Day 25 – Q 2.Communal intolerance is the enemy of progress and growth. Do you agree? Substantiate.

2. Communal intolerance is the enemy of progress and growth. Do you agree? Substantiate. 

सांप्रदायिक असहिष्णुता प्रगति और विकास का दुश्मन है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? पुष्टी करें।

Introduction:

Religious violence, communal polarisation and intolerance have increased in contemporary world and it is a continuous obstacle in the progress and growth of a country, as observed many times even in India, which is reputed for its diverse ethnicity, community, religion, language and culture, which few nations can boast of.

Body:

Communal intolerance hampers the growth and progress in the following ways:

• Destruction of Social harmony: Due to the communal intimidation and hatred being spread, the very fabric of a society is being diminished in the larger sense, rendering a weak and divided social strength. For ex– Assimilation with accommodation, stable patterns of pluralism, inequality and integration etc. constitute the basic fabric of Indian society, which when tainted with communal intolerance get divided and internally threatened.
• Economy: Disturbances caused due to communal intolerance largely impact the local economy due to the disruptive activities like strikes, riots, destruction of public property etc against each other, and also disturb the macro-economic outlook of countries on the global sphere as a result of the apprehensions of investors or economic giants of a good work environment. For ex– Many global indices consider all round social parameters and societal tolerance to rank countries which in turn are considered for economic reports, positive indicators etc.
• Political instability: At times massive communal clashes result in political blame game, interference and unnecessary measures, projecting an unstable political atmosphere. Welfare of the nation is mainly side-lined and the representatives are caught in inconsequential issues. For ex– as seen in Sri Lanka, communal clashes and violence often divide the nation and the common masses bringing in a total instability.
• Deprivation of amenities: Victims of intolerance are found to be deprived of facilities and opportunities, thus excluding them from contributing to the overall development of the society and subsequently lose out on self-development too. For ex– Minorities of a certain place not being allowed to work, settle down, and reside in places where they are a minority or not accepted well.
• Curbing of individual freedom: Any form of illogical intolerance often leads to taking away of individual freedom and rights. Constructive criticism and debates over various aspects are absent and dominance of one ideology takes over. Any society plagued by this halts the overall growth and progress of the collective.

Conclusion:

Secularism with tolerance acts as a special and critical pillar in our democracy, which has been loudly supported by people like Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and even preamble of our constitution. People of this great nation should be reminded of the value and guiding principles in life that have nurtured compassion, forbearance and tolerant accommodativeness in the people of the subcontinent from time immemorial.