COVID-19 : RISE IN COMMUNALISM AND RACISM IN INDIA

The author of this blog is Sarvesh Kasaudhan,1st year BA LLB  student at Lloyd  Law College, Greater Noida.

COVID-19:

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus previously identified in humans. The disease causes a respiratory illness with symptoms such as cough, fever, and, in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. You can protect yourself by washing your hands repeatedly, touching your face, and avoiding close contact with unhealthy people. It is mainly spread by coming into contact with an infected person, when they cough or sneeze. It also spreads when a person touches the surface on which the virus is, touching their eyes, nose, or mouth[1]. At present COVID-19 has posted a threat in human life across the globe and right now it has declared ass pandemic by the World Health Organization. Along the health issues, stock markets across the globe have plummeted crossing over 3,000 points in a span of two hours. It is not just the only concern but the massive loss of world GDP is another big issue raising reliable to it.[2]

What is Communalism? :

According to the sociological view of society, communalism is basically an ideology that focuses on some major elements:-

1.    Socio-political communalities arises with a belief that people at a certain level will follow the same religion with the combination of common secular interests.

2.    Many such places where the multi-religious society is followed as like India, the idea of common secular interests of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from the interests of the follower of any other religion.

3.    The followers with respect to their interest of the followers of different religions or of different communities are results to be completely irreconcilable and adversary. It is a political trade in religion with an ideology of the basis of communal politics.[3]

Communalism in India:

Since communalism has its roots in religious and cultural diversity, so it is recognized as a political philosophy or tool divide people on the basis of religious and ethnic identity leading to communal violence. Religion was an important part of life for Indian since from Ancient, Medieval or the Modern era but there was no communal ideology or communal politics. The Indian ruler has also followed different religious policies but in today’s era it has arisen as a result of British colonial impact and the response of Indian social strategy.[4]

Communalism and COVID-19:

It seems that when the fear of death comes forward, people use to help one another, and there brings up a unity to fight against a fear or the threat to the situation and one would have thought about the pandemic situation would bind together and India would again become a secular. It was the time when the need of the hour is to work together against the Corona Virus and not indulging or being a part of blaming one another for the cause of spreading of the virus across the country. Today the idea of “communalization of COVID-19” arises by an incident of the massive gathering of Muslim preaches at Nizamuddin in Delhi. There are also some reliable questions regarding this incident such as ‘is Muslim community is responsible for spreading of Corona Virus’ which are considered as the root of communalism in today’s news. [5]

Due to the crisis of in today’s era, it is an increasingly evident that the economic impact of the coronavirus on India will be devastating which would results in mass unemployment. It will take many years to tackle this loss or the economic fallout left in the wake of crisis against the deadly virus of COVID-19 as well as the virus of communalism that threatens India’s secular and liberty identity amongst all other countries[6].   

What is Racism? :

According to the American Heritage College Dictionary, the word ‘racism’ has two meanings. The first one defines it as “the belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others”, other than it the second means that “discrimination or prejudice based on race”. [7]Racism is somehow different from racial prejudice or discrimination. It involves a particular group to be having the power to carry out systematic discrimination through the institutional policies with combining the practices of the society. Racism with respect to law is correspondence to sum of race prejudice with social and institutional power or a system of advantages and oppressions that is based on race. [8]

Racism in India:

Whenever an Indian faces any sort of racial discrimination overseas, all over we see is just anger and mind full of revenge and that is what we call hypocrisy. Many countries face this issue of racism but India is some more valuable than any other in this condition. According to BusinessTech, India is the most racist country in the world and approx 60% of Indians face this issue of racism and most of them are from northeastern states. We treat the peoples from North East and South India in a derogatory way and also we alienate them. [9]

According to Article 14 of the Indian Constitution, every person has the right to equality and law possess the same for every citizen of India which one and every Indian should abide by it. But this kind of darkness is not only limited whereas this sort of discrimination is not only limited to races or castes but other factors are also included just as language and region.   [10]

Racism and COVID-19:

In March, 2020 a report was updated by the group of ‘Rights and Risk Analysis Group’ (RRAG) with the topic “Coronavirus Pandemic: India’s Mongoloid Looking People Face Upsurge of Racism”. The report explained different incidents that are reliable on the issue of “Racism of COVID-19”. Mongoloid looking people in India were spat on and forcibly quarantined without any symptoms of COVID-19 just because of their looks they were forced to leave their apartments, leave restaurants, threatened with eviction and none wanted to share transport or accommodation with them. [11]The same acts of racism and racial discrimination has taken place in several places across the states of the country including many of the prestigious places and some basic places like institutions or hospitals which somewhat were not confined to a restricted or a particular area.      

Conclusion:

Concluding all the facts we can focus on the condition of India keeping in mind the issue communalism and racism which was in a deteriorating condition before the pandemic situation of COVID-19 and with the fear of this deadly virus this situation also increased with the rise of COVID-19. All over the world, today all are united against this pandemic situation and are trying their level best to defeat this deadly virus. Since it is quite impossible to eradicate the issue of communalism and racism completely forever, but we can at least try to reduce it to a minimum that is possible and for which there is the way of the spread of awareness among all about this sensitive issue. 

                                 

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[1] (World Health Organization, April 2020)

[2] (Madhu Shweta, April 2020)

   (Shivangi Khanna, April 2020)

[3] (INSIGHTSIAS, November 2018)

[4] (DRISHTIAS, May 2019)

[5] (the citizen.in, April 2020)

[6] (Sanjay Kumar, April 2020)

[7] (Nadra Kareem Little, July 2019)

[8] (Douglas A. Blackman, April 2020)

[9] (BusinessTech, May 2017)

[10] (Ayush Mehrotra, April 2019)

[11] (Sumir Karmakar, DHNS, March 2020)