This document discusses the concepts of communalism and religious fundamentalism in India. It provides definitions and perspectives from various scholars on communalism. Communalism divides society along religious lines, creates tensions between religious groups, and is used by political groups for political ends. It undermines secularism, democracy and national integration. Religious fundamentalism involves taking religious texts as infallible and placing them above all evidence, which can lead to intolerant and violent behavior. The document also examines the causes and impacts of communalism in India.

1. Group Members:
Aishwarya Soundarya
Meryl Ronson
Shveta Vivek
Shivanand Treasa

2.  Communalism, as we understand it in our
country is blind loyalty to one’s own
religious group. It is described as a tool to
mobilize people for or against by raising an
appeal on communal lines.
 Communalism is associated with religious
fundamentalism and dogmatism.

3.  Ram Ahuja says “Communalism is an
ideology which states that society is
divided into religious communities whose
interests differ and are, at times, even
opposed to each other”.
 Abdul Ahmed says “Communalism is a
social phenomenon characterized by the
religion of two communities, often leading
to acrimony, tension and even rioting
between them”.

4.  Prabha Dixit says “Communalism is a
political doctrine which makes use of
religious and cultural difference to achieve
political ends”.

5.  Communalism is an ideological concepts;
 It has a broader base which
encompasses social, economic and
political aspects for its manifestation;
 It causes rivalry, violence and tension
among masses;
 It strikes at the roots of democracy,
secularism and national integration.

6.  Minorities fails to be intermingled in the
national mainstream. Most of them do not
participate in the secular nationalistic politics
and insist on maintaining for separate
identity of their religion. They fails to
generate the appropriate national ethos.
 The orthodox members of minorities feel that
they have a distinct entity with their own
cultural pattern, personal law and thought.
Such feelings prevented them from
accepting the concept of secularism and
religious tolerance.

7.  The British rule which produced the divide
and rule policy, separate people on the basis
of religion strengthen the basis of
communalism in India. Ultimately the
partition of the country into India and
Pakistan provided further an antagonistic
feeling toward each other.
 The majority of minorities communities has
failed to adopt the scientific and
technological education. Due to this they
have not been represented sufficiently in
public service, industry and trade etc. This
causes the feeling of relative deprivation and
such feelings contain the seeds of

8.  There is no cultural similarities between
majority and minority communities in India
which is a powerful factor in fostering
amicable relation. The social institutions,
practices of both group are so divergent that
they think themselves to be two distinct
communities.
 One of the major psychological factor which
play important role in the development of
communalism is that Hindus think that
Muslims are fundamentalist and not patriotic.
On the other hand Muslims feel that they are
being treated as second rate citizens in India.

9.  Religion-based politics, religion-dominated
political organizations, canvassing in
elections based on religious considerations,
political justification of communal violence
and hated speech of political leaders are
important cause of communalism.
 Some foreign countries try to destabilize our
country by setting one community against the
other through their agents.
 Alien invasions, damage to religious
institution, old temple and mosque conflict,
suppression by other religious ruler are also
a factor for rise in communalism.

10.  Communal violence is a mass mobilization
of one religion people against other religion
people. The movement are unpredictable,
uncheckable and carry an emotional fury.
 Communal riot are more politically motivated
 Communal riots seems to be more common
in northern India than in southern India.
 Out of major 58 riots in India only 13 were in
south and east India.
 Most communal riots take place on the
occasion of festivals.

11.  Political parties which thrive on religious
loyalties should be banned by the
government.
 Feelings of nationalism should be inculcated
in the mind of people by reminding them
about the glorious moments of history where
Hindu, Muslim & Sikh were combined to
safeguard the interest of country.
 Value-oriented education should be
emphasized in school and colleges.

12.  Effort should be made through mass media
for changing the attitude of people toward
other communities.
 Youth organization and other types of
associations should be formed in every
locality to give opportunity to people of
different communities to come closer and
know each other.
 Inter-religion marriages should be
appreciated which will lesser the social
distance among the members of different
religious groups.

13.  Fundamentalism is the type of religious
behavior that embraces a central religious
text and places it in such a holy, sacred
place that it becomes considered infallible
and from God rather than man.
 Fundamentalists take the tenets of their
religion so seriously that Earthly evidence
will not dissuade them from their religious
views.
 Fundamentalism is often seen as violent,
intolerant, backwards, inhuman, and godly.

14.  Fundamentalism as a movement arose in the
United States among conservative
Presbyterian theologians in the late 19th
century and soon spread to the Baptists and
other denominations around 1910-20.
 Its purpose was to reaffirm five key theological
tenets, such as the inerrancy of every word of
Bible, virgin birth of Jesus, bodily resurrection
of Jesus, historical reality of Jesus' miracles,
etc. Those who subscribed to these five
fundamentals came to know as
fundamentalists.

15.  Islamic fundamentalists, believe that Islam is
based on the Qur’an, Hadith and Sunnah and
“criticize the tradition, the commentaries,
popular religious practices, deviations and
superstitions.
 Islamic fundamentalism has appeared in
many countries.
 Islamic fundamentalist movement have their
origin in the late 19th century.
 Scholars identify several politically active
Hindu movements (RSS, VHP) as part of the
“Hindu Fundamentalist”