Study Notes on Communalism in India

Definitions:
- Ram Ahuja: Antagonism practiced by members of one community against another based on religion.
- Bipin Chandra: A belief system where a religious group shares common social, political, and economic interests.
NCRB Data ( $2022$ ): India recorded $272$ communal rioting cases (down from $378$ in $2021$ ). Maharashtra had the highest total rioting cases ( $8,218$ ), including $28$ communal incidents.
Historical Roots: Evolves from ancient harmony (Ashoka) and medieval coexistence (Akbar's Din-i-ilahi) toward colonial division (British Divide-and-Rule) and the legacy of Partition in $1947$ .
T.K. Oomen's Typology:
- Assimilationist: Minorities conform to dominant practices.
- Welfarist: Focus on community upliftment (e.g., Jiyo Parsi).
- Retreatist: Isolation to preserve identity (e.g., Baha'i).
- Retaliatory: Violence triggered by conflicting interests.
- Separatist: Demand for self-governance (e.g., Bodoland).
- Secessionist: Extreme demand for a separate nation (e.g., Khalistan, Azad Kashmir).

Stages of Development:
- Stage 1 (Late $19th$ Century): Rise of nationalist identities (Arya Samaj, Faraizi movement).
- Stage 2 (Up to $1937$ ): Liberal communalism and the British Communal Award.
- Stage 3 (Post- $1937$ ): Extreme communalism and fascist ideologies leading to Partition.
Post-Independence Incidents: Anti-Sikh Riots ( $1984$ ), Kashmiri Hindu Pandit displacement ( $1989$ ), Muzaffarnagar Riots ( $2013$ ), and Delhi Riots ( $2020$ ).
Primary Causes:
- Political: Vote bank politics and leaders like Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Madan Mohan Malviya.
- Economic: Poverty, limited job competition, and resource scarcity.
- Social: Misinterpreted history, property disputes, and religious provocations (e.g., cow slaughter).

Post-Liberal Economy (Post- $1990s$ ): Uneven growth deepened socio-economic divides, leading to identity politics and group insecurities.
Socio-Economic Impacts:
- Global Peace Index ( $2022$ ): Violence costs India approximately $6\%$ of its GDP.
- Social Fragmentation: Disruption of harmony and erosion of national unity.
Committees and Commissions:
- Nanavati-Mehta Commission: Investigated Gujarat violence ( $2002$ ).
- Sachar Committee ( $2005$ ): Recommended an Equal Opportunity Commission to address discrimination.
- Ranganath Misra Commission: Proposed $10\%$ reservation for Muslims and $5\%$ for other minorities in government jobs.
Religiosity vs. Communalism (UPSC $2017$ ): Religiosity is a personal spiritual practice; Communalism is the politicization of religion to create division and conflict.

Recommendations:
- Political: Delinking religion from political campaigns per Supreme Court guidance.
- Security: Proactive surveillance (drones) and community outreach in sensitive zones.
- Social: Regulation of hate speech/misinformation and promoting interfaith dialogue in schools.
- Economic: Reducing disparities through education and employment for marginalized groups.

UPSC $2023$ : Discuss the impact of post-liberal economy on ethnic identity and communalism.
UPSC $2018$ : "Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation." Argue by giving suitable illustrations.
UPSC $2017$ : Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has transformed into the latter in independent India.