Political Communalisation of Religions and the Crisis of Secularism – D L Sheth

Pgs 94 – 99

Intro:

• Political changes in India in the late 20th century

• Independent Indian State managed to redefine the various divisions in society

• Was done by legally redefining the relationship between communities and the State

• Impartial sustainability has been replaced by a system that puts more importance on community identities

• This increases the conflict between majority and minority communal groups

Democracy’s Secularisation Process • Political Secularisation – permeating every corner of social, economic and cultural life with politics • Reduces the importance of relationships including those between individual and community • Ends up linking the collective goals to individual ends and desires • This is different from the modernity concept which gives more importance to the individual than the collective • Since democracy is forced to respond to popular demand, they are thus forced to listen to large communities • But these collectives must also acquire “democratic” habits to ensure its own survival o This includes alliances with other communities o Making the community who has power more accessible for members’ use • It is democracy’s structural difference from modernity draws communities directly into politics • However once these communities enter, they modify and change the universal rules on which democracy functions • This yields to “socialisation” of politics as the norms of society (majority, minority)are brought into democracy

• In 1980’s, there was an inclusion of many groups of socially “excluded” populations into politics • Till then they were kept away from power, only being on the receiving end • Ways of their inclusion were o Political