Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism is an amalgamation of different races, nationalities, languages, religions, classes, gender, etc.; it’s a view that people from different cultures have equal rights. It’s geared toward assuming a common political culture that all can participate in.

This article will discuss Multiculturalism in the context of the IAS Exam.

The candidates can go through the relevant topics useful for their upcoming exams from the links provided below:

Three Types of Multiculturalism

The three types of Multiculturalism are discussed below:

• Liberal multiculturalism – Individuals are free to exercise their personal choices and lead their private lives without any interference from the state. In addition, individuals are free to express their language and religious identities.
• Pluralist multiculturalism – The term refers to the multiplicities of values that other cultures possess; living in a pluralist culture means respecting all the values of various cultures, regardless of how different they are.
• Cosmopolitan multiculturalism – This type of multiculturalism is the result of the cultural impact of globalization. The term has resulted in recognizing the dynamicity of the culture.

Communalism, Secularism, and Nation-State

The opposite of multiculturalism is communalism. This term is defined as blind devotion to a particular group. Communal politics often appeal to people of the same religious identity to create divisions and conflicts between people of different religious groups and beliefs, leading to social unrest and violence.

• There’s a difference between a communalist and a devout person. It’s a possibility that a communalist might not be as ardent a believer as they seemed to be. Similarly, in the case of devouts, they might or might not be communalists.
• Communalism often prioritizes the interests and values of a particular religious group above those of others, leading to conflicts and tensions between different communities.
• Communalism has always remained a prevalent issue in India and is continued to do so in the present times.

Types of Communalism

• Political Communalism – Political leaders use this type of communism to rise to the helm and create division among people of different political beliefs.
• Social Communalism – This type of communalism happens when people of different beliefs go up against each other and divide into different groups.
• Economic Communalism – It refers to the difference in economic interests between communities, leading to further societal conflicts.

Secularism

The term ‘secularism’ means equal treatment of religions by the state. The 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976 asserted that India is a secular nation. It’s instrumental in preserving multiculturalism.

Article 25 of India gives its citizen the fundamental rights:

• Freedom of conscience
• Freedom to practice any religion
• Freedom to spread any religion
• Freedom to profess any religion

Read more on the Right to Freedom of Religion, from the linked article.

Cultural Diversity in India

India is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Some statistics to support the claim are:

• India has 1632 different languages and dialects.
• The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 official languages.
• Multiculturalism in India is ever increasing. The census 2011 states that 79.80% of the population is Hindus, 14.23% Muslims, Christians(2.3%), Sikhs(1.72 %), Buddhists(0.7%), Jains(0.37%), 0.66% of other religions.
• Despite the Indian Constitution proving to be secular, the difference in religion, language, and other factors have trouble being recognized in the public sphere.

Minority Rights and Nation-building

India is one of the most diverse countries in the world. The protection of its diversity requires special constitutional provisions that can safeguard the rights of minority groups and keep them protected. The constitutional provisions that have been already made are:

• Article 29 states that any citizen residing in the territory of India having a distinct language, script, or culture has the right to conserve the same. The same article states that no citizen will be denied entry to an educational institution based on religion, class, caste, or language.
• Article 30 states that all minorities shall have the right to admit and be administered to educational institutions of their choice based on any religion or language.
• The state shall not, granting educational aid to any educational institution, discriminate against it because it’s under the management of a minority, whether based on religion or language.

Going through the article will help the candidates understand multiculturalism. If the aspirants want to delve deep into this theme, they should study multicultural literature.

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