Identity Politics in 20th Century India: A Case Study of Major Communities

Abstract

Khilafat issue had brought two communities closer to each other, yet the demise of the Movement and the way it ended, soared the communal consciousness, thus bringing the enmity in the backyard to the forefronts of communal politics. Muslims termed the Hindu attitudes as a betrayal, while Hindus blamed the Muslims lacking sincerity of purpose. Consequently these vocal encounters had spiraling effect to the growth of communal consciousness and the degree of community consciousness and hostility towards other communities became intense with the passage of time. Being the subjects of the British government in the province, all communities were in competition with each other to gain economic prosperity, an important arena for the competition among three major communities of the province. Muslims although a majority of the province, was acquisition of government jobs. Muslims in spirit of being in majority got a very little share and well represented only in the police force of the Punjab. Hindus being far ahead in education advocated that government services, even those of clerks and patwaris, should only be awarded on competition basis1. Muslims realized the inherent danger of competition at that stage, and demanded that jobs should be awarded on the basis of numerical strength in the province. Having this stance Muslims were termed as ‘greedy job seekers’ by the Hindus.