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

Religiousness and communalism are two distinct concepts that have different implications in society. While religiousness refers to an individual's personal beliefs and practices related to their religious faith, communalism refers to the divisive and often harmful tendencies that arise when religious identity is used to create divisions within a community.


  1. Religiousness:

    2. Religiousness is the expression of an individual's faith and devotion towards their religious beliefs. It encompasses personal practices, rituals, and adherence to religious doctrines. It is a deeply personal and subjective aspect of an individual's life and is usually centered around principles of love, compassion, and morality.

    For example, a person who is religious may regularly attend religious gatherings, participate in prayer ceremonies, and follow the ethical guidelines prescribed by their religion. Their religiousness is characterized by their personal connection to a higher power and their commitment to leading a virtuous life based on their religious teachings.

  2. Communalism:

    3. Communalism, on the other hand, is the exploitation of religious identity for political or social gains, often leading to the division and tension between different religious communities. It involves the manipulation of religious sentiments to create hostility and conflict, resulting in communal violence and disharmony.

    In independent India, there have been instances where religiousness has transformed into communalism. One such example is the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute. The Babri Masjid, a mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, was demolished in 1992 by a Hindu mob that claimed the site to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. This incident led to widespread communal violence and tension between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

    Initially, the dispute was primarily about religious sentiments and beliefs associated with the site. However, over time, it became highly politicized, with political parties using the issue to mobilize support and gain power. The religiousness of individuals who revered Lord Ram turned into communalism as they became part of a larger movement that aimed to establish a Hindu temple at the site.

    The transformation from religiousness to communalism occurred as the issue became entangled in politics, resulting in the polarization of communities along religious lines. This transformation had severe consequences, leading to riots, loss of lives, and deepening of religious divisions within society.

    In conclusion, religiousness and communalism are distinct concepts that have divergent implications in society. While religiousness is a personal expression of faith, communalism involves the exploitation of religious identity for political or social gains, often leading to division and conflict. The example of the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute in independent India demonstrates how religiousness can get transferred into communalism when political and social factors come into play.
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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 transferred into the later in independent India?
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