Showing papers on "Communalism published in 1990"

Socialism and republican schism in Ireland: the emergence of the Republican Congress in 1934

Abstract: In the words of one veteran communist, the Irish republican movement has experienced throughout its existence ‘a constant searching’ on social issues. In 1934 the Irish Republican Army (I.R.A.) was fractured when a group of members who believed in socialism seceded to establish the Republican Congress movement. This article will examine a programme for government published early in 1934 by the I.R.A., consider the schism that occurred in March 1934, giving rise to the Republican Congress, and describe the aims, character and early activities of the new movement. It will be argued that there existed among republicans in 1934 two significant interpretations of the relationship between social radicalism and republican philosophy. The first involved a multi-class, Gaelic communalism. Public and private ownership were to be blended in post-revolutionary Ireland and emphasis was placed on class harmony rather than class struggle. Advocates of this approach employed radical rhetoric but tended to avoid any tangible involvement in immediate social struggle. Socio-economic radicalism was effectively obscured by nationalism. The second interpretation was socialist. This held that class conflict and the national struggle were necessarily complementary. Any attempt to restrain the social advance until independence had been achieved was ill-advised, since the republic could only be won through a struggle that was deeply imbued with class struggle.

Understanding Communal Violence-Nizamuddin Riots

Abstract: Understanding Communal Violence Nizamuddin Riots Pradip Datta, Biswamoy Pati, Sumit Sarkar, Tanika Sarkar, Sambuddha Sen Secular and progressive forces have employed fairly well established explanations for communal violence. At the operative level it is seen as the handiwork of criminals assisted by the communalised law and order machinery. At a more generalised level it is seen as distorted class struggle. Consequently the masses and the elite are exempted from complicity and communalism is always located as an exterior force. This study of the communal tension that erupted in Nizamuddin in south Delhi on March 17 this year, extending the geographical scope of its investigation beyond the locality itself questions the adequacy of the conventional reading in comprehending the phenomenon.