For most people in socialist and secular India, communalism is becoming a bane, resulting a loss of life and is also affecting the economy.

Religion helps maintain discipline, social norms and moral values in a society. The misuse of religion results in communal riots. It has become a sad and a common phenomenon in India. Communal peace has become fragile.

The politicians go about giving sermons on secularism and communal harmony. The big question isWhat is secularism and how secular are we in practice and principle? The Oxford Dictionary defines secularism as the belief that religion and religious considerations should be deliberately omitted from worldly affairs. In the modern world religion is expected to take a back seat and civilized societies are not expected to behave in a barbaric manner over religious issues. Such acts only result in injuring the pride and trust of the Indian community. Most communal riots are pre-planned or are preceded by communal propaganda.

Historically, we never get any instances of communal riots in pre British India. Post 1857 period saw the development of such politics and ideology, which resulted in widening the gulf between the Hindus and Muslims. The British have sown the seeds of communal hatred. The Government of India Act of 1909 created the communal electorates. The communal award declared in early 1932 by Ramsay Macdonald, provided for separate Hindu, untouchable and Muslim electorates for the new federal legislatures.

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