Introduction

Amidst rising modern universal civilisation and shrinking geographies, societies all over the world have begun to be reconfigured along religious and ethnic lines. People have started rediscovering old identities in new forms, and those united by histories and ideologies but divided by ethnicity are drifting apart. The growth rate of the Muslim population in the country has been higher than Hindus. Most of the Indian Muslims belonged to the lower castes and class of the Indian society and continue to identify with those castes and class, as is evident from their surnames and titles. After Independence too, the sense of alienation from the State among Muslims has been growing as more State institutions are turning communal and the representation of Muslims in these institutions is dwindling. Although caste and class are important factors shaping the destiny of millions in the country, for Muslims, these categories are complicated by their religious identity. This chapter also provides an outline of this book.