The fascist BJP regime has been at the forefront of pushing through its Hindutva and anti-Muslim agenda in all spheres of India. The recent win of Pakistan against India in a cricket match provided an opportunity to the extremist Hindutva followers in making the lives of Muslims more miserable.
India police filed sedition cases in occupied Kashmir under draconian laws against two medical students who had celebrated Pakistan’s success. A Muslim teacher was fired in Rajasthan for cheering Pakistan’s victory and had to issue an apology. This hateful behaviour is reflective of the BJP’s extremist mindset against Muslims perpetrated by the Modi regime.
Even India’s biggest superstar Shah Rukh Khan has not been spared for not aligning with the BJP regime. The biggest actors of Bollywood are incidentally all Muslims, with universal appeal that transcends class and religion. But the recent arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son was perceived as the targeting of a Muslim superstar for not agreeing with Modi’s government. Indian news channels resorted to sensationalist coverage and politicians gave press conferences to amplify the issue.
Bollywood has increasingly been churning out jingoistic blockbusters pandering to Hindutva sentiments. The films of Muslim actors have flopped at the box office in recent years despite massive budgets and a star-studded cast. It is clear that such hate-mongering reflects growing intolerance in India and even moderate Hindus are often on the receiving end.
Perhaps the most shameful incident was when the Indian team’s only Muslim cricketer Muhammad Shami faced a torrent of social media abuse after his team lost the match. Shami became the main target even though Indian captain Kohli said they were outplayed. The situation reached its lowest ebb when the Hindutva extremists even threatened Kohli and his infant daughter for supporting his teammate.
The atmosphere of growing religious intolerance and fear since Modi came to power is behind the rise in social media vitriol and physical attacks. Hindu right-wing forces have attacked a Diwali advertisement in Urdu, calling it a ‘Muslim language.’ A Muslim comedian Munawar Farooqui says he receives 50 threat calls daily and is not allowed to work after threats from Hindutva outfits. Minority groups have become increasingly marginalized with frequent attacks on Muslims and lower-caste Hindus who have become outcasts in their own country.
