Sunday, December 15, 2002		Books

Multicultural mantra
D. R. Chaudhry

The Multicultural Path—Issues of Diversity and Discrimination in Democracy
by Gurpreet Mahajan. Sage Publications, New Delhi. Pages 240. Rs 280

DIVERSE religious, ethnic and cultural groups co-exist in society. A cursory glance may convince all that they exist peacefully. Equality to all is guaranteed in the Constitution and all kinds of legal safeguards have been taken to ensure equality. However, there is a hiatus between appearance and reality. Inequality is embedded into the structure of society and legalistic response is often not enough to smoothen the structural imbalance that has come into being over a long period of time. Multiculturalism, which stands for peaceful co-existence of different communities at equal plane, is the right solution. It is the stress on equality that distinguishes it from pluralism.

The book under review examines the concept of multiculturalism in its various dimensions—its distinction from other political theories, critique of homogenisation, the idea of differentiated citizenship, and its response to the issue of cultural discrimination, its critique and its defence by its theorists.

The prevalence of universal rights in liberal democracy is no guarantee of equality. Despite the powerful rhetoric of equal treatment to all, majority community’s dominance is often an all-pervasive reality. It tends to cast other smaller communities in its image and thus promote homogenisation. This tendency to promote sameness tends to hammer society into a cultural monolith, undermining diverse and peculiar traits of minority culture (The slogan of "one nation, one people and one culture" of Hindutava forces in India is an apt illustration). This poses a potent threat to minority communities and groups and tends to marginalise them.

The marginalisation of minorities often leads to ethnic conflict. Diversity itself is a positive virtue, and must be preserved and strengthened. Cultural majoritarianism tends to snuff out the diverse nature of social organism and has the potential of breeding a fascistic thought process. It divides society into "us" and "them," treating minority groups as the "other," and thus posing a threat to "national unity" and "national interest." The majority community dons the mantle of nation and arrogate to itself the right to define patriotism, national interest and so on.

The majority community in a nation-state tends to assimilate smaller groups into the so-called mainstream. If the tyranny of majority community is to be resisted and fought successfully, special rights for minorities are essential to protect their culture. Minority cultures require special consideration to ensure collective participation in a nation-state: Sikhs wearing turban in place of helmet, Muslim girls wearing chador and the quota system are some of the examples of special rights.

The gender question needs special treatment. Empowerment of minority community by itself does not lead to gender equality. Woman is an object of social oppression and deprivation in many minority cultures. In the male-dominated social arrangements, women are at the receiving end, even when special protection is given to minority groups. A same right to both man and woman is no answer in such a situation. On account of biological differences, women have special requirements like maternity leave, child support, crèches at workplace, etc.

In liberalism, the individual is at the centre, pushing community to the secondary place. In multiculturalism, the individual is not an autonomous and self-directing agent. As a member of a wider unit, he or she is located into the structure of a particular community. Community membership greatly shapes and defines identity of the individual who has multiple loyalties in terms of community beliefs, conventions and religious convictions.

The stress to locate individual into the structure of community is problematic. The traditions and conventions of a community get ossified and congealed over a period of time and thus become oppressive. This inhibits the initiative and freedom of the individual. The institution of Khap panchayat in Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, in the opinion of this reviewer, provides an apt illustration of the phenomenon. Its conventions about matrimonial alliances might have had "relevance" in the hoary past but they have become totally outmoded in the modern age. Their continuing practice often leads to dissolution of marriage among individuals and their punishment in numerous ways.

Gurpreet Mahajan rightly stresses that some of the cultural practices of the communities like ritual killing of slaves and genital mutilation of young girls may not be accepted in democracy. The pernicious custom of sati in the Hindu society is another illustration.

The book is an excellent exposition of multiculturalism as a concept. Its impressive bibliography can be useful to students and scholars. Those who are interested in cultural studies will find it highly informative.