Communal disharmony and intolerance is a threat to Indian plural democracy

Communal disharmony and intolerance is a threat to Indian plural democracy

Communal disharmony and intolerance are a threat to Indian plural democracy which places the protection of democracy as the principal function of civil society. The root of violence comes from cultural differences. India's secular democracy goes hand in hand with cultural diversity. People of different religions, castes, and cultures live in harmony.

Causes of rise in communal disharmony and intolerance:

Vote Bank Politics: Communal politics is all about vote bank politics. In a communally divided society, communal polarization is necessary for the perpetuation of a particular party in power or to come to power. The vote bank game is played out because the minorities and other sections will tend to divide the votes and can be taken for granted by those who are in power.

Struggle for Identity: Despite the fact that not all non-Hindus are immune to their religion, caste, ethnic et al biases or can fight against it, we suppose that since they don’t identify in the crowd of the majority community, they would welcome and encourage such activities which have been increasingly taking place. To maintain a kind of relevance in a system that is more often than not, biased against them, different classes of people end up relating with a similar sentiments. So it is more of the greater good for the selfish ends rather than true altruistic activities as such.

Conflict of Interests: Very often instances of clashes between communities occurred because of efforts to protect the interests of one’s community. Communal groups are also inclined to resist what they see as undermining their communal rights. A communal group is assertive of its identity and the overbearing presence of another community may constitute a threat to such assertion. As instances of this conflict become much frequent and aggressive, it often leads to deterioration in communal relations and increased incidents of crimes against members of a particular community.

Reports of Threat to Religious Ideologies: Fundamentalism and intolerance have been one of the chief factors that have led to communal disharmony. Communal clashes occur in extreme cases when religious organizations feel that their rights are being threatened. This feeling is mostly cultivated by propaganda on the idea that their religious ideologies are under threat.

Irresponsible Reporting by Media: Irresponsible reporting by media is one of the major causes of communal disharmony and intolerance in a country. Media groups take advantage of their freedom to air news and broadcast biased reports without any proof or confirmation. This sensational coverage often contradicts what representatives from both sides have to say in the same incident, but the media chooses to push their own agenda instead, which leads to increased animosity between individuals belonging to both communities.

Resource Crunch: The resource crunch is leading to discontent among the masses. The inequitable distribution of wealth and resources among various communities in India is a major cause behind such discontent. Due to unprecedented population increase, the demand for land as well as resources like water, food, electricity, etc. is much more than its availability. The competition on these limited resources thus enlarges the scope for disharmony among communities.

Growing Intolerance Levels: Growing intolerance levels are a reality of our country nowadays. The communally divided society is developing into a vicious circle wherein the slightest provocation for one community can lead to violence and vandalism. This, in turn, exasperates the majority which leaves no stone unturned to retaliate.

State’s support: India has always had neighbors who are our well-wishers. The passage of time, improved situations, and natural calamities have given them a better life. In the past, India had friendly relations with neighbors like Nepal, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. China was initially a friend but now because of the growing need to extract raw materials to fuel its growth, it has been more demanding than positive.

Rise in communal disharmony and intolerance- a threat to Indian plural democracy:

Threat to minority: Intolerance and communal disharmony could be the least recognized threats to India's survival as a plural democracy. Secular voices are being muzzled and it is on the rise. Whenever minorities are suppressed, their rights are affected.

Mob-violence: Instances of 'mob vigilantism' have increased and there has been a rise in communal disharmony, which has impacted the psyche of minorities living in India's plural democracy.

Threat to Rule of law: The recent mob violence in India is presenting a threat to the fabric of the nation. The dangers presented by these acts of violence must be noted and steps are taken to ensure that injustice as a result of instant judgment does not lead to an atmosphere of threat to life and liberty for minorities.

Freedom of speech: Growing communal disharmony and intolerance has become a threat to the Indian plural democracy. While promoting disruptive dissent, the State has no right to curb dissent or stifle it through coercive methods that unduly curb individual liberty and freedom of speech.

Harmed human rights: Due to the lack of a good command and control mechanism in addition to the vulnerability of local law enforcement agencies, security forces are at risk of being accused of human rights abuse against their authority.

Regionalism: The politicians and certain anti-national elements in the society have done the greatest damage to India. They have always played the divide and conquer game. They have engaged in identity politics and have gained their support by dividing the people on caste, religion, region of origin, and language.

Lawlessness: Lawlessness and Anarchism in society are a direct result of communal disharmony, religious fundamentalism, and political existentialism. Communal disharmony and political instability affect the present and future growth of India.

Damage social fabric: In a country that is home to such a large number of people from different religious, linguistic, and ethnic groups, violence invariably leads to sectarian polarisation and causes irreparable damage to the social fabric.