Combating Communalism in Twenty-First Century India: A Social-Psychological Perspective

It appears that fifty years after the first Partitioning of India, history is repeating itself. However, this time the partitioning is occurring along psychological lines and not along physical or geographical boundaries. Once again Hindus, Muslims and Christians seem to be experiencing a deep mental and emotional divide between them. Feelings of suspicion, hatred and violence seem once again common place between the three communities. Identities are questioned and definitions sought as to who is a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian or worse still, an Indian! In other words, restrictive and exclusive identities are fuelling a communalism which pits one community against another. Thus, seeds of disunity and conflict are sown within the whole country