Communalism (South Asia)


Communalism is a term used in the world to denote attempts to construct religious or ethnic identity, incite strife between people identified as different communities, and to stimulate communal violence between those groups. It derives from history, differences in beliefs, and tensions between the communities. Communalism is a significant social issue in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Communal conflicts between religious communities, especially Hindus and Muslims, have been a recurring occurrence in independent India, occasionally leading to serious inter-communal violence.
The term communalism was constructed by the British colonial authorities as it wrestled to manage Hindu-Muslim riots and other violence between religious, ethnic and disparate groups in its colonies, particularly in British Africa and British South Asia, in early 20th century.
Communalism is not unique to South Asia. It is found in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Australia.

History

The term came into use in early 20th century during the British colonial rule. The 4th Earl of Minto was called the father of Communal Electorate for legalizing communalism through the Morley-Minto Act in 1909. The Hindu Mahasabha and the All-India Muslim League represented such communal interests, whereas Indian National Congress represented an overarching "nationalist" vision. In the run up to independence in 1947, communalism and nationalism came to be competing ideologies and led to the division of British India into the Republics of India and Pakistan. The British historians have attributed the cause of the partition to the communalism of Jinnah and the political ambitions of the Indian National Congress.

Incidents of communal violence

NameDateResults
Direct Action Day16 August 1946Partition of Bengal, 4,000 People dead.
1971 Bangladesh genocide21 March – 16 December 1971Estimated between 300,000 to 3 million Bengalis dead, 3 million displaced.
1984 anti-Sikh riots31 October – 3 November 19843,350 or 8,000–17,000 Sikhs dead.
Bombay riotsDecember 1992 – January 1993Around 900 Hindus and Muslims dead, 200,000 refugees.
Wandhama massacre25 January 199825 Hindus killed.
Chittisinghpura massacre20 March 200035 Sikhs killed.
Godhra Train Burning27 February 200258 Hindus killed.
2002 Gujarat riots27 February 2002 – 1 March 2002790 Muslims and 254 Hindus dead.
Marad massacre2 May 20038 Hindus killed.
2010 Deganga riots6 September 2010Hindu property damaged.
2012 Assam violence20 July 2012 – 15 September 201277 dead.
2020 Delhi riots23 February 2020 – 29 February 202036 Muslims and 15 Hindus dead.