MASARYKOVAUNIVERZITA FAKULTA SOCIÁLNÍCH STUDIÍ Katedra politologie THE RELIGIOUS CLASHES IN INDIA AND THEIR IMPACT ON ELECTION RESULTS BAKALÁŘSKÁ PRÁCE Ladislav Kudláček Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Tomáš Šmíd UČO: 42062 Obor: PL – EVS Imatrikulační ročník: 2003 Brno, 2006 Prohlašuji,že jsem tutobakalářskou práci na oboru politologie Fakultysociálních studií Masarykovyuniverzityvypracoval samostatně apouze zapoužití uvedených pramenů a literatury. .................................................. LadislavKudláček student bakalářskéhokombinovanéhodvouoborovéhostudia politologie-evropskástudia 1 Poděkování Srdečně děkuji vedoucímu práce Mgr. Tomáši Šmídovi za odborné vedení práce a Delii Červínkové za pomoc při jazykovékorektuře. LadislavKudláček 2 “I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills.” Mohandas KaramchandGandhi 3 Contents: Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 6 1. ThecleavagesinIndianpolitics–shortdescription ...................................................... 7 1.1. Chaturvarna–Indiancastesystem ......................................................................... 7 1.2. ModernIndianclass society ................................................................................... 8 1.3. Cleavages betweenurbanandruralareas .............................................................. 9 2. ThemainreligioninIndia ............................................................................................ 10 3. Religious cleavageinIndia–shortdescription ........................................................... 10 4. Genesisofreligionclashes–shortdescription,causes,genesis,themainreligion conflicts ................................................................................................................................ 11 4.1. Whatisthe IndianNation? ................................................................................... 11 4.2. RiotsinIndia ........................................................................................................ 12 4.3. ReasonsandexplanationsfortheHinduMuslim Violence ................................. 14 5. ThestructureofIndianpopulationbyreligions (states,urban,rural) .......................... 15 6. ElectoralsystemsinIndia ............................................................................................ 18 7. Thecharacteristicsofthemainrelevant political partiesinIndia ................................ 20 7.1. IndianNationalCongress ..................................................................................... 20 7.2. BharatiyaJanataParty .......................................................................................... 21 7.3. Communist PartyofIndia(Marxist) .................................................................... 21 7.4. BahujanSamajParty ............................................................................................ 22 7.5. SamajwadiParty ................................................................................................... 22 8. Affiliationofthemainpolitical parties bythereligioncleavage ................................. 23 8.1. Partieswithsecularismaffiliation ........................................................................ 23 8.2. PartieswithHinduismaffiliation ......................................................................... 24 8.3. PartieswithIslamic(Muslim)affiliation ............................................................. 25 8.4. Partieswithotherreligion,ethnicor communityaffiliation ................................ 27 9. Analysisofthe political programmesandthetheir particular issuesinthe contextof religionandsecularisation .................................................................................................... 27 9.1. IndianNationalCongress ..................................................................................... 27 9.2. BharatiyaJanataParty .......................................................................................... 28 9.3. Communist PartyofIndia(Marxist) .................................................................... 29 9.4. BahujanSamajParty ............................................................................................ 29 9.5. SamajwadiParty ................................................................................................... 31 10. Analysisoftheelectionresultsonthefederallevelinrelationtothemainreligious disorderandclashes ............................................................................................................. 32 4 10.1. Lijphart’s theoryofconsensualdemocracyandtheir indicationinthe Indian politicalsystem ................................................................................................................. 34 10.2. Parties’coalitions andtheevolutionofelectionresultsdependedonthe main societycleavage ................................................................................................................ 36 11. Analysisoftheelectionresults inregionswithlargeandfrequentreligiousconflicts 42 11.1. Whohasthe profitsfromreligionandcommunalviolence?Gujaratexample 43 11.2. Whatisdifferent inpeacefulIndianstates?Keralaexample ........................... 47 11.3. WhyUttarPradeshisnot peaceful? ................................................................. 49 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 53 Listofliteratureandsources .................................................................................................... 54 Listoftables ............................................................................................................................. 57 Listoffigures ........................................................................................................................... 58 Listofdiagrams ........................................................................................................................ 59 Listofabbreviation .................................................................................................................. 60 Počet znaků: 86 876 znaků včetně mezer bez poznámek pod čarou 92 210 znaků včetně mezer a poznámek pod čarou 5 Introduction India is knownas the biggest democratic country inthe world,but it is alsoa countryof many religions, which have coexisted for several centuries. This coexistence could be generally characterised as peaceful, but also has some historical and ideologist clashes, which have generated many problems in the present time. When the nationalism and its ideology have broughtnewtroublestothe political andcommonlifeof manyreligiouscommunitiesinmany partsofIndia. The present Indiandemocracyhas the challenge of how tocope withthe religious clashes and Hinduism’s andMuslim’s nationalism.These religious cleavages have brought problems such as terrorism and community riots. This work should analyse these problems of Indian religions inpolitical life.The maingoal of this thesis is todescribe mainreligious conflicts andfindthe connectionbetweenpolitics andmainlythe behaviour of the political parties and their voters. This goal is connected with the description of the situation of the religious dilemma,conflicts andtheir genesis. Another part is the analysis of political programmes in the context of religionandsecularisation of the mainpolitical parties,the analysis of number ofthe partiesandelectionresultsinIndiaandintheirselectedregions.Alsotheworkanalyses the election results in selected states, which have been affected by religious disorder and clashes. 6 1. The cleavages in Indian politics – short description It is possible tofind manycleavages inIndia, whichhave beenbasedonsocial,cultural and religious differences. All of these cleavages have a particular connection with religion because societyinIndia was built on this belief.Social cleavages have the origininreligion and its caste system. It is not the typical social diversification that we can find in western social structures.We canfindthe significant marks of modernsocietyas lower,middle and higher classes,whichhave beenbrought toIndia byindustrialisation.Onthe other hand,most of the marks of these new classes have the roots intraditional Hinducaste system,whichis dividedinto four maincastes andfurther sub-dividedintoseveral thousands of castes based on occupation. The other conflict’s lines are connected with Indian religionist and the differences betweenurbanandrural areas. 1.1. Chaturvarna–Indiancastesystem Brahmins are the highest caste people of India,Kshatriyas are the warrior andrulingcaste, Vaishyas are mercantile andagricultural classandShudras are usuallyartisanandlabour class. The last group is untouchable,whoare without anycaste.However,a difference arises when comparingcaste-like systems inother countries toIndia.Inthe other countries,the separation betweenone group and the other are usuallyalongracial lines.WithinIndia,that is not so. Nor is there anydiscernable dichotomy(white/blackor high/low) because the caste system forms a continuum that defies suchreadydefinition.Lower-caste people live inconditions of great poverty and social disadvantage, forming the most impoverished segment of a very indigentcountry.(Wikipedia2006b) Evenwiththe rapidurbanizationandeducationof India's largelyrural,agrarianpopulation, the baneful effects of caste are slowlybeingeradicated,but