Secularism vs Communalism
Secularism and Communalism are both related to the ruling and governing of a nation, but they are not the same; there is a significant difference between them. Communalism refers to the system where various ethnic groups form their own communes, with each commune expected to be an independent state. The entire nation then becomes a federation of such communal states. On the other hand, Secularism is the principle of separating state affairs from religious and traditional beliefs. In such a situation, religious institutions, teachings, and other related aspects are not considered in governing and decision-making in the nation. To better understand the difference between secularism and communalism, a closer look at each term is needed.
What is Communalism?
In any country, there can be numerous ethnic groups. In communalism, each ethnic group comes together and forms its own commune. As a result, different ethnic groups form different communes. The entire nation becomes a federation of these independent communities. Communalism highlights one’s strong attachment to their ethnic group rather than to the society or nation in which they live. Communalism is also defined as the principles and practices of communal ownership. That means property ownership is mostly common, and everyone shares the profits and losses of the commonly owned properties. Furthermore, in communalism, different ethnic communes have their own representatives for elections, and they vote separately for their parties.
Communalisms are more or less self-owned communities. They follow their own rules, beliefs, and culture. However, the founder of modern communism, Karl Marx, criticized the traditional view of communal property ownership, which was unsuccessful and impractical. He accepted the idea of communalism but emphasized private ownership rather than communalist property ownership.
What is Secularism?
Secularism is the detachment from religion and religious beliefs concerning state affairs. Thus, government institutions and agents do not adhere to religious thoughts in state businesses. This type of government looks at religion neutrally. If there is more than one religion in the nation, all of them may be treated equally. According to secularism, religious beliefs should not influence decision-making within the state. This type of government is not against religion, but it can be said that it is more independent of religion. Also, religious laws are usually replaced by civil laws in secularism, which helps reduce discrimination against religious minorities.
Secularism keeps religion separate from state affairs.
What is the difference between Secularism and Communalism?
• Definition of Secularism and Communalism:
• Communalism is the ruling system where different ethnic groups form their own independent states, and the whole nation becomes a federation of these communes.
• Secularism is the separation of government institutions and decision-making from religious beliefs in the specific nation.
• Role of Religion:
• In communalism, different ethnic groups form their own communes, following their own religious beliefs without intervention from anywhere.
• In secularism, the state and religion are separated from each other, and the state sponsors all religions that exist within the nation.
• Property Ownership:
• Communalism has common property ownership, where everybody has ownership of a certain property.
• Secularism supports private property ownership, and there is not much focus on that matter.
Key Takeaways
- Communalism refers to a system where various ethnic groups form their own communes, and the entire nation becomes a federation of such communal states.
- Secularism is the principle of separating state affairs from religious and traditional beliefs, which means religious institutions, teachings, and other related aspects are not considered in governing and decision-making.
- Communalism emphasizes the strong attachment to one’s ethnic group, while secularism focuses on the detachment of state affairs from religious beliefs and treats all religions neutrally and equally.
