What is communalism? How is communalism a hindrance in the functioning of democracy?
Communalism can be defined as an allegiance to the principles of one’s own religious and ethnic group rather than the country. It can also be described as the systematic use of religion for gaining one’s political aims. Communalism can take dangerous forms when people start believing that their religious interests and principles are superior to other religions.
Communalism is a hindrance in the functioning of a democracy because of the following points:
- Religious fanaticism reaches its height and religion becomes more important than the interests of the wider society or a nation.
- One religious community is pitted against the other religious community.
- Beliefs of one religion is regarded as superior to the other religion.
- Religionbecomes an inseparable part of politics; the state power is used to emphasise superiority and domination of one religion over the other.