Chapter Fourteen

Peace in a Plural Society The Difference between North and South India In India, the problem of communal conflict is predominantly, though not entirely, a North Indian phenomenon. In South India, communal harmony still prevails in most parts. Most communal riots take place in the north, while very few cases of such violence are reported from the south. It is very important to study this difference between North and South India, because it can provide us with valuable guidance. Moreover, it is not that all parts of North India are equally affected by communal violence. Most such violence happens in urban areas. Very few communal riots take place in villages. It is instructive to study why this is so. Such a study would not only provide us with explanations for the phenomenon of communal violence, but it would also offer us appropriate solutions to such violence and measures for promoting an environment of intercommunity harmony. With regard to communal harmony, there are some issues that need to be looked at. For instance, Muslims complain about some beliefs of the Hindus. I will not discuss these here. But in this regard I would advise Muslims that, in accordance with Islamic principles, they should adopt the method of tolerance and avoidance of conflict. On the other hand, there are some complaints or misunderstandings that Hindus have with regard to Muslims. I would like to elaborate on this matter and explain certain Islamic terms that are a cause, or that can become a cause, for misunderstandings between the two communities. Here I will just briefly mention an important point. Ordinarily, if a Muslim does something wrong, Hindus speak and write against him. In the same way, if a Hindu does something wrong, Muslims speak and write against him. This method is, from the point of view of reform, completely useless. It only pleases one party, which thinks it to be advocacy in its favour, but it has no positive impact whatsoever on the other party. Contrary to this, the proper and beneficial approach is that