Indian Muslims have been questioning their existence during the Hindutva regime of Modi which aimed to erode the secular and pluralistic fabric of society. Now a new wave of communal violence is expected ahead of the 2024 elections.
In the past week, there has been sporadic violence in Muslim-majority districts of Haryana state, close to the capital New Delhi. The violence started in the Muslim-dominated Nuh district where a Hindu procession was purposely passing by to provoke a clash. Five people were killed in the clashes. The violence spread to nearby business hub Gurugram where a curfew was imposed. A prayer leader was killed outside a mosque after a mob opened fire. The Hindu zealots had been campaigning against Friday prayers even though the mosque was registered.
Authorities failed to take notice even though Hindu groups threatened to hold processions in Muslim-majority areas. In Nuh district, the violence was triggered by a member of a Hindutva group who shared videos on social media urging to hold processions. Cow vigilante Monu Manesar is notorious for his videos of anti-Muslim violence and is wanted for the murder of two Muslim men lynched to death in 2019. Despite the ample evidence, local authorities did not act due to the fear of these extremist outfits.
Another hate crime happened miles away in Mumbai when a railways constable killed four people on a moving train. One was his boss and a Hindu, but the other passengers were Muslims. They were identified due to their appearances as they had long beards. After committing the despicable act, the constable delivered a communally-charged speech telling Muslims to vote for Modi and Yogi, the extremist chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, if they wanted to survive in the country.
India has witnessed several incidents of communal violence against Muslims. In 2020, more than 50 people were killed in religious clashes in northeastern Delhi, the worst sectarian violence in decades, after a controversial citizenship law was passed. It has been feared that the fresh bout of violence could spread across the country if the clashes were not contained.
During a recent US visit, Modi made the delusional comments that there was no Muslim persecution in India. The polarization has risen under Modi’s government, further deepening the faultlines against minorities and heightening tensions. The BJP knows well that victory in the next elections will be bolstered at the expense of Muslims.
