The main factors and forces which have encouraged the growth of communalism in contemporary India are as under:
Economic Backwardness of the Muslims:
The Muslims who decided to stay in India after partition are educationally and economically backward than the Hindus. This economic disparity between the two communities is creating misunderstanding and gap between them.
Communal Parties and Organizations:
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There are some well- known communal political parties in India. They not only represent particular communities but also thrive on communal politics. Their leaders often use them to create communal tensions so that they can fish in troubled waters.
Besides these political parties, there are non-political organisation setups on communal line. They encourage the uneducated and semi- educated communally sensitive elements to indulge in communal fights in the name of religion.
Electoral Compulsions:
Today, politics in India is purely ballot-box oriented and elections have become end in themselves. Selection of candidate for a particular constituency is generally made after considering the relative strength of different castes and communities residing in that constituency. Votes are demanded on communal lines during the election.
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Policy of Separation and Isolation among the Muslims:
Various communal groups among the Muslims are also working against the goal of communal unity in the country. They represent the Muslim opinion in the country and have been spreading the feeling that the benefits of modernization in business, education and government jobs have not been enjoyed by the Muslims. It promotes separatist tendencies among the Muslims in the country.
□ Terrorists activities by neighbouring countries to spread communal hatred:
Pakistan has been sending terrorists and instigating the fundamentalists in India to sow the seeds of discord among the various communities and disturb communal harmony in India. Though the communal harmony in Punjab has not been disturbed again, but the terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir, encouraged and aided by Pakistan, led to the large scale migration of Kashmiri Pundits from the State.
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□ Ineffective handling of Communal riots by the State governments: Some state governments have proved totally ineffective to curb communal riots which erupt there frequently. Infact, they lack political will and even resources to curb these riots.
As a result of the above factors, communalism is again raising its ugly face in India after independence and is creating great problems even in the working of Indian political system.