Communalisation of Indian Society

Description

Communalism has emerged as a major obstacle to the building of a modern progressive nation state and a secular democratic society. Communalism implies the negation and non-recognition of the logic of growing independence. To that extent, it it a reactionary phenomenon. The resurgence of communalism witnessed during the last couple of years militates against the very foundations of Indian society; it questions the principles on which the political, social and cultural institutions and practice were nurtured during the period of the anti-colonial struggle and in post-Independence India. What is at stake in democracy, secularism and rule of law. The idea of democracy is being replaced by majoritanism, the concept of secularism is interpreted in religious terms, the rule of law is subverted by public coercion. This communism is seeking to destry the fundamental character of Indian scoiety. Therefore, in the long run, uncontrolled communalism can lead to the death of democratic institutions themselves. We need to study the impact of communalism on our development, in terms of the survival of our democratic system.

This book, therefore, is an important academic intervention to understand communalism through an integrated perspective. This book will prove to be insightful reading for any social scientist, journalist, student or political worker who wants to come to grips with one of the major problems facing our society. The book deserves to be seriously studied and debated.

Arvinder A. Ansari, MA, MPhil, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, specialising in Gender Studies, Minority Studies and Sociology of Exclusion and Inclusion Ethnicity, Pluralism and Multiculturalism Ethnic Conflict. An internationally recognized scholar, she is a part of the UNITWIN programme of UNESCO and is a member of the International Sociological Association, having organized conferences and workshops as well as delivered several lectures/papers on Secularism, Minorities and Gender Sensitization.