Between revenge and reconciliation: The significance of truth commissions

Book chapter


Bhargava, Rajeev. (2016). Between revenge and reconciliation: The significance of truth commissions. In In R. C. Tripathi and P. Singh (Ed.). Perspectives on violence and othering in India pp. 197 - 214 Springer India. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2613-0_10
AuthorsBhargava, Rajeev
EditorsR. C. Tripathi and P. Singh
Abstract

The author, in this chapter, highlights the episode when Gandhi decided to live with a Muslim league leader post the communal riots of Calcutta in 1946, in order to bring about lasting peace. However, such an intervention may not always be possible in a society devoid of a Mahatma, nonetheless peace can be brought about by establishing a truth commission. According to the author, basic procedural justice makes possible a minimally decent life, which has a value independent of any wider conception of the good. In order to transform a barbaric society into a decent society, it is important to transit through certain stages. First, a highly frail and temporary truce prevails that may easily collapse generating a fresh burst of violence. With the help from appropriate institutions, such as the truth commissions, we move to stage two, to a minimally decent society. A sufficiently prolonged period of minimal decency may eventually create facilitating conditions for stage three, for forgiveness and reconciliation, and therefore, to a fully decent society. In order to break the cycle of revenge, former victims must be inducted into a system of basic procedural justice equipped with a mechanism of arbitration, Truth commission can help in the recovery of the submerged voice of the victim. It is important also for the brutalities to be spoken about rather than expect victims to forgive and forget since only an appropriate engagement with the past makes for a livable common future.

Keywordsreconciliation; peace; justice; procedural justice; barbarism
Page range197 - 214
Year2016
Book titlePerspectives on violence and othering in India
PublisherSpringer India
Place of publicationNew Delhi
ISBN9788132226130
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2613-0_10
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84956534075
Research GroupInstitute for Social Justice
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8866z/between-revenge-and-reconciliation-the-significance-of-truth-commissions

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 114
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Nehru against Nehruvians: on religion and secularism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2017). Nehru against Nehruvians: on religion and secularism. Economic and Political Weekly: a journal of current economic and political affairs. 52(8), pp. 34 - 40. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537757
An ancient Indian secular age?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2016). An ancient Indian secular age? In In A. Bilgrami (Ed.). Beyond the secular West pp. 188 - 214 Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/columbia/9780231170802.003.0008
Foreword
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Foreword. In In Z. Ali (Ed.). Secularism under siege: Revisiting the indian secular state pp. 11 - 24 Aakar Books.
Reimagining secularism: State, religion and principled distance
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Reimagining secularism: State, religion and principled distance. In In A. Ali (Ed.). Secularism under siege: Revisiting the Indian secular state pp. 85 - 117 Aakar Books.
We (in India) have always been post-secular
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). We (in India) have always been post-secular. In In M. Rectenwald, R. Almeida and G. Levine (Ed.). Global secularisms in a post-secular age pp. 109 - 136 De Gruyter Mouton.
Secular politico-legal regimes in religiously homogenous and diverse societies
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Secular politico-legal regimes in religiously homogenous and diverse societies. In In S. Ferrari (Ed.). Routledge handbook of law and religion pp. 229 - 244 Routledge.
Beyond moderate secularism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Beyond moderate secularism. In In P. Losonczi and W. Van Herck (Ed.). Secularism, religion, and politics: India and Europe Routledge.
Parekh's Multiculturalism and Secularism: Religions in Political Life
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Parekh's Multiculturalism and Secularism: Religions in Political Life. In In V. Uberoi and T. Modood (Ed.). Multiculturalism rethought: Interpretations, dilemmas and new directions pp. 157 - 182 Edinburgh University Press.
The roots of Indian pluralism: A reading of Asokan edicts
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). The roots of Indian pluralism: A reading of Asokan edicts. Philosophy and Social Criticism. 41(4-5), pp. 367 - 381. https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453715577740
Religious education in a secular state
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2015). Religious education in a secular state. In In S. Sikka, B. Puri and L. G. Beaman (Ed.). Living with religious diversity pp. 168 - 182 Routledge.
How secular is European secularism?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2014). How secular is European secularism? European Societies. 16(3), pp. 329 - 336. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616696.2014.916335
Multiple secularisms and sultiple secular states
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Multiple secularisms and sultiple secular states. In In A Berg-Sorenson (Ed.). Contesting Secularism - Comparative Perspectives pp. 17 - 41 Ashgate Publishing.
Can secularism be rehabilitated?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Can secularism be rehabilitated? In In B. J. Berman, R. Bhargava and A. Laliberté (Ed.). Secular states and religious diversity pp. 69 - 93 UBC Press.
Overcoming the epistemic injustice of colonialism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Overcoming the epistemic injustice of colonialism. Global Policy. 4(4), pp. 413 - 417. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12093
States, religious diversity and the crisis of secularism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). States, religious diversity and the crisis of secularism. The Hedgehog Review. 12(3), pp. 8 - 22.
Reimagining secularism: Respect, domination and principled distance
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Reimagining secularism: Respect, domination and principled distance. Economic & Political Weekly. XLVIII(50), pp. 79 - 92.
Introduction: Globalization, secular states, and religious diversity
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Introduction: Globalization, secular states, and religious diversity. In In B. J. Berman, R. Bhargava and A. Laliberté (Ed.). Secular states and religious diversity pp. 1 - 25 UBC Press.
Forms of Secularity before Secularism: The political Morality of Ashoka and Akbar
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2013). Forms of Secularity before Secularism: The political Morality of Ashoka and Akbar. In In SA Arjomand and E Reis (Ed.). Worlds of difference pp. 94 - 121 Sage.
Hinduism and Social Democratization: A Preliminary Sketch
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2012). Hinduism and Social Democratization: A Preliminary Sketch. In In P Chatterjee and I Kratznelson (Ed.). pp. 193 - 219 Oxford University Press.
How should states deal with deep religious diversity?: Can anything be learnt from the Indian model of secularism?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2012). How should states deal with deep religious diversity?: Can anything be learnt from the Indian model of secularism? In In T S Shah, A Stepan and M D Toft (Ed.). pp. 73 - 84 Oxford University Press.
Should Indian Federalism Be Called Multinational?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2012). Should Indian Federalism Be Called Multinational? In In M Seymour and A G Gagnon (Ed.). Multinational Federalism: Problems and Prospects pp. 245 - 275 Palgrave Macmillan.
The difficulty of reconciliation
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2012). The difficulty of reconciliation. Philosophy and Social Criticism. 38(2016-05-04), pp. 369 - 377. https://doi.org/10.1177/0191453712447997
Religion, State, and secularism: How should States deal with deep religious diversity
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2011). Religion, State, and secularism: How should States deal with deep religious diversity. In In G. Cheney, S. May and D. Munshi (Ed.). The handbook of communications ethics pp. 401 - 413 Taylor & Francis.
Constitutional Democracy and Hindu Nationalism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2011). Constitutional Democracy and Hindu Nationalism. In In A. Bilgrami (Ed.). Demoratic culture: Historical and philosophical essays pp. 143 - 165 Routledge.
Rehabilitating Secularism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2011). Rehabilitating Secularism. In In C Calhoun, M Juergensmeyer and J VanAntwerpen (Ed.). pp. 92 - 113 Oxford University Press.
The Promise of India's Secular Democracy
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). The Promise of India's Secular Democracy Oxford University Press.
The Crisis of Border States in India
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). The Crisis of Border States in India. In In J Bertrand and A Laliberte (Ed.). pp. 51 - 80 Cambridge University Press.
The Distinctiveness of Indian Secularism
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). The Distinctiveness of Indian Secularism. In In A Singh and S Mohapatra (Ed.). pp. 99 - 119 Routledge.
Hegel, Taylor and The Phenomenology of Broken Spirits
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). Hegel, Taylor and The Phenomenology of Broken Spirits. In In M Seymour (Ed.). pp. 37 - 60 Palgrave Macmillan.
What is Political Theory and Why do We Need It?
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). What is Political Theory and Why do We Need It Oxford University Press.
The 'Secular Ideal' before Secularism: A Preliminary Sketch
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2010). The 'Secular Ideal' before Secularism: A Preliminary Sketch. In In L E Cady and E S Hurd (Ed.). pp. 159 - 180 Palgrave Macmillan.
Why not secular democracy? - review symposium
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2009). Why not secular democracy? - review symposium. Ethnicities. 9(4), pp. 553 - 560. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687968090090040402
Political secularism: Why it is needed and what can be learnt from its Indian version
Bhargava, Rajeev. (2009). Political secularism: Why it is needed and what can be learnt from its Indian version. In In G.B. Levey and T. Modood (Ed.). Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship pp. 82 - 109 Cambridge University Press.