Communalism,

Regionalism, and
Secularism
SOCIAL ISSUES

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Communalism, Regionalism, and Secularism

Introduction
While the ideology of regionalism is aimed at advancing the interests of regions, communalism has been a
source of conflict and violence and continues to be a threat to national integration and plurality. Secularism
emphasises the separation of state and religion, as well as full freedom and tolerance for all religions. The
ideologies can have both positive and negative effects on society, politics, diplomacy, the economy, security,
culture, and development, among other things.

Contents
 Communalism

 Definition

 A Global Perspective

 Factors influencing Communalism

 Short-term Causes

 Long-term Causes

 Characteristics of Communalism

 Evolution of Communalism in Indian Society

 Ancient India

 Medieval India

 British Era

 After Independence

 Major Incidents of Communal Violence in India

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 Modern Examples of Communalism

 Types of Communalism

 Political Communalism

 Social Communalism

 Economic Communalism

 Dimensions of Communalism

 Positive and Negative Aspects of Communalism

 Impacts of Communalism

 Societal Impact

 Economic Fallout

 Initiatives to Counter Communalism

 National Foundation for Communal Harmony

 Communal Violence (Prevention, Control, and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005

 Build Stronger Relations

 Minority Schemes

 Inspiration from Other Nations

 Social Empowerment of Disadvantaged Sections

 Regionalism

 Regionalism in India

 Causes of Regionalism and Regional Disparities

 Low Rate of Economic Growth

 Lack of Infrastructural Facilities

 Political and Administrative Failure

 Son of the Soil doctrine

 Major Forms of Regionalism in India

 Linguistic Reorganisation of States

 Dravida Nadu
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 Telangana

 Gorkhaland

 Bodoland

 Khalistan Movement

 Inter-State Disputes

 Impacts of Regionalism in India

 Positive Impacts

 Negative Impacts

 Dimensions of Regionalism

 Nationalism and Regionalism

 Federalism and Regionalism

 Initiatives on Regionalism

 National Integration Council

 NITI Aayog

 Schemes for Backward Regions

 Celebrate Unity in Diversity

 Secularism

 Western Secularism

 Indian Secularism

 Secularism and Indian Constitution

 Secular State

 Initiatives Taken by the Government

 Ban of Communal Organisations

 Ek Bharat Ek Shreshtha

 Control of Hate Speech

 Multi-Sectoral Development Programme

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 National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC)

 Government Schemes

 Way Forward

 Practice Mains questions

Communalism

Source: Communalism

Definition
 The term “communalism” has been derived from the English word “communal” which means “related to a
community”. Broadly, communalism can mean a strong attachment to one’s community.

 In the Indian, or rather South Asian context, the meaning of communalism is slightly different. It is a politi-
cal ideology based on the belief that the Indian society is divided into religious communities, whose eco-
nomic, social, political, and cultural interests diverge and are even hostile to each other.

 In common parlance, it refers to aggressive religious chauvinism, in which one’s community is considered
as the only legitimate community, whereas other communities are opposed and considered inferior. It is
similar to racialism, anti-semitism, and fascism.

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Points to Remember
 Racism - Discrimination or hostility toward a person or a group of individuals of a different race because
one believes that one's own race is superior.
 Anti-Semitism - Prejudice against Jewish people, as practiced by Nazi Germany.

 Fascism - It is a form of far-right ideology, based on ultranationalism, dictatorship, and suppression of

opposition. It first emerged in Italy under Benito Mussolini, and then Germany under Adolf Hitler.

A Global Perspective
 Communalism exists not just in India, but in other countries of South Asia and the world as well.

 Myanmar has a long history of communal mistrust. In Rakhine state particularly, there have been
tensions between Buddhists, which make up the majority, and the Rohingya Muslims.

 In Sri Lanka, there has been a history of dividing the community by linguistic basis. There have been many
incidents of clashes between the Sinhala and Tamil communities.

 Israel-Palestinian conflict is an example of communalism in the Middle East. It started the Israeli
occupation of the West Bank and Gaza strip. Along with the territorial conflict, it developed into a
religious and ethnic issue with characteristics of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

 Prejudice by the Chinese State against Uyghur Muslims of the Xinjiang Province.

 The recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and their mistreatment of minority religions is another
example of communalism

Points to Remember
 Anti-Zionism - Opposition to the state of Israel, and its Jewish occupation
 Uyghur Muslims - Turkic ethnic group mostly native to Xinjiang Autonomous Region

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Factors influencing Communalism

Short-term or Immediate Causes

The short term or immediate causes of communal violence and riots are often conjectural and are as follows:

Minor religious issue or dispute -

 For example, issues of worship in festival season, or loud noise created can lead to minor religious issues
being created.

Teasing of women of the other community -

 For example, it is believed that the Muzaffarnagar riots of 2013 were started after an eve-teasing event.
A quarrel between individuals from two different communities -

 Opposing tenets or religious beliefs between two individuals can influence conditions for communalism.
Incendiary speeches by political or religious leaders -

 Speeches in front of crowds that contain elements of bigotry or hate, can incite communal riots.

Long-term Causes
The long-term causes of communalism are as follows:

Vested Political Interests

 Political parties tend to divide the society and favor the majority to gain more votes.

Administrative Failure

 Growing laxity of state apparatuses, especially the police, in treatment of communal violence leaves
perpetrators unpunished.

Political Appeasement

 Concessions to all types of communalism by even secular political parties.

Economic Causes

 Poverty, unemployment, and class divisions foster insecurity among people and make them open to
communal politics and divisive tendencies.

Media and Social Media

 Spreading of rumors and sensationalism in media

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External Forces

 External state-controlled organisations or terrorist organizations spread distorted knowledge and rumors
to fuel communalism and extremism

Religious Fundamentalism

 Rise of communal organizations.

Characteristics of Communalism
 Communalism has its roots in the cultural and religious diversity of India. It does not reflect any social
truth rather it is a social malady. It is an ideology about politics, and not religion.

 In communalism, one’s religious identity overrides everything else, occupation, caste, or political beliefs.
By making use of extreme tactics, including violence, it works towards eliminating other religions and
their values. It also promotes belief in orthodox tenets and principles, intolerance, and hatred of other
communities.

 It shakes the foundation of democracy, secularism, and national integration.

 On the positive aspect, it promotes an individual’s kinship towards his community suggesting efforts for
the upliftment of his community, economically and socially.

 The establishment of religious educational institutions and faith-based healthcare provides educational
and healthcare facilities to those who cannot access them due to a lack of financial resources. It also
promotes a feeling of brotherhood among the members of a community.

 Communalism can take various forms such as casteism, religious clashes, and riots, linguistic disputes
between two or more states, hate speeches on social media, etc.

Evolution of Communalism in Indian Society

Ancient India
 Communalism was not a prevalent philosophy in ancient times.

 Few incidents of communalism were present, as seen in the persecution of Buddhist monks and vandal-
ism of Sanchi Stupa by Pushyamitra Shunga.

 However, on a larger scale, peace and tolerance for all religions and cultures existed. This is certified by
Ashoka’s Dhamma policy.
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Medieval India
 Barring a few sectarian rulers like Aurangzeb who practiced rigidity, the medieval period of Indian history
was characterized by acceptance of different cultures and traditions, especially in rural areas.

 For example, Akbar was an epitome of tolerance and propagated secular values by abolishing the Jizya
tax, starting Din-i-ilahi and Ibadat Khana.

 India’s long heritage of religious and cultural pluralism is also evident in the devotional songs and poetry
of the Bhakti and Sufi movements.

Points to Remember
 Jizya - It was yearly taxation charged from non-Muslim people, to be paid to Muslim rulers.

 Din-i-ilahi - It was a syncretic religion started by Akbar. It combined elements of Islam, Hinduism,
Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
 Ibadat Khana - It was a meeting place of spiritual leaders of different religions built by Akbar at Fatehpur
Sikri. Religious discussions were held here.

British Era
 Before the advent of the British, religion had less political salience. Hence, communalism is believed to be
a result of modern politics. Following are some of the policies of the British which had colors of
communalism.

India has had a history of communal riots from pre-Independence times

Divide and Rule
resulting from the divide-and-rule policy adopted by the colonial rulers.

The period of 1200 AD to 1757 AD was designated by the British as a period of

Communalisation of History Muslim rule over the Hindus. This period was portrayed by the British as one
of oppression and subjugation.

Partition of Bengal 1905 Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon in 1905 was done on religious lines.

The introduction of the policy of separate electorates in the Government of

Separate Electorates
India Act 1909 planted the seeds of communalism.

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Communal Award Appeasement of communities through Communal Award 1932.

Partition of India was done based on religion, and the subsequent violence
Partition of India 1947
scarred all communities.

Post-Independence
 The post-independence phase saw major economic development and rapid industrialization. However,
the socio-economic development was uneven and it led to the marginalization of classes.

 Hence, the mid-1960s saw a revival of communalism. The disappearance of ideals of the national
movement that had inspired the youth to take up secular ideas was another aspect that fueled
communalism.

“I am proud of my country. But we need to unite to make a unified India, free of communalism and casteism. We
need to build India into a land of equal opportunity for all. We can be a truly great nation if we set our sights high
and deliver to the people the fruits of continued growth, prosperity, and equal opportunity.”- Ratan Tata
“India is developing because of 125 strong Team India. We have to end the curse of casteism, communalism with
the sweetness of development.”- Narendra Modi
“Communalism begets communalism. Ultimately, none gain: All lose when communal thinking holds sway over
us.”- Shankar Dayal Sharma

Major Incidents of Communal Violence in India

 If communal ideology and politics are the diseases, then communal violence is its external symptom.

 The underlying cause of communal violence is the spread of communal ideology and belief-system.

 Violence occurs when communal thinking reaches a certain level of intensity, along with building up fear,
suspicion, and hatred.

 Following are some of the communal violence incidents in post-independence India.

Partition of India witnessed massive communal riots which continued up to 1949

1947

1969 Ahmedabad riots, on the Jan Sangh passing a resolution on the Indianisation of Muslims

1984 Anti-Sikh riots in North India

1989 Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits

1992 Demolition of Babri Masjid

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2002 Gujarat Godhra riots which had occurred after the burning of a train with religious pilgrims

2012 Assam violence due to change in demography because of large scale Bangladeshi immigration

2013 Muzaffarnagar riots between Jat and Muslim communities

2020 Delhi riots

Modern Examples of Communalism

Hate Speech through Social Media
 Hate speech refers to threatening or abusive speech that expresses dislike and prejudices against a
particular individual or a group of a specific race, sexual orientation, or religion.
 Nowadays, people use hate speech through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Such hate
speech has the potential to grow viral and cause riots.
 A recent example of hate speech is the “Sulli deals” application. It was abusive and targeted Muslim
women’s privacy and rights.
Mob Lynching
 It is used to refer to acts of targeted violence by a large mob or group of people with the pretext of
administering justice to a presumed offender.
 The mob takes the law into their own hands and punishes the victim who has done something wrong
(not necessarily illegal) according to them.
 Causes of mob lynching are intolerance for other religions and the rise of cow vigilantism.
Spread of Fake News
 Fake news are pieces of news or stories which are deliberately created and spread to misinform or
influence people towards a particular political agenda, confusion.
 Social media has greatly increased the spread of fake news.
 It can lead to the polarisation of society and cause communalism.

Types of Communalism
Political Communalism

 When there is a moral and cultural vacuum, the situation becomes conducive to ideologies based on fear
and hate. To gain political clout, leaders tend to arouse communal sentiments and passions. They often
support the majority community to gain their support, and thus, the minority is left neglected. In this
way, society is divided into different groups along political lines and ideologies, giving rise to political
communalism.
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Social Communalism
 After the national movement, the political idealism that gave an impetus to secular ideas was exhausted.
Psychological and historical distortions, especially by the British divide-and-rule policies, accentuated the religious
and cultural differences between the communities. This was aided by religious revivalist movements during the
nineteenth century and later culminated into social communalism.

Economic communalism
 The imbalance between the economic interests of different groups leads to clashes among them and can be
termed as economic communalism.

 The educational and economical backwardness of minorities is one of the reasons. (As shown by the findings of
Sachar Committee report)

Sachar Committee Report

High-Level Committee formed to prepare a report on the social, economic, and educational status of the Muslim
community of India.
The literacy rate among Muslims in 2001 was found 59.1%, below the national average (64.8%).

Dimensions of Communalism
Indian sociologist, T.K. Ooman has suggested six dimensions of communalism.

DIMENSIONS CHARACTERISTICS

All small religious groups are assimilated into a big group. For example, claim that
Assimilationist or
Scheduled Tribes, Jains, Buddhists, should be integrated into Hinduism to be covered
Communist
under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955.

Emphasis on welfare through charity and social upliftment activities for a particular
Welfarist community alone. For example, scholarship and financial assistance for education,
residential accommodation, matrimonial assistance, etc

People belonging to a particular small religious community keep themselves detached

Retreatist
from politically related activities

Members of one religious community try to harm, hurt or injure members of other
Retaliatory
religious communities

One religious community seeks a separate territorial state within the country to preserve
Separatist its cultural uniqueness. For example, demand for Gorkhaland by Gorkhas, Bodoland by
Bodos, Vidarbha in Maharashtra, etc

A religious community desires a distinct political identity and insists on having a separate
Secessionist
country altogether. For example, the Khalistani movement, which was controlled.

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Positive and Negative Aspects of Communalism

Positive Aspects
 The positive element of communalism is an individual's affection for his or her community, which includes
efforts for the community's social and economic upliftment.

 This aligns communalism closely with social consolidation. Birth and belonging are considered more
important than acquired qualifications or accomplishments in determining community identity.

Negative Aspects
 It is an ideology that emphasizes separatism and divisiveness, with a tendency to promote only one’s
interests at the expense of others.

 It disrupts social harmony by creating hatred among different groups.

Impacts of Communalism
Communalism has long since divided Indian society. Through the distortion of historical facts and violence
and belief in orthodox tenets, it spews hatred towards other religious groups.

Societal Impact
 Communalism divides the society into different religious groups, posing them antagonistic towards each
other. Communal leaders tend to safeguard the interests of their community and ignore national
interests. This can hinder the progress of the overall socio-economic development of the country.

 This has a detrimental effect on the peaceful social fabric of society.If carried on for long, communal
politics can lead to communal violence and riots, leaving many lives and livelihoods destroyed.

Economic Fallout
 Equitable economic development is possible only if all members and groups of society are made a part of
the economic growth. Economic progress can only occur in a peaceful environment; communalism, on
the other hand, fosters intolerance and violence which can disrupt economic systems.

 Corporate and foreign investors shy away from investing in areas plagued by communal violence.

 Labour and goods supply lines are affected in violence-affected areas.

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Initiatives to Counter Communalism

National Foundation for Communal Harmony
 The foundation is responsible for maintaining communal harmony and providing financial assistance to
children who have been victims of violence. This assistance can be used for the physical and
psychological rehabilitation of victims of terrorist, communal, ethnic, and caste violence. However, more
proactive efforts are required to promote communal harmony.

 Communal Violence (Prevention, Control, and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2005

 Legislative initiatives are required in order to stop communal violence. The Bill of 2005 needs to be
passed as quickly as possible in order to ensure effective prevention and control of communalism-related
crimes as well as rehabilitation of victims.

Build Stronger Relations

 The government can encourage and support civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to
operate projects that promote communal awareness, strengthen community relations, and instill
communal harmony principles in the next generation.

 There should be an increased focus to supplement school and college education with value-added
courses. Emphasis should be placed on values such as nonviolence, peace, tolerance, scientific temper,
rationalism, secularism, and humanism.

Minority Schemes
 Minority welfare initiatives must be established and implemented efficiently by the government to
meet the obstacles and many forms of prejudice they encounter in the workplace, housing, and daily life.
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Inspiration from Other Nations

 The government can follow the example of other nations, which have developed early-warning
indications to prevent racial confrontations.

 The Malaysian Ethnic Relations Monitoring System (Mesra) uses a quality of life index (which includes
housing, health, income, and education) and a perception index to assess people's needs and feelings
about racial relations in their community.

 India should also follow Hong Kong's lead in countering communalism by establishing a "Race Relation
Unit" to promote racial peace and ease ethnic minorities' integration.

Social Empowerment of Disadvantaged Sections

 The disadvantaged or marginalised sections in India include the religious and linguistic minorities,
scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the disabled people, etc. Efforts are constantly made through
government initiatives and schemes to uplift the marginalised sections and ensure balanced and inclusive
development for all.

Regionalism
 Region is a geographical unit and a social system and it reflects a slight difference from other
geographical units in terms of culture, economic, military, or political fields.

 Regionalism is an ideology and movement and those pursuing this ideology seek to advance their
particular regions. At times, it adopts the thought process of ‘insider-outsider’ where insiders are
considered loyal to the region, whereas outsiders are seen as potential enemies.

 It takes the form of transnational cooperation based on shared geography such as the European Union,
Southeast Asia, Middle East, etc. On the national level, it can take the form of regional units such as
states or provinces.

Regionalism in India
 Regionalism in India results from diverse cultures, languages, ethnic groups, religions, and
communities. Since independence, regionalism has remained possibly the most powerful force in
Indian politics. Since the late 1960s, it has been the basic foundation of several regional political parties
that have governed many states.

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 There have been numerous movements that had colours of regionalism in India, such as the Khalistan
movement, linguistic reorganization of states, demand for Dravida Nadu, Telangana movement, demand
for Bodoland, inter-state disputes, etc.

Causes of Regionalism and Regional Disparities

Low Rate of Economic Growth
 The economic growth of India has not grown proportionately with the increase in population.

 Economic disparities exist between different regions of the country, which develop at their own pace.
This can lead to the growth of regional disparities. For instance, the Northern plain region of India is
fertile and prosperous. The states of Punjab and Haryana are economically stronger than the states of
Bihar and Assam.

Lack of Infrastructural Facilities

 Infrastructural Facilities such as electricity, irrigation facilities, roads, hospitals, education facilities, are
lacking in some areas in comparison to other regions. For example, metropolitan cities in India are more
developed than tribal areas in the North East.

Political and Administration Failure

 Failure of administration can lead to a feeling of continuous neglect in the region and the emergence of
regional movements in states. Also, vested political interests in the region can lead to the growth of such
feelings. For example, bad political interests can exploit and accentuate regional issues and give rise to
extremist tendencies in order to gain political clout.

Son of the Soil Doctrine

 According to the followers of this doctrine, a state should belong only to the main linguistic group in the
state. This concept creates a strong attachment of people to their native region of birth. People who
don’t speak the majority language of the region, or who have migrated from other parts of the country
are considered outsiders.

 This concept has the potential to grow into a violent conflict between the majority and minority groups in
the region. A lot of insurgencies, terrorist campaigns, and riots are fueled by this concept. For instance,
the recent resolution of reservation in the private sector in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana for the states’
residents is inspired by this doctrine.

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Major Forms of Regionalism in India

Linguistic Reorganisation of States
 The 1950s and 1960s saw widespread social mobilisation, which was frequently violent in nature in
support of statehood claims.

 In 1954, Potti Sri Ramulu's insurrection for a separate state of Andhra for Telugu-speaking people, and
his subsequent death, sparked a surge of political regionalism in India, with numerous princely states
and other states demanding a separate state.

 The States Reorganisation Committee (led by Faisal Ali) was formed as a result of this, and it suggested
reorganising Indian states along linguistic lines, increasing regionalist inclinations.

 The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 made it possible to create linguistic states.

Dravida Nadu
 Regional movements in India can be traced back to the Dravida Movement, or Non-Brahmin movement,
which began in what is now Tamil Nadu in the 1940s.

 The movement eventually culminated in a demand for a distinct and independent Tamil state. As a result,
various other groups, such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), arose in the Andhra region, demanding
separate statehood.

Telangana
 The state of Telangana was created in 2014 by the division of Andhra Pradesh. It made up the latest
addition of the linguistic reorganisation of states in India.

Gorkhaland
 The demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland (West Bengal) has been simmering for decades. Its source
is in the struggle for a unique identity between the Nepali and Bengali-speaking populations of West
Bengal.

Bodoland
 The agitation was started by the Assam Bodo Students union in Assam. They demanded a separate state
from Assam called Bodoland. The reason for this agitation is the lack of higher educational institutions,
industrialisation, and job creation in the backward regions of Assam.

 Competition over the limited job opportunities, as well as caste and communal agitations, are elements
that have fueled this agitation.

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Khalistan Movement
 The movement emerged in the 1980s with the objective of creating a Sikh homeland called Khalistan by
dividing the Punjab region in India and Pakistan.

Inter-State Disputes
 Interstate disputes can take the form of boundary disputes, river-water sharing disputes, freedom of
movement disputes, financial disputes, etc.

Boundary Disputes
 Examples include boundary disputes of Belgaum between Karnataka and Maharashtra, Kasargod
between Karnataka and Kerala, Rengma reserved forests between Nagaland and Assam, Chandigarh
between Punjab and Haryana.

River Water Disputes

 The use of river water can also be the cause of interstate disputes such as in the case of Narmada, among
Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, Cauvery river dispute between Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, and Karnataka.

Constitutional Provisions
Entry 17 in State List
Water supply, irrigation, canals, drainage, embankments, water storage, and water power are all included in this list.
Entry 26 in Union List
It gives the Union Government the authority to regulate and develop interstate rivers and river valleys to the extent
that Parliament deems it necessary in the public interest.

Freedom of Movement Disputes

 Article 19 of the Indian constitution gives the right to move freely throughout the territory of India.

 However, this fundamental right had been impacted due to the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of
Covid-19. Restrictions like curfews and lockdowns restricted the interstate movement of most people.

 Another example of this dispute is the anti-Bihari stance of the Maharashtra government.

Financial Disputes
 These disputes can take the form of sharing of GST compensation, and revenues from other levied taxes.

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Source: bubobirding.com

Impacts of Regionalism in India

Positive Impacts
Self-Determination

 Regionalism plays an important role in building a nation by playing a role in giving regional autonomy and
self-determination to states.

Strengthening of Democracy

 Regional autonomy has often not been in opposition to democracy but has rather allowed the
strengthening of democracy. For example, the Tripura Tribal Autonomous District council (TTADC) has
strengthened the backward tribal group by giving former separatists a democratic forum, consequently
lowering the state's political radicalism.
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Balanced Development

 Regionalism can provide scope for balanced development by giving importance to socio-cultural diversity
and allowing people from different regions to protect their culture.

Rise of Regional Parties

 Regional aspirations can lead to the emergence of regional political parties. This supports the
strengthening of federalism and democracy in the nation.

Strengthening of Cultural Ties

 Positive regionalism instills a sense of pride in one's heritage and culture. It has been observed that
various regional movements have aided the flourishing of the art and culture of many underserved
regions by boosting their exposure through a focus on the region.

Negative Impacts
Threat to Unity and Progress

 Regionalism can be seen as a threat to the development, unity, and progress of a nation as it leads to
internal security challenges.

Ignores National Demands

 Regional demands can sometimes take the form of national demands without considering the needs of
different regions.

Separatism

 Vested political interests can lead to regional political leaders playing vote bank politics based on
language, culture, religion, etc. These undemocratic processes can lead to separatist tendencies.

Can Spoil International Image

 Regionalism can become a hurdle in international diplomacy as well as hinder foreign investment in the
region.

Dimensions of Regionalism
Nationalism and Regionalism
 Before Independence, there emerged feelings of nationalism and self-determination among the
population of the Indian subcontinent. These nationalist tendencies also gave rise to region-based
linguistic nationalities, which were often opposed to pan-Indian nationalism.
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 Indian nationalism had to continuously struggle with regional nationalism.

Federalism and Regionalism

Federalism in India is a system of governance in which the powers and responsibilities have been divided
between the central and the state governments.

 Indian federalism can be seen as a method of accommodating regionalism in India. India is an extremely
diverse country, in terms of languages, ethnicities, religions, etc. This diversity could have been a hurdle
in the unity of the country. However, this was not the case.

 By the adoption of federalism, a political equilibrium was introduced, by providing self-rule and shared-
rule to the regions/states.

Initiatives on Regionalism
National Integration Council
 The Council was enacted in 1961 as an extra-constitutional body. It is chaired by the Prime Minister and
consists of Cabinet ministers, Chief Ministers of states, Chairman of University Grants Commission,
Commissioners of SC and ST, etc as council members.

 It was made after the National Integration Conference of 1961 to combat communalism, casteism, and
regionalism.

 The council's major purpose is to look into the subject of national integration in all of its dimensions and
give recommendations on how to deal with it.

NITI Aayog
 The establishment of the NITI Aayog has been a beneficial move toward enhancing cooperative
federalism by encouraging state governments to participate in the economic policy-making process
through a bottom-up approach.

Schemes for Backward Regions

 The government has made a number of initiatives to promote inclusive development, such as launching
officially sponsored schemes and providing incentives to private companies for development in backward
areas. However, there is a larger need for their successful execution.

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Celebrate Unity in Diversity

 For the pluralistic character of the Indian nation-state, the Unity in Diversity ethos must be upheld. It is
vital to accommodate the varied desires of diverse people. The Government of India has launched
schemes such as "Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat" to highlight the nation's diverse culture and to
strengthen sentiment for national unity among inhabitants of states, which is a commendable step.

Secularism

Source: /connectgujarat.com

Western Secularism
 The term secularism is defined as non-spiritual or having no concern with religious matters.

 This kind of secularism is practiced in Western countries, where the political matters of the State are kept
completely separate from religion.

 There is complete separation of affairs of the State (politics) and religion (Church), in what is understood
as mutual exclusion.

 This is referred to as the negative concept of secularism.

Indian Secularism
 Indian secularism is fundamentally different from Western secularism. It focuses on religion-state
separation and also inter-religious equality. It places equal importance on inter-religious and intra-
religious dominance.
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 The most important point of Indian secularism is equal respect for all religions. It is focussed on the Sarva
Dharma Sambhava which means that the destination of paths followed by all religions is the same, even
though the paths may be different.

 In India, the positive concept of secularism is accepted, where all religions are given equal respect and
protection. India does not have an official state religion.

 The negative concept of secularism is not applicable to Indian society, as it is a multi religious society.

 Indian secularism does not follow the rigid separation of religion and state. It allows for extensive
interference of the state in religion as in exceptional circumstances like the case of abolition of
untouchability, the Sabarimala judgment, etc.

 The Supreme Court has stated that secularism is “more than a passive attitude of religious tolerance; it is
a positive concept of equal treatment of all religions”.

Source: www.politicsforindia.com

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Secularism and Indian Constitution

Several provisions in the constitution provide elements of secularism.

The 42nd Amendment (1976) changed the description of India in the Preamble from
42nd Amendment (1976)
“sovereign democratic republic” to “sovereign, socialist secular democratic republic”.

Article 14 It grants equality before the law and equal protection of laws to all.

Article 15 It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, sex, or place of birth.

It provides equal opportunity in matters of public employment, and no discrimination

Article 16
on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, or residence.

It provides the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and
Article 25
propagate any religion.

It provides freedom to manage religious affairs and establishing and maintaining

Article 26
religious institutions.

It lays that no person shall be compelled to pay taxes for the promotion or
Article 27
maintenance of any religion.

It disallows religious instruction in educational institutions owned fully or partly by the

Article 28
state

It provides for the right to minorities to protect conserve their language, culture, or
Article 29
script.

Article 30 It grants the right to establish educational institutions for minorities.

Secular State
 To prevent religious domination and communalism, a state must function to work for mutual
enlightenment which includes education, mutual help between communities, and the spread of secular
ideas.

 A state must be non-theocratic, which means it should not be governed by the heads of a particular
religion.

 A state must also not have a formal alliance with any religion, to ensure separation of religion and state.

 A state must be committed to peace, religious freedom, freedom from religiously grounded oppression,
discrimination, and exclusion.

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Initiatives Taken by Government

Ban of Communal Organisations
 Communal organisations such as Khalistan Zindabad Force, Manipur People’s Liberation Front,
Communist Party of India (M), Indian Mujahideen, etc. are banned by the government.

Ek Bharat Ek Shreshtha
 The initiative Ek Bharat Ek Shreshtha to gain knowledge about the culture, traditions, and practices of
different states and UTs to strengthen the unity and integrity of India.

Control of Hate Speech

 Hate speech is prohibited in the Indian Penal Code, under Section 153B ‘Prohibiting incitement to
hatred’ and Section 505 ‘Causing fear, alarm, or provocation of violence.

Multi-Sectoral Development Programme

 Its goal is to improve minorities' socioeconomic conditions, provide basic facilities to improve their
quality of life and decrease imbalances in minority concentrations.

National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC)

 It was founded in 1994 with the goal of encouraging economic activity among registered minorities by
offering financial assistance and self-employment subsidies.

Government Schemes
 The government started Nai Udhan, Nai Roshni (minority women’s leadership development), Seekho aur
Kamao are examples of welfare initiatives (Learn and Earn).

 Skill development and employment programmes such as Udaan and Himayat were also started by the
government to encourage youth from J&K into the mainstream development of India.

Way Forward
To counter communalism, a comprehensive approach of legislative support, administrative efficiency, and
spread of secular values is required. We have also seen that regionalism can have two impacts on a nation
- positive and negative, and it is important to empower the states by devolution of decision-making powers
to them.
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Following are some actions to counter communalism, negative impacts of regionalism, and promote
secularism.

 Abolishing of communal parties and organizations

 Preventing Majoritarianism

 Supervision by media and avoiding sensationalism in news

 Appointing secular-minded law enforcement officials in communally sensitive areas.

 Promoting healthy public opinion to stay free from communal passions.

 The common living of children must be encouraged to promote socialisation with diverse groups.

 Toning up of intelligence machinery to counter hate speech over social media and prevention of riots.

 Adequate training of the police force to handle communal riots.

 Representation of religious minorities and other weaker sections in all sections of law enforcement.

 Training of forces in human rights.

 Reform police procedures and practices to set up special investigating and prosecuting agencies, for
speedily bringing to justice all those who are involved in rioting.

 Reforms in the criminal justice system, adequate punishment for perpetrators of violence, adequate
compensation for the victims, and speedy trials.

 Emphasis on value-oriented education, with a focus on pluralism, peace, secularism, as well as scientific
temper

 Promoting Unity in Diversity by promoting religious tolerance.

 Empowering of states and people by ensuring their participation in decision making

Mains Question for Practice:

Q1. Discuss the evolution of communalism in the Indian context. (250 words, 15 marks)

Q2. Communalism is a threat to the unity of the nation. Discuss how communalism affects the socio-
economic progress of a country. (250 words, 15 marks)

Q3. How is Indian secularism different from the Western concept of secularism?(150 words, 10 marks)

SOCIAL ISSUES | Communalism, Regionalism, and Secularism PAGE 26

Source:
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Mains Question for Practice:

Q4. There have been numerous movements that had colours of regionalism in India. What are the possible
causes of such movements? Explain. (250 words, 15 marks)

Q5. Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former
has transformed into the latter in independent India.(250 words, 15 marks) (UPSC CSE 2017)

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