What are the ideas behind communal politics
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Gandhi Ji used to say that religion can never be separated from politics. What he meant by religion, was not any particular religion like Hinduism or Islam but moral values that are being passed as a message by all the religions. He believed that the politics must be guided by ethics drawn from religion. The problem begins when religion is seen as the basis of nation. The problem becomes more acute when religion is expressed in politics in exclusive terms, when one religion and its followers are pitted against another. This happens when beliefs of one religion are presented as superior to those of other religion. 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. This manner of using religion in politics is communal politics.
Communal politics is based on the idea that the religion is the principal basis of social community. The communalism involves following ideas.
1) The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.
2) Their fundamental interests should be the same and any difference that they may have is irrelevant for communal life.
3) It also follows that people who follow different religions cannot belong to the same social community. If the followers of different religions have some common facts, then these are superficial and immaterial. Their interests are bound to be different and involve a conflict.
4) In its extreme form communalism leads to the belief that people from different religions cannot live as equal citizens within a country.
5) Sometimes communalism takes its ugliest form of communal violence, riots and massacre. India has suffered communal riots at the time of partition and many times after the independence. During the time of election, political parties also try to attract through special appeal to the interests or emotions of voters of one religion in preference to other religions.
Communal politics is based on the idea that the religion is the principal basis of social community. The communalism involves following ideas.
1) The followers of a particular religion must belong to one community.
2) Their fundamental interests should be the same and any difference that they may have is irrelevant for communal life.
3) It also follows that people who follow different religions cannot belong to the same social community. If the followers of different religions have some common facts, then these are superficial and immaterial. Their interests are bound to be different and involve a conflict.
4) In its extreme form communalism leads to the belief that people from different religions cannot live as equal citizens within a country.
5) Sometimes communalism takes its ugliest form of communal violence, riots and massacre. India has suffered communal riots at the time of partition and many times after the independence. During the time of election, political parties also try to attract through special appeal to the interests or emotions of voters of one religion in preference to other religions.
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