The incident outside a gurdwara in Nankana Sahib is highly condemned but this in no way shows complacent state policy or patronage. The effort to portray the incident as a communal issue- particularly by the Indian media- is deplorable.
The incident started from a minor altercation at a tea stall and soon threatened to erupt into a law and order situation. A fundamentalist man, whose nephew had reportedly married a Sikh woman several months back after converting her, had a heated argument with four other people. The personal dispute suddenly turned tragic as the man threatened to attack the holy Janam Asthan gurdwara.
The man incited a mob to pelt stones at the gurdwara before the police intervened and diffused the situation. Dozens of angry protesters threatened to raise the gurdwara to the ground. He alleged that his nephew was accused of abducting a Sikh woman who converted on her free will and was brutally treated by the police.
While this particular incident needs to be investigated, an entire community cannot be threatened over a personal matter. There must have been panic as the Sikh community feared a backlash and reprisals. This is not an isolated incident as several incidents have occurred before. Last September there were violent protests in Ghotki where a temple was attacked by a mob.
The incident might have skipped headlines but the sensationalist Indian media attempted to boost the visibility of the incident by painting it a communal issue. India also attempted to use it to justify the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and divert attention against its own problems and instead tarnish Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that there is a difference between the Nankana incident and the discrimination against Muslims and other minorities in India. He said there is zero-tolerance policy over such an incident in Pakistan which is against his vision, while in India the Modi government is supporting the oppression and attacking minorities. The covert support and patronage of India officials for mob lynching and other brutalities is well-known.
The prime minister inaugurated the Kartarpur corridor and received praise from the Sikh community. It also bridged the distance between Muslims and Sikhs. Incidents like these are an attempt to damage communal peace and harmony. We should learn lessons and not blow such incidents to epic proportions. Efforts should instead be made for peace between religious communities.
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