Communalism Case

Communalism means placing one's own community and religion above all other interests, sometimes even above the nation. This is a great hindrance to the efficient working of the democracy.

According to the constitution, India is a secular state. All the religions are given equal importance in India. There is no state religion in India. Although 80% of the population of India belongs to Hinduism, we do not call ourselves a Hindu nation. There are many religious communities in India. Some among them are minorities. People belonging to all communities actively participated in the freedom movement. But, unfortunately, India was partitioned on the basis of religion. Many unfortunate incidents occurred in connection with this.

All the religions teach tolerance and the brotherhood of man. Then, why do such shameful incidents happen? It is because of the narrow interpretation of religion and exploitation of communal feelings by vested interests. Sometimes, many people lose their power of reasoning and blindly follow communal fanatics. Nehru said, "In political matters religion has been displaced by what is called communalism, a narrow group mentally basing itself on religious community but in reality concerned with political power and patronage for the interested group."

India is land of unity in diversity. India's rich natural heritage has been praised by scholars and leaders all over the world. It is the culture not of one community, but of many. All the communities and people who lived here for thousands of years have contributed to our cultural heritage. India's art, music, literature, and architecture have been enriched by people belonging to different communities. All the citizens of India should be aware of the dangers of communalism.

Of late, religious fundamentalism has raised its ugly head in India. The resurgence of communal forces in some parts of the country presents a danger. Today, political parties use communalism