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Building Bridges in Social Harmony
Context:
The growing strain on India’s social fabric due to increasing polarisation and highlights the urgent need to rebuild bridges of trust among diverse communities.
The necessity of bridges in sustaining India’s pluralism
Introduction: India’s Plural Identity
- India’s strength historically lies in its ability to accommodate multiple identities – religious, cultural, and linguistic.
- The increasing polarisation and narrowing of spaces for dialogue have put this balance under stress.
Growing Strain on Social Fabric
- Rising Polarisation:Marginalisation of minorities, especially Muslims, has deepened mistrust.
- Alienation of Communities: Inflammatory rhetoric, unilateral policies, and lack of dialogue reinforce exclusion.
- Institutional Distrust: Declining faith in executive and judiciary due to perceived partiality.
Issues in Policy Implementation
- Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2015: Seen as unilateral imposition without adequate consultation.
- Religious Festivals: Selective state support (e.g., Kanwar Yatra) raises doubts about neutrality.
- Law and Order Concerns: Enforcement agencies often perceived as biased, creating mistrust.
The Challenge of Dialogue
- Despite past attempts at dialogue, there is little structural change in state policy.
- Fear of losing cultural identity and lack of institutionalised consultation hinder bridge-building.
Comparative Perspective
- Other multicultural societies (e.g., Morocco, Turkey, Egypt) also face challenges of balancing plural identities.
- However, India’s constitutional commitment to secularism and fraternity should provide the guiding framework.
Way Forward
- Inclusive Dialogue: Establish structured and continuous engagement forums between state institutions and minority communities.
- Neutral Institutions: Ensure visible neutrality of executive, judiciary, and enforcement agencies to rebuild trust.
- Policy Consultation: All major policy reforms affecting communities must include pre-legislative consultation.
- Civic Nationalism: Strengthen the idea of fraternity and constitutional patriotism over religious or cultural divides.
- Civil Society Role: Encourage inter-community initiatives, cultural exchanges, and trust-building mechanisms.
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