A fierce dedication to one's own community is referred to as communalism. It is interpreted as an unhealthy connection to one's own faith in Indian popular discourse. It is an ideology that highlights the importance of the community's intrinsic unity on comparison to other communities while supporting differences within the group. This perpetuates the propagation of orthodox beliefs, intolerance and hatred towards other religions and communities, which actively encourages societal division. Similarly, when residents of a particular geographic area exhibit shared sense of identity and mission, they are bounded together by the regions, distinctive language, culture, and other characteristics. This is called regionalism. It holds a negative connotation in the Indian scenario. Communalism and Regionalism : Origins. The religious and cultural diversity of India is where the political concept of communalism first emerged. It has been used as a political tactic to sow seeds of division, discord and tensions between the groups based on religions and ethnic identity, which has resulted in animosity and violence between communities and sects/. People of various faiths lived side by side in harmony in ancient Indian society. The introduction of Islam to India during the middle ages was marked by sporadic acts of violence, such as the destruction of Hindu temples by Mahmud Ghazni and the attacks against Hindus, Jains and Buddhists by Mahmud of Ghor. However, despite fact that religion played a significant role in people's lives, there was no shared political philosophy. In modern history, communalism evolved under British colonialism. Regionalism, as an ideology, took root too as a response to colonial policies. Princely states and presidencies were treated differently by the British and this led to regionalist tendencies among them. Economic inequalities and regional imbalances were caused by the exploitative economic policies of the British government. Communalism, started taking shape under the British's Divide and Rule policy. Separation and isolation was faced by Muslim Communities owing to their link to the Mughals. At the same time, Hindu and Muslim revivalist movements became rampant which led to the rise of communal and fundamentalist political parties. Mass killing and violence occurred during India's partition, and it persisted until 1949. Post-independence, regionalism too became a powerful force in the South, with mass mobilisation and demand of independent statehood. This led to the creation of the States Reorganisation Committee (headed by Faisal Ali), which made the regionalist recommendations of reorganising and separating Indian States along linguistic lines. Linguistic states were made possible by the States Reorgainisation Act of 1956. Following this, the North-Eastern States Reorganisation Act, 1971 was enacted by the Union Government in response to the growing tribal rebellion for statehood and independence throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Factors leading to Communalism and Regionalism ;- Communalism is a result of and is affected by following reasons > Persisting Divide and Rule Politics - Communalism is frequently defined as a political philosophy that exploits differences in religion and cultural to advance its own political goals. > Economic Causes - Class divisions, uneven development, poverty and unemployment exacerbate people's feelings of insecurity, leaving them open to political manipulation. > History of Communal Riots - In a town where such riots have previously happened once or twice, the likelihood that they will happen again is higher than in a town where they have never happened. > Politics of Appeasement - Political parties make decisions that encourages racial violence out of political necessity and in accordance with their own interests. > Isolation and Economic Underdevelopment-Faced by the Muslim Community - Muslim experience a relative sense of deprivation as a result of the inability to accept scientific and technological education and the resulting inadequate representation in the public service, industry and trade, among other things. > The Revival of Hindu-Muslim Economic and Political Rivalry - This, particularly in the lower and middle class levels, has fuelled the ideology of the community. > Administrative Error - One of the reasons for communal violence is the lack of strong rule and order. > Psychological Influences and Factors - Lack of trust and understanding between two communities frequently leads to perception of threat, harassment, fear and danger in one community towards the member of the other community, which in turn leads to violence. > Media - The media's function is frequently criticised for sensationalising information and presenting rumors as 'news', which has occasionally sparked riots between opposite religious groups. > Social Media Platforms - Social media ha also become a potent tool for disseminating information about racial unrest or riots across the nation. Regionalism grows and is affected by the following reasons. > Geographical and historical isolation leading to uneven and unequal development. > Persistent disregard for a region and community. > The fight for claiming to be an 'insider' that feeds nativism and son-of-the-soil ideology. > Internal colonialism. > Some places are economically underdeveloped while having abundant natural resources. > An ineffective top-down strategy or the need for one region to survive at the expense of another. > Regional allegiances being emphasised and exploited by political interests. > Reaction against an imposed ideology that might manifest a certain philosophy, language or cultural norm is being forced upon all individuals and groups. > Linguistic goals that have continued to provide a strong foundation for regionalism. Measures to Tackle Communalism and Regionalism :- Communalism and Regionalism must be tackled at an administrative level to preserve the ethos of 'Unity in Diversity' in the country. A few such measures can be > Increased representation of under-represented groups and minorities in all areas of law-enforcement, as well as training for forces or human rights, particularly when it comes to the responsible use of guns in compliance with UN guidelines. > Major communal and regional unrest can be reduced with the use of codified administrative rules, specialised police training to handle riots and the establishment of specialised investigative and prosecuting organisations. > The level of social spending by the government on sanitation, health and education, which are essential for the development of human resources, needs to be raised. > A long-term solution to the sub-nationalism issue could be the implementation of a national education system that would assist individuals in getting over regional sentiments and forging national bonds. > Although the National Integration Council established in 1961, there is need to fully utilise its potential. > It is encouraging that the Government of India has introduced programmes like "Ek Bharat - Shreshtra Bharat" to highlight the nation's diversity and promote the sense of national unity among its residents. > The National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), the organisation in charge of fostering communal harmony, must take a proactive stance. > To stop violence within the Community, legislation is necessary. It is urgent to pass the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill, 2003.