Communalism refers to attempts to promote religious stereotypes and violence between religious groups for political or economic gain. It has existed in India since the 1920s during the emergence of mass politics and independence, and persists due to India's pluralistic society with conflicting social, economic, and political interests between communities. Communal riots are rarely spontaneous but rather engineered by opportunistic factions. The effects of communalism are disastrous and include communal riots and violence, as well as negative international reactions that harm India's relations. To prevent a civil war-like scenario, concerted economic, political, and socio-cultural programs are needed.

1. COMMUNALISM
Anurag Bhojwani A022
Prateek Maheshwari A039
Devesh Mohan A040

3. What is Communalism?
• The word Communalism is used to denote attempts to
promote primarily religious stereotypes between groups
of people identified as different communities and to
stimulate violence between those groups. It derives not
from community but from ‘tensions between the
(religious) communities’.
• Communal riots are an indicator of socio-cultural
difference existing between the communities.

5. Rise Of Communalism In India
• Religious violence has probably existed for as
long as religion.
• The progress of science and technology have
enabled religious extremists to hate and kill even
more effectively.
• Communal violence in India started during the
emergence of mass politics in the 1920s and have
persisted after Independence.

6. • India has a pluralistic society. The multi-racial,
multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural
polity is bound to have conflicting interests.
• Each community tries to preserve and promote its
own interest, and when the interest of two
communities clash, communal conflict is triggered
off.
• Communal Riots are not caused spontaneously
and also they are rarely caused by religious
animosity. They arise due to conflicting
political interest often linked to
economic interest.

7. Characteristics Of Communalism
• Communalism is an ideological concept,
• It is a complex process,
• It encompasses social, economic and political aspects for its
manifestation,
• It causes rivalry, violence and tension among masses,
• Communalism is simply engineered by opportunistic
political and economic interest of contending groups and
factions within a political party or by political parties.
• It strikes at the root of democracy, secularism and national
integration
• Its effects are disastrous.

9. Causes Of Communalism:
• Divide & Rule Policy Of British
• Political Organizations & Political Factor
• Economic Factor
• Educational & Cultural Factors
• Inertia Indifferent Government
• Ineffective Handling Of Communal Riots

11. Effects Of Communalism
• Communalism is the major obstacle that tends to separate
people on the basis of religion, language, territories and
ethnic origin.
• Communalism inevitable leads to communal riots and the
authorities in order to ‘control’ the situation imposes
curfew.
• Furthermore, the worst form of violence takes place during
the period of curfew in the course of police “hunt” for anti
social elements
• Another negative effect of communalism upon people is
that of an unhealthy development that has
crept into society.

13. • The biggest sufferers due to religious communalism are
the minorities.
• The communal riots between Hindu & Muslim in India
evoke unfavourable reaction and criticism not only from
Pakistan but in other Islamic countries of West Asia and
Africa, which adversely affects our relations with them.
• Communalism give rise to terrorism.

14. Future Scenario
• Looking at the factors and forces responsible for
the riots and every riot becoming more
organized, widespread, and use of more and
more lethal weapons it can be assumed that soon
it would take the shape of pitched battles, like a
civil war.
• If we want to save our nation from such a fate a
concerted economic, political and socio-cultural
program should be initiated and followed
vigorously.

15. Conclusion