Approach to the Study

Contemporary writings on Indian society often have difficulties in dealing with the relationship between religion, politics and economy. The areas of economy and politics have been the subject of keen discussions and pertinent analysis, as has the area of religion and religious identity, but attempts to combine the two approaches have been few and far between. In 1922 Mahatma Gandhi expressed the view that in India there could be no clear-cut distinction between religion and politics. ¹ This was not a view invented by Gandhi himself. It was rather a view which was deeply rooted in the colonial understanding of Indian social mechanisms and political patterns. The British basically viewed all Indian political and economic behaviour as either conforming with or in opposition to religious identity or caste identity. ² This view seems to have led to the popular belief among many contemporary Western writers that social and political problems in India can be ascribed to the inertia of the Indian religions. Indian religions are seen as reactionary political forces hindering ‘progress’. ³