Emergence of Geography as Race in a Multi-religious Country: Tolerance and Conflict in Colonial and Post-Colonial Modern India

India provides a strange example for multi-religious society with a nuanced and multi-layered identity groups that overlap or group under an umbrella identity. In this paper, I would analyze the colonial and post-colonial India to understand tolerance amidst confusing and emerging identities in modern India. I would also examine how democratic process has actually contributed to the proliferation of minor identity groups rather than curtail such developments, although they no longer help changing needs of modern societies, which necessitates a constant quest for inclusive identity formation to meet the new challenges. Emergence of geography as a predominant category of identity, sometimes equated with race is a twenty first century phenomenon in India.

India is home to numerous ethnic as well as religious groups throughout its long and known history. It is hard to form influential pressure groups catering to a single religious group, although such groups exist, any interest group that would provide a wider platform for a number of religious and ethnic groups will always stand to evolve as the most powerful political representative within the existing political structure. Although smaller groups based on ethnic, social and religious basis may still function efficiently at local level, that may not be as effective at regional or national level for aspiring political groups.

            This paper contains two parts. In the first part of this paper I will examine the evolution of political parties representing various religious, ethnic and social minority groups during twentieth and twenty first centuries. I will also analyze how these political parties may have contributed to conflict rather than peace and tolerance. In the second section of this paper I will examine the evolution of political parties representing various geographical regions as a recent trend in India.