Q1. What is communalism? How is communalism a hindrance in the functioning of our democracy? Explain. (5 marks)
Answers
Answer:
Communalism: When beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religions, when the demands of one religious group are formed in opposition to another and when state power is used to establish domination of one religious group over the rest, we call it as communalism. Communalism is a hindrance in the functioning of our democracy as: (i) Communalism leads to the belief that people belonging to different religions cannot live as equal citizens within one nation. Either, one of them has to dominate the rest or they have to form different nation. (ii) Any attempt to bring all followers of one religion together in context other than religion is bound to suppress many voices within that community.
Explanation:
Communalism usually refers to a system that integrates communal ownership and federations of highly localized independent communities. In particular, earlier communities and movements advocating such practices were often described as "socialist" or "communist
Communalism is a hindrance in the functioning of a democracy because of the following points: Religious fanaticism reaches its height and religion becomes more important than the interests of the wider society or a nation.