Communal tensions has been a growing concern for India's democracy

Communal tensions are on the rise in the country. This appears to be common phenomena just before every major election in the country. There are spates of incidents that are terrifying in nature. Most of the incidents that occurred are an outcome of the vote bank politics played by petty politicians. Governments throughout the country should be vigilant to suppress the communal forces in the coming months.

A communal incident is not always religious in nature. There are many forms of communal incidents based on religion, caste and class. In Tamil Nadu it is due to dalit assertion, Maharashtra due to political assertion of a minority religion, Uttar Pradesh due to land ownership, Jammu and Kashmir due to religious sentiments.

In almost all the cases a small incident without proper handling by the concerned authorities grows out of hand and becomes a big problem with the active usage of the incident by the vested interests for political gains. As these incidents occur in a short span of time, waiting for intelligence and time will aggravate the situation. At times the law enforcing machinery of the government itself acts as a communal element and uses its power in the favor of majority segment in that situation.

Huge loss of life and property is a common phenomenon during every communal incident. Mass displacement of people and loss of livelihood is a major cause for concern. Rehabilitation and resettlement of these people is a big problem for the government to handle. Delay in providing services causes a sense of disillusionment within the minority segments about the nature of government at the helm and its protection of their rights.

All communal incidents can be avoided right at the very beginning of the occurrence of an incidence with appropriate measures taken by the local law enforcement departments. Providing education can help in avoiding majority of the incidents. NGOs should be brought in to sensitize the communities and help avoid mistrust among the communities. A proper avenue should be created for a balanced political assertion and economical progression by the minority sections of the society. A much larger say than now to the minority sections can go a long way in maintaining the balance of power and avoiding of communal incidents. Political parties should not allow fringe groups in their parties to take over the law into their hands and raise the communal specter to garner votes.

When India rising in its stature economically and politically in the world, communal incidents should not drag it down to its lowest point where it may not recover again. All sections of the society should work together in ensuring that no communal incident occurs and should work for the upliftment of minority sections of the society.