Read the passage and answer the following question.
Historically, states have tried to establish and enhance their political legitimacy through nation-building strategies. They sought to secure... the loyalty and obedience of their citizens through policies of assimilation or integration. Attaining these objectives was not easy, especially in a context of cultural diversity where citizens, in addition to their identifications with their country, might also feel a strong sense of identity with their community - ethnic, religious, linguistic and so on. Most states feared that the recognition of such difference would lead to social fragmentation and prevent the creation of a harmonious society. In short, such identity politics was considered a threat to state unity. In addition, accommodating these differences is politically challenging so many states have resorted to either suppressing these diverse identities or ignoring them on the political domain.
Policies of assimilation-often involving outright suppression of the identities of ethnic, religious or linguistic groups-try to erode the cultural differences between groups. Policies of integration seek to assert a single national identity by attempting to eliminate ethno-national and cultural differences from the public and political arena, while allowing them in the private domain. Both sets of policies assume a singular national identity.
Assimilationist and integrationist strategies try to establish singular national identities through various interventions like :
- Centralising all power to forums where the dominant group constitutes a majority, and eliminating the autonomy of local or minority groups.
- Imposing a unified legal and judicial system based on the dominant group's traditions and abolishing alternative systems used by other groups.
- Adopting the dominant group's language as the only official 'national' language and making its use mandatory in all public institutions.
- Promotion of the dominant group's language and culture through national institutions including state-controlled media and educational institutions.
- Adoption of state symbols celebrating the dominant group's history, heroes and culture, reflected in such things as choice of national holidays or naming of streets etc.
- Seizure of lands, forests and fisheries from minority groups and indigenous people and declaring them 'national resources'....
Which of the following does not constitute communalism?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Religious piety linked to individual faith
Option (1) Aggressive chauvinism linked to religion — Part of communalism (Incorrect). In everyday language, communalism refers to aggressive chauvinism based on religious identity. Chauvinism is an attitude that sees one’s own group as the only legitimate or worthy group and all other groups as inferior and opposed.
Option (2) Religious piety linked to individual faith — Not communalism (Correct). Piety is a person’s own devotion to God and religion. Communalism is about politics, not about religion: there is no necessary relationship between personal faith and communalism. A communalist may or may not be a devout person, and devout believers may or may not be communalists.
Option (3) Political ideology linked to religion — Part of communalism (Incorrect). In plain terms, communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion. This is the South Asian meaning of the word, different from the neutral English sense of ‘communal’.
Option (4) Linked to group identity — Part of communalism (Incorrect). All communalists believe in a political identity based on religion. Their loyalty is to their own religious group, which they set against other groups.
NCERT (2025-26): “Communalism … In everyday language, the word ‘communalism’ refers to aggressive chauvinism based on religious identity. Chauvinism itself is an attitude that sees one’s own group as the only legitimate or worthy group, with other groups being seen – by definition – as inferior, illegitimate and opposed. Thus, to simplify further, communalism is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion. This is a peculiarly Indian, or perhaps South Asian, meaning that is different from the sense of the ordinary English word. In the English language, ‘communal’ means something related to a community or collectivity as different from an individual. The English meaning is neutral, whereas the South Asian meaning is strongly charged. The charge may be seen as positive – if one is sympathetic to communalism – or negative, if one is opposed to it.” “It is important to emphasise that communalism is about politics, not about religion. Although communalists are intensely involved with religion, there is in fact no necessary relationship between personal faith and communalism. A communalist may or may not be a devout person, and devout believers may or may not be communalists. However, all communalists do believe in a political identity based on religion.…” |