Religion, violence and peace in India: To what extent is communal violence in India motivated by religious belief and to what extent does religion inspire efforts to build peace?

Abstract

Religion has been described as a double-edged sword which can promote and has promoted both violence and peace. This paper examines the link between religion and violence and religion and peacebuilding in India with a specific focus on 'communal violence', specifically riots, between Hindus and Muslims. Hyderabad will be used as a case study when examining the link between religion and violence in India. To illustrate the role religion can play in peacebuilding, the Henry Martyn Institute has been used as a second case study and interviews undertaken with various members of staff show how religion plays a part in their work to build peace between different religious and ethic groups in India.