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Distinguish between religiousness and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the later in independent India?
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Religiousness vs Communalism in Independent India

Religiousness and communalism are two distinct concepts that have been observed in the Indian context. While religiousness refers to an individual's personal belief and adherence to a particular religion, communalism refers to the politicization and exploitation of religious identities for political gain. In independent India, there have been instances where religiousness has transformed into communalism, leading to social and political tensions.

Religiousness
Religiousness is the expression of an individual's faith and adherence to a particular religion. It is a personal choice and encompasses beliefs, rituals, and practices that are followed by an individual in their daily life. Religiousness is driven by an individual's spiritual and moral convictions, and it does not necessarily involve the politicization of religious identities or conflict with other religious communities. It serves as a source of solace, guidance, and ethical principles for individuals.

Communalism
Communalism, on the other hand, refers to the exploitation of religious identities for political or social gain. It involves the manipulation of religious sentiments and the creation of divisions among different religious communities. Communalism often leads to conflicts, violence, and the marginalization of certain religious groups. It can be fueled by political parties, leaders, or organizations that seek to mobilize support based on religious affiliations.

Transformation of Religiousness into Communalism in Independent India
In independent India, there have been instances where religiousness has transformed into communalism, primarily due to political motivations and socio-economic factors. One example of this transformation is the rise of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute.

The Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute originated in the 16th century when the Babri Masjid was constructed in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The dispute gained significant attention in the 1980s and 1990s when it became a political issue. Various Hindu nationalist organizations and political parties started mobilizing support by advocating for the construction of a Ram temple at the site, claiming it to be the birthplace of Lord Ram.

This issue, which initially had religious connotations, gradually transformed into communalism as political parties capitalized on it to gain support from their respective religious communities. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims escalated, leading to violent clashes and the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. The incident resulted in widespread communal riots across the country, causing significant loss of life and property.

The transformation of religiousness into communalism in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi dispute highlights how political motivations and socio-economic factors can exploit religious sentiments and create divisions among different communities. It is essential to distinguish between religiousness and communalism to ensure peaceful coexistence and harmony among diverse religious groups in independent India.
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Passage 1By going through literature on communalism, certain important aspects that are worth noting arise. First, arbitrary definitions and explanations, often due to the development of opposing schools of thought, have created vagueness around the phenomenon of communalism and its associations with the concept of community. Second, most of the writings on communalism are not on communalism per se. They are on Hindu communalism, Muslim communalism and the Hindu fundamentalism. The connection between communalism and communities is not addressed properly. Third, features of religious communalism - a presumed homogenous community and community consciousness - are also exhibited by sects, cults, castes and linguistic and regional communities. Such communities and their politics are not seen as a part of the restricted idea of communalism. This is why the use of the idea of the ethnic is considered more appropriate, for it can bring under its consideration the full range of such expressions. Fourth, occurrences of communal violence in southern Indian states, its spread to rural and hill areas where tribals and dalits are either involved or attacked, and a range of new subjects for contestation in contemporary times show that communalism is not a peculiar north Indian and urban phenomenon.Writings on communalism, even while highly analytical, consider community in terms of religion. This narrowing of communalism to apply only to religious communities has been uncritically inherited from colonial understandings of communities in India. To begin a discussion on communalism, it is necessary to see how it has been defined and explained, and how it has been associated with the term community. In a crude way, a group of people with some common bonds or notion of common identity can be treated as a community. Apparently, the association of communalism with community looks simplistic. An analysis of the characteristic features of communalism shows that the complex relationship between communalism and community has largely been overlooked. Jones defines communalism as consciously shared religious heritage which becomes the dominant form of identity for a given segment of society.Q. What is the reason that communalism has come to be identified only with religion?

Passage 1By going through literature on communalism, certain important aspects that are worth noting arise. First, arbitrary definitions and explanations, often due to the development of opposing schools of thought, have created vagueness around the phenomenon of communalism and its associations with the concept of community. Second, most of the writings on communalism are not on communalism per se. They are on Hindu communalism, Muslim communalism and the Hindu fundamentalism. The connection between communalism and communities is not addressed properly. Third, features of religious communalism - a presumed homogenous community and community consciousness - are also exhibited by sects, cults, castes and linguistic and regional communities. Such communities and their politics are not seen as a part of the restricted idea of communalism. This is why the use of the idea of the ethnic is considered more appropriate, for it can bring under its consideration the full range of such expressions. Fourth, occurrences of communal violence in southern Indian states, its spread to rural and hill areas where tribals and dalits are either involved or attacked, and a range of new subjects for contestation in contemporary times show that communalism is not a peculiar north Indian and urban phenomenon.Writings on communalism, even while highly analytical, consider community in terms of religion. This narrowing of communalism to apply only to religious communities has been uncritically inherited from colonial understandings of communities in India. To begin a discussion on communalism, it is necessary to see how it has been defined and explained, and how it has been associated with the term community. In a crude way, a group of people with some common bonds or notion of common identity can be treated as a community. Apparently, the association of communalism with community looks simplistic. An analysis of the characteristic features of communalism shows that the complex relationship between communalism and community has largely been overlooked. Jones defines communalism as consciously shared religious heritage which becomes the dominant form of identity for a given segment of society.Q. Consider the following statements:I. Most writings on communalism have been charged by religious sentimentII. Colonial understandings of communities in India are less relevant todayWith reference of the passage, which of the following assumptions is/are valid?

Passage 1By going through literature on communalism, certain important aspects that are worth noting arise. First, arbitrary definitions and explanations, often due to the development of opposing schools of thought, have created vagueness around the phenomenon of communalism and its associations with the concept of community. Second, most of the writings on communalism are not on communalism per se. They are on Hindu communalism, Muslim communalism and the Hindu fundamentalism. The connection between communalism and communities is not addressed properly. Third, features of religious communalism - a presumed homogenous community and community consciousness - are also exhibited by sects, cults, castes and linguistic and regional communities. Such communities and their politics are not seen as a part of the restricted idea of communalism. This is why the use of the idea of the ethnic is considered more appropriate, for it can bring under its consideration the full range of such expressions. Fourth, occurrences of communal violence in southern Indian states, its spread to rural and hill areas where tribals and dalits are either involved or attacked, and a range of new subjects for contestation in contemporary times show that communalism is not a peculiar north Indian and urban phenomenon.Writings on communalism, even while highly analytical, consider community in terms of religion. This narrowing of communalism to apply only to religious communities has been uncritically inherited from colonial understandings of communities in India. To begin a discussion on communalism, it is necessary to see how it has been defined and explained, and how it has been associated with the term community. In a crude way, a group of people with some common bonds or notion of common identity can be treated as a community. Apparently, the association of communalism with community looks simplistic. An analysis of the characteristic features of communalism shows that the complex relationship between communalism and community has largely been overlooked. Jones defines communalism as consciously shared religious heritage which becomes the dominant form of identity for a given segment of society.Q. Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?1. Communalism and community can be used interchangeably to talk about the same group of people2. Communalism can be defined as the religious heritage that gives rise to a particular community. Select the answer using the codes given below

Directions (Q.51-57) for the following items:Read the following two passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on these passages only. Passage 1By going through literature on communalism, certain important aspects that are worth noting arise. First, arbitrary definitions and explanations, often due to the development of opposing schools of thought, have created vagueness around the phenomenon of communalism and its associations with the concept of community. Second, most of the writings on communalism are not on communalism per se. They are on Hindu communalism, Muslim communalism and the Hindu fundamentalism. The connection between communalism and communities is not addressed properly. Third, features of religious communalism - a presumed homogenous community and community consciousness - are also exhibited by sects, cults, castes and linguistic and regional communities. Such communities and their politics are not seen as a part of the restricted idea of communalism. This is why the use of the idea of the ethnic is considered more appropriate, for it can bring under its consideration the full range of such expressions. Fourth, occurrences of communal violence in southern Indian states, its spread to rural and hill areas where tribals and dalits are either involved or attacked, and a range of new subjects for contestation in contemporary times show that communalism is not a peculiar north Indian and urban phenomenon.Writings on communalism, even while highly analytical, consider community in terms of religion. This narrowing of communalism to apply only to religious communities has been uncritically inherited from colonial understandings of communities in India. To begin a discussion on communalism, it is necessary to see how it has been defined and explained, and how it has been associated with the term community. In a crude way, a group of people with some common bonds or notion of common identity can be treated as a community. Apparently, the association of communalism with community looks simplistic. An analysis of the characteristic features of communalism shows that the complex relationship between communalism and community has largely been overlooked. Jones defines communalism as consciously shared religious heritage which becomes the dominant form of identity for a given segment of society.Q. Consider the following statements:1. Communalism has a narrow definition of being inter-religious hence, intra- religious communalism is ignored.2. The scope of communalism needs to be studied in a broader perspective to bring in comprehensive understanding With reference of the passage, which of the following assumptions is/are valid?

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Distinguish between religiousness and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the later in independent India?
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