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.
It asks 3 things — answer each
- Argue: Show with illustrations how power struggle produces communalism, colonial and post-independence
- Argue: Show with illustrations how relative deprivation produces communalism
- Argue: Weigh the either–or claim against other causes and suggest remedies
Open with · Communalism, NCERT stresses, is about politics, not religion: it treats a religious community as a single political interest set against others.
Cover
- Power struggle, colonial: divide and rule; separate electorates conceded in 1909 and the Communal Award (1932) made religion a basis of representation.
- Power struggle, post-1947: vote-bank mobilisation, as around Ayodhya and the riots of 1992–93; Paul Brass on organised riot networks.
- Relative deprivation: gaps in jobs, education and business breed grievance; Sachar Committee (2006) on Muslim disadvantage.
- Deprivation explains mass response: unemployed youth and squeezed traders are easiest to mobilise.
- Other causes: distorted history, rumours on social media, weak or partisan policing; Varshney on civic associations.
- Verdict: the two explain motive and mass response, but violence also needs triggers and a civic deficit.
- Remedies: impartial policing, prosecution, peace committees, inclusive development, curbs on hate speech.
Close with · Article 51A(e) asks every citizen to promote common brotherhood transcending religious diversity; inter-community civic ties, Varshney's lesson, turn that duty into the surest firewall.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 16 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 307words · Minimalist IAS
Communalism, as NCERT stresses, is about politics, not religion: it treats a religious community as one political interest set against others. Power struggle and relative deprivation explain much of it, but not all.
Power struggle
- Colonial roots: divide and rule bred riots; separate electorates, conceded in 1909, and the Communal Award (1932) made religion a basis of representation and rewarded leaders who spoke for a community.
- Electoral mobilisation: religious identity mobilised around the Ayodhya dispute fed the riots of 1992–93 and consolidated vote banks.
- Organised violence: Paul Brass argued that riots are produced by local political networks that gain from polarisation.
Relative deprivation
- Perceived gaps: competition for jobs, education, land and trade breeds grievance; the Sachar Committee (2006) documented Muslim socio-economic disadvantage, feeding insecurity on one side and stereotypes on the other.
- Mass response: deprivation explains why communal appeals find followers; unemployed youth and squeezed traders are easiest to mobilise.
| Cause | Illustration |
|---|---|
| Colonial power politics | Separate electorates, 1909 |
| Electoral competition | Riots of 1992–93 after Ayodhya |
| Relative deprivation | Sachar Committee findings, 2006 |
| Civic deficit | Varshney: towns without mixed associations |
Beyond the either–or
- Not exhaustive: the anti-Sikh violence of 1984 and the post-Godhra riots of 2002 (a 2005 Rajya Sabha reply, citing the Gujarat government, gave 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims killed) also show the role of triggers, rumours and partisan or idle policing.
- Civic ties: Ashutosh Varshney found that towns with strong inter-communal associations stayed peaceful under similar politics and inequality.
- Verdict: power struggle explains why elites mobilise and deprivation why masses respond; violence needs both plus a civic deficit.
Way forward
- Impartial policing and prompt prosecution, peace committees, inclusive development for deprived groups, and curbs on hate speech and online rumours.
Article 51A(e) asks every citizen to promote common brotherhood transcending religious diversity; Varshney's lesson is that everyday inter-community ties turn that duty into the surest firewall.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 16 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
