Freedom from communal struggle

By Kuljeet Chandel

(Image source: clarionindia.net)

I chose to highlight Communalism in India as one of the freedom struggles we still need to fight. This very issue has haunted India for long now and has, without a doubt, acted as a hurdle for the overall totalitarian

development of the Indian society.

Background

Communalism is one of the most serious problems that India had to face after its

freedom from colonial rule in the mid of 20th century. This problem has

existed ,over years, among the followers of the two principal religious communities of India- The Hindus and the Muslims. ​This has raised a great deal of challenges for the secular structure that

India promises​. In the name of religion, many hateful acts have been committed that shamelessly flee from the message of Mahatma Gandhi who lead the country to the door steps of freedom through non-violence and the sacred human

value.

Let's Define Communalism

"When the people of a particular community care only for their own narrowly concerned interests, through the means of their religious faiths, old customs and conservative practices, disregarding the interests of whole society, then it may be termed as communalism."

After independence, the country fought amongst it's communities multiple times, backed by some flaming reasons. Besides two religious communities, two sects of the same community, or even between sub-sects, the country saw an atmosphere of conflicts rising from time to time. Nevertheless, ​the Hindu-Muslim riots still weight heavier than any clashes that Indian history has seen over and over again, through the years.

Reasons for the Spread of Communalism​ can be various ,mostly revolving around the societal paradigms and behaviours.

• Illiteracy

• Unemployed youth

• Poverty

• Religious fundamentalism

• Political Influence

These are some of the most important ones to start with. Poverty, illiteracy and unemployment create a lot of compulsions, especially for the younger generations. That is why ​youth involvement in hate crimes in the name of religion is way higher​. The lack of the right thinking, unemployment, a state of poverty can all be attributed as push factors.

Due to communal outbursts, the occupational activities are affected, and that is to be considered only as a national loss​. With these lost money, the day-to-day problems of crores of Indians could be solved and their life could be made happier and more

peaceful. But ​it is unfortunate that wealth and property are burnt in riots,

without any thought for a country like ours- where crores still live below the poverty line.

Political parties also play a villainous role in spreading communalism​, for the sake

of vote bank politics, mobilisation of

communities, sect, sub-sect and caste, and flaring up religious sentiments with certain events at the time of elections, all leading to the rise of communalism. Policies are often made to favor some religious communities over others, religious sentiments are played with and the selection of candidates are done on the basis of their religious

community or sect, and not their qualifications. ​All of these work against the greater national interest.

Religious fundamentalism should be held equally responsible for the spread of communalism. Malevolence like reactionary attitude, traditional bourgeois and conservative approaches hint to fundamentalism.​ Their unshaken believe in their beliefs itself give rise to conflicts and fights because there is intolerance looming from here, which is

absolutely disastrous for a country like ours.​ They become the very cause of confrontations, malices and struggles.

External factors are also involved in creating riots in India -

• To create an atmosphere of instability, so that it becomes socially weak; • To hope for gaining sympathy from minorities;

• To try to weaken the economic structure of a foreign country; and

• With the aim to conceal their own incompetence.

​The Present

The ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a ​grand temple for Lord Sri Ram in Ayodhya marks an end and a beginning.​ What it ends and what it begins can both be interpreted in different ways. How India collectively makes meaning

out of it will define the future of the country hereon.

One view is that the rising Ram temple signifies the end of perceived humiliation of the Hindus and the

beginning of a new phase of their political ascendancy; the other is that it denotes

the end of strife that shackled India’s potential for decades and gave a new dawn of fraternity among religious communities. ​The end and the beginning, therefore, are not just open to interpretation, they hold the possibilities of change​.

For those who yearned for a temple at the site which they believe is the place of their deity's birth- the journey so far has been hard and violent.

A Muslim place of worship that stood there for 464 years was demolished in 1992 to make way for the temple — a serious crime against secularism of the country.​ According to the Supreme Court orders last year, the place was handed over as a site to the Hindus for creation of the temple of their deity. ​The proponents of the temple must have considered this as an occasion to seek debates over conquest, dialogues over abuses, and tranquility over over-assertiveness. ​The ceremony itself manifested multiple possibilities for the country’s future.

In symbolism and rhetoric, the line of separation between state and religion was ominously crossed, notably by the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in it. ​In his speech, however, he cited Lord Ram’s adherence to justice, fairness and

empathy for the vulnerable. He emphasised the importance of these values for the present. But while outlining a roadmap for an inclusive future, his

interpretation of the past echoed familiar tropes of sectarian politics. ​Relitigating historical wrongs has rarely been the foundation for a harmonious and prosperous future.​ In India’s case, many of them are an outcome of its unpleasant encounter with British colonialism. Recent path breaking studies in genetics have unearthed India’s past of being a melting pot of populations and

cultures over millenniums. India must put the acrimonious political mobilisations over religious issues behind it, and look forward to modern, secular governance. ​The construction of the temple is the logical result of the Supreme Court

judgment; it should mark the end of an older, bitter phase of India, and the

beginning of a new, harmonious phase.

There is a great deal of work that needs to be done towards eradicating the problem of unemployment

among the youths, illiteracy and poverty, with utmost honesty and without any discrimination. This will help in solving many problems, and will create awakening. The result will be in a check on communalism to a great extent.

Thus, in order to get rid of the problem of communalism in India, there is a need

of collective efforts.​ In doing so, harmony and prosperity will start to prevail​. The dream of Mahatma Gandhi calls for a free and secular India. This is exactly the direction we ought to walk towards.

Therefore this independence day, we also need to pledge to free our country from communal hate and march towards a brighter future for India.

JAI HIND JAI BHARAT