What is communalism?
Communalism refers to aggressive chauvinism based on religious identity. It is an aggressive political ideology linked to religion, where one's own religious group is seen as the only legitimate or worthy group, while other groups are viewed as inferior, illegitimate and opposed.
A key feature of communalism is its claim that religious identity overrides everything else. Whether one is poor or rich, whatever one's occupation, caste or political beliefs, it is religion alone that counts. This has the effect of constructing large and diverse groups as singular and homogenous.
Importantly, communalism is about politics, not religion. Although communalists are intensely involved with religion, there is no necessary relationship between personal faith and communalism. All communalists believe in a political identity based on religion and cultivate an aggressive attitude, prepared to condemn or attack those who do not share their identity.
Explanation
The textbook defines communalism as aggressive chauvinism based on religious identity. It emphasizes that communalism is fundamentally a political ideology, not a religious one. The key points to include are: (1) the definition as aggressive political ideology, (2) the characteristic feature that religious identity supersedes all other identities, and (3) the distinction that communalism is about politics rather than personal faith. The South Asian meaning differs from the neutral English meaning of 'communal'.