The importance of community identity
Every human being needs a permanent identity in his life. Questions like - "Who am I?" "How am I different from others?" "How do people recognize me?" keep arising in our mind from childhood. Our community identity answers these questions.
What is community identity?
- This is our identity associated with birth, which we do not choose ourselves. Like our family, religion, language, caste or region. These give us an emotional attachment. The language, culture, and values of the community we are born into help us understand the world.
Why is it special?
- Community identity is ascribed to us, meaning we do not have to make any special effort to acquire it. For example, to become a doctor one has to pass difficult exams, but to become part of a family or religion one does not have to make any such effort.
- This identity is so deep and permanent that even if we reject it, society sees us as linked to that same identity.
- Our attachment to community identity is deep and instinctive. When it feels threatened, we become emotional or aggressive.
Communities, nations, and nation-states
- Relationship between community and nation: Community is a small group, and nation is a large-scale community. People of a nation are tied together on the basis of common religion, language, history, or culture. This identity leads them to form a political unit (state).
- Relationship between nation and state: Nation and state are not directly related. A state is a group of institutions that control a geographical area and perform administrative functions. In contrast, a nation is a community that seeks to form a state based on a shared culture, history, or language. However, nation and state are often linked. As such, the idea of a "nation-state" is prevalent in modern times, where every nation should have its own state.
- Cultural Diversity and Nation-State: There is no fixed definition of a nation, nor can it be limited to a single cultural or linguistic basis. Many nations are formed with cultural diversity, and India is a great example of this. Here, despite different languages, religions and castes, a strong and unified nation-state has been formed.
- Politics and identity: Some nation-states seek to eliminate cultural diversity rather than incorporate it. They adopt assimilationist policies that force all citizens to adopt a common culture. In contrast, integrationist policies seek to exclude non-national cultures from the public sphere and confine them to the private sphere.
- Importance of Cultural Diversity: Trying to suppress cultural diversity can be not only costly but also dangerous. Doing so increases the sense of alienation in minority communities, leading to tension and instability in society. Attempts at suppression often have the opposite effect, as it strengthens community identity rather than weakens it.
Cultural diversity and India as a nation-state
India is one of the most culturally and socially diverse countries in the world. According to the 2011 census, India has a population of 1.21 billion, which will soon become the largest in the world.
Cultural Diversity of India
- Languages: 1,632 languages and dialects are spoken in India. Of these, 22 languages are recognised in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Religion: Hindus make up about 80% of India's population, which itself is regionally and culturally diverse. In addition, 13.4% are Muslims, making India the world's second-largest Muslim-majority country. Other religions include Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.7%), Buddhists (0.7%), and Jains (0.4%), reflecting India's multi-religious and diverse cultural identity.
India's nation-state model
- India is neither completely assimilationist, where everyone is forced to adopt the same culture, nor completely integrationist, where cultural diversity is removed from the public sphere.
- The Constitution of India declares it to be a secular state that respects all religions. At the same time, strong constitutional protections have been provided to minority communities.
- The state of India maintains its cultural diversity by publicly recognizing different religions, languages and communities.
Challenges and Solutions
- In India, the legal and constitutional principles are strong, but practical implementation has sometimes been lacking.
- Nevertheless, India is a successful state-nation embracing cultural diversity, though it is not completely free from problems.
Regionalism in the Indian context
Regionalism in India is due to its linguistic, cultural, and tribal diversity. Feelings of regional deprivation and geographical concentration further promote regionalism. After independence, India adopted a federal structure to accommodate regional sentiments.
1. Regional reorganization and linguistic basis
- During British rule, India was divided into large provinces, such as Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta, which were multilingual and multiethnic.
- After independence, India reorganised states on ethnic and linguistic basis.
- For example, the old Bombay state was a mix of Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Konkani languages, while Madras state spoke Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
2. Creation of new states
- In the year 2000, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal), and Jharkhand were created.
- Factors such as tribal identity, regional deprivation, and ecology played a more important role than language in the formation of these states.
3. Federal structure of India
- India has 28 states and 8 union territories. The division of powers between the states and the centre is defined by the constitution.
- In India, the lists have been divided in such a way that the Union List has the authority of the Central Government only, the State List has the authority of the States only, and the Concurrent List has the authority of both the Centre and the States.
- For distribution of revenue, every five years the Finance Commission decides the sharing of revenue between the Centre and the states.
- Apart from this, under the Five Year Plans every state makes its own plans, which are included in the plans of the Centre.
Issues and identities related to religion
Among the many aspects of cultural diversity in India, religious communities and religion-based identities are the most controversial. These issues can be broadly divided into two parts:
1. Secularism and communalism
- Secularism is the principle of maintaining distance between the state and religion, according to which the state should not show favouritism to any religion.
- In contrast, communalism views religion as the main basis of political and social identity, increasing the potential for religious conflict and discrimination in society.
2. Minority and majority communities
- Minorities are communities that are weak in numbers or power (social, economic, and political), while majorities are strong in numbers and power.
- The state should ensure special provisions in the Constitution to protect the rights of minorities, equal opportunities, and cultural freedom.
- To maintain a balance between the majority and minorities the State must adopt fair policies that avoid favouritism or discrimination against any community and ensure equality and respect for all.
Minority rights and nation-building
Indian nationalism is based on inclusiveness and democracy. It embraces diversity and seeks to establish a just society by rejecting discrimination. Leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore furthered this ideology, where people are not defined solely by religion, caste, or language.
Why are minority rights important?
- Minorities are not only numerically small groups, but they are also often socially and culturally disadvantaged.
- These communities have a deep sense of unity and belonging to their group, but are victims of prejudice and discrimination and hence require special protection.
- For example, the Parsi and Sikh communities may be economically strong, but culturally they face many challenges as they are minorities.
Indian Constitution and Minority Rights
- The Indian Constitution has protected the rights of minorities and given everyone the freedom to follow their religion and preserve their language and culture.
- Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar had made it clear in the Constituent Assembly that the creation of a strong and integrated nation is possible only when all sections of the society get equal rights and opportunities.
Minority rights and national integration
- Past experiences show that neglecting cultural and linguistic rights can have grave consequences. The creation of Bangladesh was a result of Pakistan's denial of these rights, while ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka grew out of the imposition of the Sinhala language.
- In India too, attempts to forcefully impose a religion or language can undermine national unity. However, Indian nationalism respects diversity, which is protected and supported by the Constitution.
Global perspective
- Minorities are found not only in India but in every country.
- Due to modern migration and colonialism, cultural and ethnic diversity is seen in almost every nation-state in the world today.
- Even countries that are considered small and relatively homogeneous, such as Sweden and Iceland, have minority communities.
Communalism, Secularism and the Nation-State
- Communalism: Communalism means aggression based on religious identity. This ideology considers one's own group to be superior and considers other groups to be hostile or inferior. In India it means something different from the English word "communal".
- Communalism and Politics : Communalism is more closely linked to politics than religion, as it emphasizes the creation of a political identity based on religion. Communalists consider their own identity to be paramount and are often prepared to condemn or adopt an aggressive attitude against those outside their identity.
- Characteristics of Communalism: Communalism considers religious identity supreme and claims that religion is above all other identities. According to it, all Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs are considered the same. This approach homogenizes diverse groups and denies their internal diversity and uniqueness, leading to discrimination and misconceptions in society.
- Communalism in India: The history of communalism in India predates colonial rule, but was further fuelled by the "divide and rule" policy during British rule, leading to a rise in communal riots. India's history has witnessed both religious conflicts and peaceful coexistence. While religious conflicts were witnessed on the one hand, the Bhakti and Sufi movements tried to reduce the impact of communalism by spreading a message of harmony and peace.
- Today's perspective: Communalism is a challenge in India, but our syncretic tradition offers examples of peace and coexistence. We can learn both kinds of lessons from history—how to avoid conflict and build an inclusive society.
Secularism
Secularism means the separation of state and religion. The idea emerged from the historical process of separation of church and state in the West, where religion was considered a personal and voluntary matter.
Secularism in the Indian Context
- Secularism in India does not only mean the separation of state and religion. It also includes equal respect and honour for all religions.
- The Indian approach is based on equal respect for all religions. Under this, public holidays are given on religious festivals so that the cultural traditions of different communities can be respected.
- The Indian Constitution neither promotes any religion nor discriminates against any, thereby ensuring the establishment of a secular and inclusive society.
Secularism and Protection of Minorities
- The Indian Constitution provides special rights to minorities so that they can be protected from the influence of the majority and preserve their cultural, religious, and linguistic identity.
- However, this protection is often disputed and termed "appeasement". Conversely, supporters argue that without special protection secularism can only become a means of imposing majoritarian values, thereby endangering the rights and identity of minority communities.
State and civil society
The state plays an important role in managing cultural diversity in a nation and maintaining law and order. However, the state can sometimes become authoritarian, where the voice of the people is not heard and civil liberties are suppressed.
The dangers of an authoritarian state
