The concerned Indian's guide to communalism

Abstract

In this remarkable and timely book edited by K.N. Panikkar who provides an illuminating introduction on the subject, six commentators on contemporary India reveal the stark truth about the communal, sectarian and segregationist tendencies that have always lurked behind our secular facade. While Romila Thapar's essay provides a historical overview of communalism in India, Rajeev Dhavan pinpoints the legal underpinnings of the secular identity that is propounded in India's Constitution. Sumit Sarkar looks closely at the vexed issue of conversions which is at the centre of current debates on communalism. Jayati Ghosh, on the other hand, studies the destructive effects of communal agendas on the liberalized economy. Tanika Sarkar's essay straddles the twin issues of gender and communalism to show how all marginalized sections are rendered equally vulnerable by the spread of communalism. Finally, Siddharth Vardarajan looks at the interesting relationship between communal thought and its representations in the media and popular culture. Thought provoking and incisive, The Concerned Indian's Guide to Communalism urges us to question where we stand with regard to communalism at the close of the millennium, and challenges us to fashion a truly secular identity for ourselves in the twenty-first century.

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