Religious Violence

A glance at the world affairs would suggest that religion is at the core of much of the strife around the globe. Often, religion is a contentious issue. Religion is important also because it plays a central part in many of the individual’s identity, any threat to one’s belief is a threat to one’s being. This is a primary motivation for ethno-religious nationalists.

Increasing number of people who think that religion is now much more than ‘opium of the masses’ , that it is actually a destructive feature of the society. But is it? We must not forget the immense positive role religion has played in our society, past and present. It has given people hope and a future where there was aversion. Religious extremists can contribute to conflict escalation. They see radical measures as necessary to fulfilling god’s wishes.

India is characterized by more ethnic and religious groups than most other countries of the world. In medieval India examples of religious violence like destruction of Hindu temples and construction of mosque. But the biggest religious violence happened at the time of India Pakistan partition. There was so much hatred for each other that those feelings still persists today. India being a pluralistic society, the multiracial, multi-religious, multi-lingual, and multicultural polity is bound to have conflicting interests. Each community tries to preserve and conserve its interest.

But one must understand that religion comes after humanity. We must always remember that religion is made for human, human is not made for religion. And violence in the name of religion should not take place as no religion promotes violence.