Communal Violence in India

This paper examines recent theories advanced by political scientists to explain the occurrence of communal violence in India. Thus blame for incitement could lie in the persistent hate campaign waged by right wing organisations. The degree of capacity and autonomy vested in a state government also determines its capability to resist a riot situation. Further the degree of communal amity also depends on the bonds of civic engagement and associational activity that exist between communities. While causative factors could differ, it is clear that compulsions of electoral politics and the increasing anonymity and disparity of urban life are playing a greater role in communal conflagrations in post-independent India.