GS Paper I 2018 · Q20
15 marks · 250 words Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism‘Communalism arises either due to power struggle or relative deprivation.’ Argue by giving suitable illustrations.
Approach · directive: “argue”
What it asks · Argue how far communalism is explained by political competition for power and by perceived deprivation, using examples, and note other causes.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Argue how power struggle produces communalism, with illustrations from colonial and post-independence politics
- Argue how relative deprivation produces communalism, with illustrations
- Assess the two explanations against other causes and counter-evidence, and suggest remedies
Open with · Communalism treats religious identity as a political and economic interest; scholars trace it to competition for power and to a sense of being worse off, and both need illustration.
Cover
- Power struggle, colonial roots: divide and rule, separate electorates under the Morley–Minto Reforms (1909) and the Communal Award (1932) made religion a basis of political representation.
- Power struggle, later politics: mobilisation of religious identity for votes, as around the Ayodhya dispute and the riots of 1992–93, shows how leaders use communal appeals to consolidate blocs.
- Relative deprivation: perceived gaps in jobs, education or land between communities, and rivalry in trades and markets, breed grievance; the Sachar Committee (2006) documented the socio-economic disadvantage of Muslims.
- Other causes: distorted history and myths, rumours and propaganda (now on social media), weak or partisan policing, and identity insecurity.
- Counter-evidence: Ashutosh Varshney's study found that towns with strong inter-communal civic associations stayed peaceful, and Paul Brass argued that riots are organised by local political networks.
- Assessment: power struggle explains why elites mobilise and relative deprivation why masses respond, but outbreaks also need triggers, rumours and weak policing.
- Remedies: impartial policing and prompt prosecution, inter-community dialogue and peace committees, inclusive development for deprived groups, responsible media and curbs on hate speech.
Close with · Communalism grows where political competition meets a sense of injustice; ending it needs inclusive development, impartial enforcement and civic bridges that reduce both the incentive and the grievance.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 287 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
Communalism treats religious identity as a political and economic interest; scholars trace it to competition for power and to a sense of being worse off than others, and each explanation has its evidence.
Power struggle
- Colonial roots: divide and rule, separate electorates under the Morley–Minto Reforms (1909) and the Communal Award (1932) made religion a basis of political representation, rewarding leaders who spoke for a community.
- Later politics: the mobilisation of religious identity for votes around the Ayodhya dispute and the riots of 1992–93 shows how communal appeals consolidate voting blocs.
- Local networks: Paul Brass argued that riots are produced by organised local political networks that gain from polarisation.
Relative deprivation
- Perceived gaps in jobs, education, land or business between communities breed grievance and rivalry in trades and markets; the Sachar Committee (2006) documented the socio-economic disadvantage of Muslims, which feeds insecurity on one side and stereotypes on the other.
- Deprivation explains why communal appeals find a mass response: the unemployed youth and the squeezed trader are easier to mobilise.
Assessment and other causes
- Power struggle explains why elites mobilise identity and relative deprivation why the masses respond, but outbreaks also need triggers: distorted history, rumours and propaganda (now on social media), identity insecurity and weak or partisan policing.
- Counter-evidence: Ashutosh Varshney found that towns with strong inter-communal civic associations stayed peaceful under the same politics and inequality, so civic ties matter as much as causes.
Remedies
- Impartial policing and prompt prosecution, inter-community dialogue and peace committees, inclusive development for deprived groups, responsible media and curbs on hate speech.
Communalism grows where political competition meets a sense of injustice; ending it needs inclusive development, impartial enforcement and civic bridges that reduce both the incentive and the grievance.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify) — a little fuller than exam length, so every part of the question is covered; in the hall, keep the structure and trim the detail. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.