the secular indian democracy. The rising trend of communalism and the accompanying violence have created a feeling of insecurity among the religious minorities. Has been written and said in recent months about religious fundamental ism and pluralism in india. Religious fundamentalism in india and beyond krishna kumar w e live in turbulent times. Hindu fundamentalism and, as said already, the connection between communalism and. Pdf one of the crucial issues affecting women in south asia today has been the growth of statesponsored religious fundamentalism. But in the indian subcontinent context, communalism has come to be associated with tensions and clashes between different religious communities in various regions. One of the crucial issues affecting women in south asia today has been the growth of statesponsored religious fundamentalism. Here, we have the followers of all the great religious systems. As it is antimodern, anti liberal, anti democratic and is against scientific and technological advancements. Religious fundamentalism introduction globalization is a modernizing and destabilizing influence, which locks even more solidly a nation. First, viewing a different religious group as an enemy involves an attempt to absolutise religious differences, ignoring various other cultural elements, and the term communalism, which is translated as religious confrontationism, is valid as long as it discusses this subjective viewpoint.
According to prabha dixit, communalism is a political doctrine which makes use of religious and cultural differences to achieve political ends. For many, fundamentalism conjures up images of mobs shouting death to america,embassies in flames, assassins and hijackers threat. In this article on gandhi, mahatma gandhi on problem of communalism, the author, dr. Some of the most exciting intellectual work in the social sciences and the humanities as well as in journalism and cinema has been focused recently on the subject of religion and its place in law, politics and society. Our epoch is characterized by startling advances on the one hand and conditions of extreme socioeconomic retrogression. However fundamentalism is much more harmful to the modern societies. Religious fundamentalism, hindutva, and chistian gospel in the indian context, it may be said that fundamentalism is the attempt of a religion to go back to its fundamental tenets.
A united nations building bombed in baghdad in 2003 by a salafi jihadist group taking religious fundamentalism to deadly extremes. At times it is manifested as a notion that religious thought, worldview in a way leads to fundamentalism. Indian society is pluralistic from religious point of view. Third one is socioeconomic and the fourth one is international. Communalism, state policy, and the question of womens rights in contemporary india byzoya hasan one ofthe striking features ofthe contemporary scene is the overall growth ofreligious revivalism and fundamentalism both in india and elsewhere.
Both fundamentalism and communalism are harmful for the sociocultural fabric of a society as they promote narrow and sectarian views. Mahatma gandhi on problem of communalism articles on and. This section contains articles written by very wellknown personalities and eminent authors about gandhijis view on spiritualismreligion. Thus, there is a very thin line that differentiated the fundamentalism with communalism. Communalism usually refers to a system that integrates communal ownership and federations of highly localized independent communities. The issue of religious extremism in an economic framework goes back as far as david hume and adam smith see the discussions in feigenbaum and levy 1992 and iannaccone 1997. The state, religious fundamentalism and women in south asia. Report of indian peoples tribunal on communalism in orissa the truth on gujarat 2002 a tehelka investigation communalism and religious fundamentalism in india. It is more closely related to faith than to communalism. They weaken the working and stability of our democratic secular federal state and militate against the basic principles governing our national life. When the indian constitution came into force on january 26, 1950, india became a.
Seeing religious fundamentalism or revival as a threat to democracy, some call for cultural pluralism on the basis of the spirit of tolerance. The writings indicate that communalism is an outcome of the competitive aspirations of domination and counterdomination that. Mahesh dattanis final solutions sohini pillai submitted in partial fulfillment of the prerequisite for honors in south asia studies april 2012 2012 sohini pillai. Communalism is a political philosophy, which proposes that market and money be abolished and that land and enterprises to be placed in the custody of community. It argues that processes affecting muslim women in india cannot be understood in isolation but must be set in the broader context of communalism, emerging fundamentalism and the dynamics of the relation between the postcolonial state, capitalist development and patriarchal control. The discussion focused on the history of religious fundamentalism, the tensions that have arisen between modernity and socalled traditional values, and the role that religious leaders can play in. In such a context, a great deal of controversy has always existed regarding the marxist understanding of religion.
Communalism, state policy, and the question of womens rights. Fundamentalism, communalism and secularism communalism in india has, as noted earlier, a colonial legacy wherein the rulers britishers used religious contrasts, existing among the different communities to their advantage by giving them prominence. But few of them have been discussed here, understanding the reasons which play role in continuation of communalism are. It argues that processes affecting muslim women in india cannot be understood in isolation but must be set in the broader context of communalism, emerging fundamentalism and the dynamics of the relation between the postcolonial state, capitalist. After independence economic modernization of india expanded economic. Revisiting communalism and fundamentalism in india jstor. Religious fundamentalism not concerned with any specific religion a style of political thought, rather than a collection of ideas and values some scholars argue that religious fundamentalism is merely a subfundamentalism is merely a subspecies species. However, in order to understand what is currently going on in india with regard to these two. Some scholars believe that religious fundamentalism in india has its beginnings in jawaharlal nehrus less effective mechanics of education and science. Citizenship amendment act and religious minorities in south asia ram puniyani in the beginning of january 2020 two very disturbing events were reported from pakistan. Fundamentalism has a connotation of a religious dogma that aggressively promotes, rather imposes, traditionalist beliefs and practices, including patriarchal. Read this essay on the various problems of communalism in india. The era of swing jazz, the russian revolution, the socialist radicalism of interwar usa, the revolutionary experimentalism in art, architecture, and.
India is a secular nation where several religions coexistand the constitution asks. This chapter examines the process through which communal identities have been created in india and its implications for women. Mar 01, 2016 communalism, as we understand it in our country is blind loyalty to ones own religious group. Hindus constitute the bulk of the population and they inhabit in all parts of the country. It is described as a tool to mobilize people for or against by raising an appeal on communal lines.
This is occurring in the context of increasing evidence of violence. This was the reason i wrote lajja soon after the demolition of the babri masjid in ayodhya on 6. A global discourse rages in our times, in several jstor. Ravindra kumar, explains the meaning of communalism and the problem of communalism in india. The challenges of casteism, communalism and religious fundamentalism involving separatism in india. Communalism actually stems from religious fundamentalism that makes one. Communalism is associated with religious fundamentalism and dogmatism. Communalism and fundamentalism some notes on the nature of ethnic politics in india dipankar gupta the contemporary tendency in academic circles has in the main uncritically accepted the view that ethnic passions, ideologies, movements and parties are outcomes. Basically, communalism encouraged hindus to organize with other hindus. Mar 06, 2016 but few of them have been discussed here, understanding the reasons which play role in continuation of communalism are.
It is not essential to the concept of religious communalism or ethnocentricity in. Communalism, state policy, and the question of womens. The abstract noun, fundamentalism, ultimately derived from the root fundoare latin meaning 1 to lay the foundation of, to found. There are diverse reasons and motivations for terrorist activities.
The ideologues of liberal communalism spread ideas like interests of our people are different that of ineter. The challenges of casteism, communalism and religious fundamentalism involving separatism in india are the major threats to our secular state. In this primarily religiousbased community, the communal principle of koinonia used by the early christian church as. Many factors such as casteism, communalism and religious fundamentalism pose challenge in india that are the major threats to secular state. Indias recent history has been punctuated by intercommunity conflicts, escalating violence. Viewpoint religious fundamentalism and pluralism in india. Communalism, as we understand it in our country is blind loyalty to ones own religious group. Mahatma gandhi on problem of communalism articles on. Mahesh dattanis final solutions sohini pillai submitted in partial fulfillment of the prerequisite for honors in. Religious fundamentalism not concerned with any specific religion a style of political thought, rather than a collection of ideas and values some scholars argue that religious fundamentalism is merely a subfundamentalism is merely a subspecies species of the ideology of nationalism. Nov 07, 2014 communalism is a political philosophy, which proposes that market and money be abolished and that land and enterprises to be placed in the custody of community.
It focuses on the differences in humankind, rather than what unites them. It is a specific political ideology of using and exploiting both the ascriptive religious identity of the people, as well as secular democratic opportunities of the citizenssuch as. This view makes a distinction between religion and communalism stressing the political use of religion in conflicts over. Religious fundamentalism, hindutva and christian exclusivism.
Communalism is an ideology that leads to the destruction of any nation and blights the democracy as well. The plymouth colony was established by separatist pilgrims who had travelled from europe in order to flee religious persecution and establish a religious community separate from the church of england. It generates and perpetuates hatred amongst religious communities as the basis for its existence and growth. Pdf religious fundamentalism and political extremism. Pdf the state, religious fundamentalism and women in south asia. One was the attack on nankana sahib, the holy shrine where sant guru nanak was born. Communalism and fundamentalism some notes on the nature of ethnic politics in india dipankar gupta the contemporary tendency in academic circles has in the main uncritically accepted the view that ethnic passions, ideologies, movements and parties are outcomes of elemental drives at the popular level. Communalism is a term used in south asia to denote attempts to construct religious or ethnic identity, incite strife between people identified as different communities, and to stimulate communal violence between those groups. Dec 06, 2017 some scholars believe that religious fundamentalism in india has its beginnings in jawaharlal nehrus less effective mechanics of education and science. Almost every major belief system in the world has believers who use their faith to strictly guide their daily lives and views, at times resulting in violence. It argues that processes affecting muslim women in india cannot be understood in isolation but must be set in the broader context of communalism, emerging fundamentalism and the dynamics of the relation between the postcolonial state, capitalist development.
671 1283 1160 15 351 560 537 1318 401 27 1325 1319 1084 1151 525 1264 765 1172 1093 999 515 1291 738 563 676 1019 531 570 136 1343 250 529 112 917 907 201 690 1373 84