Community and Nation: Groping for Alternative Narratives

Socialist Register, 2009

W hat is referred to as communalism-intolerance and tensions between religious communities-would seem to be part of a worldwide phenomenon of religious resurgence and the rise of religio-political movements and groups of all kinds, amidst an even broader emergence, over the last three decades, of various kinds of cultural exclusivisms. 1 Capitalist modernity is characterised by the permanence of change, of constant flux. Contrary to early Enlightenment assumptions and hopes, the certainties of tradition and custom (religiously-based or otherwise) have not been replaced by the new certainties of reason and knowledge but by uncertainties. Modernity institutionalises as never before the principle of radical doubt. Modernity constantly disrupts and revolutionises everyday life, imposing social and psychological costs, even as it also creates the more selfreflexive personality (a more dynamised self in a more dynamised society, as compared to the relative inertia of self and society in the pre-capitalist past) for whom existential dilemmas can be more intense because there are no longer any easy answers. The devastation of older values, ways of life and forms of belonging (even if these were relatively recently acquired) is traumatic. These costs are compensated for and made more bearable by the promise of collective amelioration and better times-by the notion of steady and cumulative progress. But the advent of neoliberalism has seen still further transformations, greater social disorientation, loss of dignity and male self-respect, creating fertile ground for the rise of all kinds of aggressive self-assertions, religious or ethnic, that can serve as some form of consolation and whose affirmations (the more negative forms of identity politics) are a balm for social despair. 2 It is the failed promise of modernity, both in its current neoliberal version and in its previous socialist version, that has led to the cultural intolerances of today whose forms vary geographically, preceded as they have been by different histories, rooted in different combinations of the old and the new. When the present is unsatisfactory and the future looks bleak it is the unchangeable

Belligerent Hindu nationalism, accompanied by recurring communal violence between Hindus and Muslims, has become a compelling force in Indian politics over the last two decades. Ornit Shani's book examines the rise of Hindu nationalism, asking why distinct groups of Hindus, deeply divided by caste, mobilised on the basis of unitary Hindu nationalism, and why the Hindu nationalist rhetoric about the threat of the impoverished Muslim minority was so persuasive to the Hindu majority. Using evidence from communal violence in Gujarat, Shani argues that the growth of communalism was not simply a result of Hindu-Muslim antagonisms, but was driven by intensifying tensions among Hindus, nurtured by changes in the relations between castes and associated state policies. These, in turn, were frequently displaced onto Muslims, thus enabling caste conflicts to develop and deepen communal rivalries. The book offers a challenge to previous scholarship on the rise of communalism, which will be welcomed by students and professionals.

India has no answer to communalism, which has been one of the evils affecting life of millions of Indians. India was partitioned because of this, and after independence taking life of millions of Indians. India was partitioned because of this, and after independence in August 1947, many pogroms and communal riots has claimed thousands of innocent lives in the country. . The social fabric is so fragile that it takes just a rumor of any kind to spread and Hindus and Muslims living side-by-side, rise against each othermost of the time for trivi-Hindus and Muslims living side-by-side, rise against each othermost of the time for trivial reasons. Recently one police officer was lynched in broad daylight, in the presence of his al reasons. Recently one police officer was lynched in broad daylight, in the presence of his junior and subordinate policemen in the province of Uttar PardeshIndia's most populous junior and subordinate policemen in the province of Uttar PardeshIndia's most populous statebecause he was a Muslim (Zia-ul-Haque) and worse, he was probing a communal riot, statebecause he was a Muslim (Zia-ul-Haque) and worse, he was probing a communal riot, which had taken place near the state capital Lucknow. In the last one year, there have been 27 which had taken place near the state capital Lucknow. In the last one year, there have been 27 communal riots in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and curfew was clamped in many cities. communal riots in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and curfew was clamped in many cities. In eastern state of Bihar, one opposition Member of Legislative Assembly (Akhtar-ul-Iman) In eastern state of Bihar, one opposition Member of Legislative Assembly (Akhtar-ul-Iman) was branded a Pakistani agent by the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party / NDA minister for protest-was branded a Pakistani agent by the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party / NDA minister for protesting against the state government's directive to government schools for making ing against the state government's directive to government schools for making Suryanamaskar Suryanamaskar (offer of prayer to Sun god) compulsory. The opposition MLA was contesting that the order (offer of prayer to Sun god) compulsory. The opposition MLA was contesting that the order was against the teachings of Islam, and an example of government interfering in the religious was against the teachings of Islam, and an example of government interfering in the religious matters of the citizens and influencing young minds. In Hyderabad, a Muslim MLA (Akba-matters of the citizens and influencing young minds. In Hyderabad, a Muslim MLA (Akba-ruddin Owaisi) was arrested for making 'hate speech' and released on bail. Varun Gandhi, ruddin Owaisi) was arrested for making 'hate speech' and released on bail. Varun Gandhi, Member of Parliament and grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was ac-Member of Parliament and grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was acquitted in a case related to making hate speech against Muslims. Many politicians have gone to quitted in a case related to making hate speech against Muslims. Many politicians have gone to places by polarising voters on communal lines, and over the years it has become intrinsic part places by polarising voters on communal lines, and over the years it has become intrinsic part of public life, which divides people on the basis of religion and creates distrust for each oth-of public life, which divides people on the basis of religion and creates distrust for each other among the citizens. In this paper, an attempt has been made to trace the origin of commu-er among the citizens. In this paper, an attempt has been made to trace the origin of commu-nalism, how it made a slow beginning during the rule of the British East India Company, and nationalism, how it made a slow beginning during the rule of the British East India Company, and emerged as one of the most potent enemy of the Indian society over a period of time. emerged as one of the most potent enemy of the Indian society over a period of time.

2019

Compilation of my essays on themes related to communalism in India. Deals with Communal violence, Hindu Hindutva-Indian Nationalim, Minrority comunalism, Caste-Gender and Communalism

THE NEW LEAM, 2018

The quaint city of Shillong was brought to a standstill from the evening of 31st June 2018. News of communal tension began doing rounds via various social media platforms and within a span of 24 hours the vibrant city brewed in tension and mob violence. The administration imposed curfew, initially in some localities of the city and later was prompted to extend the curfew to the entire city, which lasted for a week. Community life was completely thrown off gear, economy of the state incurred heavy forfeiture, largely because tourism and hospitality sector lost its business in the peak tourist season.

Critical Humanities from India: Contexts, Issues, Futures, 2018

It has become part of the Indian common sense to regard communalism as simply another term for religious intolerance. Scholars seem to treat it as more or less a historical accident that this special term came to be coined in India for the universal phenomenon of religious antagonism. This essay proposes that the British did not see communalism in the same way as the religious intolerance they were familiar with in Europe. This becomes clear on considering that the British themselves, no strangers to a history of religious antagonism and intolerance, never saw the solutions drawn in Britain as applicable in India. In fact, most of them believed (a) that communalism was a peculiarly Indian problem, one that did not have a parallel in the West and (b) that India already had toleration, the solution to religious intolerance in the West. But, communalism was still a major problem in India. How does one reconcile these seemingly contradictory positions? This essay suggests that Christian theological assumptions that shaped the colonial understanding of Hinduism form at least one key aspect of the answer to this question.

Sociology-the Journal of The British Sociological Association, 2004

This article offers an alternative framework for understanding 'communal' conflict in India. Largely because recurring sectarian conflicts involve groups whose boundaries are demarcated by religion, most scholars have focused their attention on either specific religious doctrines or the policy of secularism to explain the phenomenon. In this article it is argued that significance of religion, secularism or antisecularism has been overemphasized in the interpretation of communal conflict in India. The concept of 'racialization' is deployed to argue that in India communal identities have in fact been 'racialized' and recurring conflicts share striking structural and ideological similarities with racial conflicts in other parts of the world. A historical narrative of the political process of 'racialization' of identities in India is offered with the aim of re-thinking existing explanations of such conflicts.