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26-01 Hindutva Violence

Hindu nationalist violence and attacks on Muslims and minorities have increased in India following the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Mobs of Hindu extremists have stormed mosques and targeted Muslim businesses and individuals in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Police often did not take action against the rioters and were reluctant to file complaints. Such incidents have become more frequent during the decade of BJP rule and the opening of the Ram Mandir symbolizes the victory of Hindu nationalism over Indian secularism, posing greater threats to Muslims and minorities in the future.

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Saba Akhtar
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42 views1 page

26-01 Hindutva Violence

Hindu nationalist violence and attacks on Muslims and minorities have increased in India following the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Mobs of Hindu extremists have stormed mosques and targeted Muslim businesses and individuals in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Police often did not take action against the rioters and were reluctant to file complaints. Such incidents have become more frequent during the decade of BJP rule and the opening of the Ram Mandir symbolizes the victory of Hindu nationalism over Indian secularism, posing greater threats to Muslims and minorities in the future.

Uploaded by

Saba Akhtar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Hindutva violence

Editorial Published January 26, 2024

THE acts of violence and vandalism carried out by Hindu fanatics targeting India’s Muslim community,
linked to the opening of the Ram Mandir on the Babri Masjid site on Monday, are a worrying portent.
They point to shrinking space for India’s minorities in a country ruled by the Sangh Parivar, where their
lives, property and dignity can be violated at any time. There had been fears that the event in Ayodhya,
where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the celebrations, would turbocharge zealots and lead to
communal trouble, and many Muslims in the Uttar Pradesh town had sent their families to safer locales.
As it turned out, these fears were well-founded. Violent events have been reported from UP,
Maharashtra, Gujarat and other Indian states after the mandir opening. A mob of between 1,000 and
1,500 Hindu extremists stormed a Mughal-era mosque on Jan 22 in Agra and threatened those inside.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai’s suburbs, mobs ransacked Muslim stores or any establishment not displaying
saffron flags. Local reports indicate that police took no action, while in many instances, the law enforcers
were reluctant to register FIRs against the rioters. Muslims were not the only community targeted by the
Sangh’s shock troops; individuals in Madhya Pradesh planted a saffron flag, inscribed with Hindu
symbols, atop a church.

Such appalling incidents have become frequent during the BJP’s decade-old rule over India. Hindu mobs,
often chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ — the Sangh’s war cry — or blasting offensive tunes terrorise Muslim
neighbourhoods or show up outside mosques. The mandir opening — a divisive symbol of the Sangh’s
victory over Indian secularism — and the likely return of the BJP in this year’s elections spells more
trouble for Indian Muslims and other minorities. The question the international community should be
asking is this: can India project an image of a rising global power, while also subjecting its minority
communities to violence fuelled by mediaeval hatreds, and get away with it?

 Vandalism: The act of deliberately destroying or damaging property.


 Zealots: People who are fanatically committed to a cause.
 Communal: Relating to or involving different communities, often used in the context of
communal violence between religious or ethnic groups.
 Saffron: In this context, it refers to a color associated with Hinduism or Hindu nationalism.
 Secularism: The principle of separation of the state from religious institutions.
 Medieval: Relating to the Middle Ages, often used to describe something seen as outdated or
barbaric.

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