Ethnic war

From ArticleWorld

An Ethnic War is a war carried on between two groups belonging to different ethnicities, or groups of people who identify with one another on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. This boundary may take any of a number of forms -- racial, tribal, cultural, linguistic, or religious, -- and may be more or less porous.

Are ethnic wars ethnic

The argument that ethnic wars are actually wars of economics and politics and control, is gaining ground. Even with the end of cold war and presumable peace in the troubled areas of the world, a large number of small wars continue to fester in different parts of the world. Indeed, it may be argued that not only ethnic conflicts have not only increased in numbers but also in intensity in the post cold war period, especially in Eastern Europe and Africa.

Many unimportant ethnic wars are fought for political supremacy. Oftentimes they have in fact little to do with ethnicity although they may be fought in the inflammatory guise of racial, religious and cultural distinction. This can be explained with the help of a classic example.

In spite of being a secular democracy with generally peaceful co-existence amongst its diverse ethnic and religious communities, India has witnessed occasional bouts of large-scale violence sparked by underlying tensions between sections of its majority Hindu and minority Muslim communities.

Over the last decade the State has erupted in bouts of communal tension sparked by

(a) politicians who want to divide the voters votes between themselves by playing ‘the game of caste and religion politics’ – to borrow a term from the newly coined political jargon; or, (b) terrorists like Dawood Ibrahim, a Muslim gangster from Mumbai and now a fugitive allegedly based in Pakistan or Dubai, from where he is said to control various underworld activities. Ibrahim allegedly creates situations of tension in the financially sound cities of the India to reap monetary benefits from the resulting state of affairs.