Gender, Religion and Caste

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• Questions
• Summary

Many countries including India have in their population, followers of different religions.
Relationship between Religion and Politics:

1. Gandhiji’s view: Religion can never be separated from politics – it must be guided by ethics from religion.
2. Human Right groups view: Victims of Communal riots in our country are religious minorities.
3. Women’s Movement view: Family laws of religions discriminate against women demanded that such laws should be changed to make them equitable.

Communalism:

1. The problem begins when religion is seen as the basis of the nation.
2. Communal politics is based on the ideas that religion is the principal basis of social community.
3. Communalism can take various forms in politics:
   1. The most common expression of communalism is in everyday beliefs.
   2. A communal mind often leads to a quest for political dominance of one’s own religious community.
   3. Political mobilization on religious lines is another frequent form of communalism.
   4. Sometimes communalism takes its most ugly form of communal violence, riots, and massacre.

Constitutional provisions are given in the Constitution based on Secularism to curb communalism:

1. No official religion for the Indian state – no special status.
2. Freedom to profess, practice and propagate any religion.
3. Prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion.
4. Ensures equality within religious communities.