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What is the difference between secularism and communalism?
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What is the difference between secularism and communalism?
Understanding Secularism
Secularism refers to the principle of separating religion from political, social, and educational institutions. It promotes the idea that the state should treat all individuals equally, regardless of their religious beliefs.
  • Equality Before Law: Secularism ensures that laws apply to all citizens uniformly, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
  • Freedom of Religion: Individuals have the right to practice any religion or none at all, fostering an environment of tolerance.
  • Neutral State: The government remains neutral in religious matters, promoting a pluralistic society that respects diverse beliefs.


Understanding Communalism
Communalism, on the other hand, is the ideology that emphasizes the interests of a particular community, often based on religion, ethnicity, or culture. It can lead to divisions within society.
  • Group Identity: Communalism prioritizes the identity and interests of specific groups over the collective well-being of society.
  • Potential for Conflict: It may foster tensions and conflicts between different communities, undermining social harmony.
  • Political Mobilization: Politicians may exploit communal sentiments to garner support, leading to polarizing agendas.


Key Differences
  • Focus: Secularism emphasizes individual rights and equality, while communalism centers on group identity and interests.
  • Social Cohesion: Secularism promotes unity among diverse groups, whereas communalism can create divisions.
  • Role of the State: A secular state is neutral and inclusive, while a communal approach can favor specific groups.


In summary, secularism advocates for a harmonious coexistence of diverse beliefs, while communalism may lead to fragmentation and conflict within society.
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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?

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What is the difference between secularism and communalism?
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