Consider the following statements about communalism:
(A) Communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion.
(B) Communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to ethnic identity.
(C) The meaning of communalism as an aggressive ideology is peculiarly Indian, or perhaps South Asian.
(D) The meaning of communalism as an aggressive ideology is the same as that of the ordinary English word communal.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A and C only
(A) Communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion. — Correct. Communalism grows out of aggressive chauvinism based on religious identity. Put plainly, it is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion.
(B) Communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to ethnic identity. — Incorrect. The ideology is tied to religion. Ethnic identity is a different base of group feeling and is not the one that defines communalism.
(C) The meaning of communalism as an aggressive ideology is peculiarly Indian, or perhaps South Asian. — Correct. This aggressive sense of the word is peculiarly Indian, or perhaps South Asian.
(D) The meaning of communalism as an aggressive ideology is the same as that of the ordinary English word communal. — Incorrect. The ordinary English word 'communal' only means related to a community or collectivity, and it is neutral. The aggressive meaning belongs to South Asia alone.
NCERT (2026-27): “Communalism, Secularism and the Nation-state |