Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent india the hindu
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Answer:
Explanation:Religiosity is the totality of religious beliefs, values, practices and rituals.
Whereas communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion.
The key differences between them are as following:
Body#1: Differences between Religiosity vs. Communalism
Religiosity Communalism
Religiosity is as old as the religion and civilization itself.
Communalism is a newer phenomenon compared to religiosity. It was born during the colonial times, when the British used religious contrasts among different communities to rule over them.
It can be found throughout the world.
Communalism is a phenomenon mainly confined to Indian subcontinent, and South Asia.
Religiosity is concerned with the worship of God.
Religiosity is often accompanied by 1) prayers i.e. petition direct at a supernatural power and 2) rituals i.e. symbolic series of actions to appear the aid supernatural power.
Communalism is a belief system and a social phenomenon wherein, history is interpreted for mobilization of people.
It involves the use of sacred symbols, religious leaders, emotional appeal and plain fear in order to bring the followers of one religion together in the political arena.
Secularism and egalitarianism are portrayed as abnormal. People belonging to other faith and religion are portrayed as antagonists.
A person usually engage in religiosity to seek help of a supernatural power to solve his problems.
Religiosity is the human response to those elements in the life and environment which are beyond his ordinary comprehension.
A person engages in communalism to fulfill social, economic of his community and or his personal political ambitions.
Religiosity by default is not associated with violence, unless the religious tenants themselves require human or animal sacrifice.
In Communalism the religious identity overrides everything else. Anyone who doesn’t share this identity can be attacked verbally or physically.
When communalism escalates into communal riots, people become faceless members of their respective communities. They are willing to kill, rape, and loot members of other communities in order to redeem their pride, to protect their home turf or avenge the death of dishonour suffered by their co-religionists elsewhere or even in the distant past.
Body#2: How religiousness transformed into communalism in Free-India?
The communalism before independence was rooted in the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British. They had fostered communalism to weaken the nationalist movement by forcing religious rather than national allegiance.
After partition, the class divisions of our society and the backwardness of our economy resulted in uneven development.
As a result, some sections and individuals developed a sense of rivalry vis-à-vis their counterparts in other communities.
Such leaders began encouraging communal feelings to strengthen their political support.
When ordinary Indians feel insecure because of some adverse circumstances, they often tend to rely on religion, which make them vulnerable to political manipulation to inflame communal passions.
With economic problems becoming important, leaders began to convert economic insecurities like poverty unemployment, price rise etc. into caste and communal ones. One such example is:
Body#3: Example of Bhindaranwale & the communalization of Sikhs
After independence, the Sikhs were no longer receiving preferential treatment in the recruitment of Indian army, unlike during the British raj.
1955: Akali Dal launched agitation to achieve Punjabi suba, but failed.
Green Revolution proved very beneficial to the land-owning Hindu-Jat families, but frustrated the landless among the Sikhs.
Radical Sikh leaders like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale used this frustration of Sikh peasants and unemployed youth, and funnelled their hatred towards the national ‘Hindu’ government, and the ‘Hindu’ Congress party with the demands for a separate state for the Sikh, called Khalistan.
Keeping of kesh (long hair and a beard), kangha (comb), kada (a metallic bangle), kirpan (a sword) and kaccha (an underwear extending to a little above the knees), paying obeisance to the holy book of Guru Granth Sahib- these are the components of the Sikh religiosity.
But, Bhindranwale even threatened to kill the school principals who did not enforce the aforementioned symbols of Sikh religiosity upon the students. Thus, he transformed religiosity into communalism for his petty agenda.