Communalism in India: Concept, Causes, and Challenges

The idea

• Communalism is the belief that people of one religion share common social and political interests.
• It puts religious identity ahead of all other identities.
• It ranges from mild group pride to open hostility.
• Faith is not communalism. Faith needs no enemy. Communalism does.

Colonial roots

• The British encouraged divisions as part of “divide and rule”.
• The Indian Councils Act, 1909 gave Muslims separate electorates.
• Later laws extended separate electorates to Sikhs, Indian Christians and others.
• The Communal Award of 1932 offered them to the Depressed Classes. The Poona Pact then replaced them with reserved seats.
• Separate electorates are cited as the first institutional form of communal politics.

How it shows up

• Disputes: religious sites, personal laws or cultural practices become flashpoints.
• Votes: parties are sometimes accused of using religious appeals to unite a community’s votes.
• Violence: riots remain a law-and-order challenge in parts of India.
• Media: social media can spread rumours and amplify tension fast.

The constitutional answer

• The Preamble says India is secular. The word was added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976.
• Articles 25 to 28 protect freedom of religion.
• Article 15 bars discrimination on grounds of religion.
• The Supreme Court, in S. R. Bommai (1994), held secularism to be part of the basic structure.
• India’s model is sometimes called positive secularism: equal respect, not strict separation. See Indian secularism.

Legal tools

• Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 makes an appeal for votes on religious grounds a corrupt practice.
• Promoting enmity between groups is punishable. It was Section 153A of the IPC and is Section 196 of the BNS.
• The Places of Worship Act, 1991 freezes the religious character of a place of worship as of 15 August 1947. Ayodhya was excluded.

Two levels

• Social prejudice: everyday stereotypes about another community.
• Political mobilisation: organised use of those stereotypes to gain power.
• The two can feed each other. Prejudice becomes a political tool, and politics deepens prejudice.

What helps

• Communal harmony campaigns and quick police action aim to prevent as well as punish.
• Fair investigation builds trust after violence.
• Schools, media and local peace committees can reduce rumours.
• Communalism overlaps with casteism and regionalism as threats to national integration. See regionalism.

Reviving the National Integration Council

• Nehru convened the National Integration Conference from 28 September to 1 October 1961. It decided to set up the Council.
• The Council’s first meeting was held on 2–3 June 1962 in New Delhi.
• The Prime Minister chairs it. Ministers, chief ministers and public figures are members.
• On 3 February 2026, Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan called for reviving the Council to protect the social fabric.
• Source: The Indian Express.

Akola riots case

• In September 2025, the Supreme Court criticised Maharashtra Police for not registering an FIR after the May 2023 Akola riots.
• It ordered a special team with Hindu and Muslim officers.
• In November 2025, the two judges split on Maharashtra’s review plea. A CJI-led bench then stayed the order.
• The case shows the debate on impartial investigation.
• Source: Deccan Herald.

Places of Worship Act

• The Supreme Court is still hearing challenges to the 1991 Act.
• Its interim order of December 2024 stops new suits and surveys in pending disputes.
• Source: Supreme Court Observer.