I.Causes: The main factors that encourage communalism are the following:
1. Communal feelings play a vital role in elections. Generally speaking, almost all the political parties filed their candidates on the basis of caste and community.
2. Not only political parties but voters are also influenced by religion while casting their votes. Usually, the Muslim or Sikh voters vote in favour of the candidates belonging to their religion.
3. In our country the communal riots take place time to time in the name of religion. As a result of these riots the people exhaust their feelings of toleration and brotherhood an the violent atmosphere is created. For example, about more than three hundred communal riots took place in India in 1979-80.
II. Methods to Curb Communalism in India:
1. The first and foremost remedy to communalism is this that in the schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions, the students should be taught the importance of mutual toleration and giving respect to every religion whether they belong to it or not.
2. The common people of the country should be taught about the importance of mutual brotherhood and mutual tolerance through the media like Radio, Television, Cinema, Newspapers, Magazines, etc.
3. The heads of the different sects and religions should teach their followers and tell them the importance of religious tolerance. They should not instigate or rouse their feelings of hatred towards the other communities or the followers of other religions.
4. The leaders of different political parties of India should preach about the importance of religious tolerance and mutual brotherhood. They should organise their parties on the principles of secularism and should not spread any hatred for other political parties.
