News Analysis |
A BJP legislator from Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh has landed himself in hot water after stating that once India becomes a “Hindu rashtra”, only the Muslims that assimilate into the Hindu culture will stay in the country. His statements highlight the state backed anti-Muslim atmosphere in India where minorities are struggling for their lives.
“There are a very few Muslims who are patriotic. Once India becomes a Hindu rashtra (Hindu nation), Muslims who assimilate into our culture will stay in India. Those who will not are free to take asylum in any other country,” Bairia MLA Surendra Singh told reporters last night.
Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “avatar purush” (reincarnation of a deity), Singh said India would become a Hindu nation by 2024.
In fact, there has been a conscious attempt to divorce Islam and Muslims from the national ethos. This year’s President’s Ramadan Iftar party was notable for the complete absence of Hindu state ministers.
“As the RSS completes 100 years in 2025, by 2024, India will become a Hindu rashtra. By the grace of god, India is going to be a global superpower thanks to the leadership of Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Not only will India become a ‘vishwa guru’, it will also become a Hindu rashtra by 2024.”
The BJP MLA also took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said the Gandhi scion could never become the torchbearer of Indian thought. “There are two sets of values in Rahul Gandhi — one is Italian, while the other one is Indian…He can never become the torchbearer of the Indian thought.”
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Singh also said the Congress president lacked the strength and values to make India strong. “His (Rahul Gandhi’s) is a mix of Indian and Italian culture,” Singh said, claiming that the Congress chief was not aware of what India and Indianness were all about.
The forceful conversion of non-Hindus such as Muslims, known as Ghar Wapsi, has become a celebrated norm of Hindutva groups. Ghar Wapsi which translates into returning home is a widespread campaign that often employs force and threats to coerce hapless non Hindus into the fold of Hinduism. They justify such oppression with the rhetoric that Islam and Christianity are “outside” religions and the current day non-Hindus are children of misguided folk who must be brought back to the fold.
The lynching of minorities in north India has been marked by silence from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindutva fundamentalist party that rules all the northern states except Punjab and Delhi.
Muslims are a favored target due to their helplessness in India. Since the rise of the BJP, many Muslims have lost their lives at the hands of Saffron terrorists. On January 7th, in a brutal attack, a Muslim man was allegedly attacked and killed by seven youths belonging to the Sangh Parivar. A Muslim was beaten to death in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand after reportedly asking a group to stop playing loud music on New Year’s Day.
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In December 2017, a Muslim man was burnt alive in Rajasthan by Hindutva extremists for being in a relationship with a Hindu girl. The fanatics also made a video of the barbaric act and uploaded it on social media. The crime was committed allegedly in the name of ‘love jihad’. Police has identified the man as Muhammad Afzal who is the resident of West Bengal. According to Indian media, the main suspect of the heinous crime has been detained. The murderer, a man who has now been identified as one Shambhu Lal Regar, a resident of Rajsamand has been taken into custody.
India’s descent into brutal mob attacks under the BJP government has disturbed many. The fact that most of the victims belong to minorities points to religiopolitical machinations.
In November, three Muslim clerics were attacked by a group of men with sharp objects aboard a train in India’s Uttar Pradesh province. According to media sources the three clerics were attacked by six to seven men who also allegedly tried to throw them off the train. The clerics reportedly had an argument with their assailants over covering their heads and then were attacked with iron rods and sticks as they got off the train.
Earlier in the same month, a Muslim man was shot dead by alleged cow vigilantes, and his body was thrown onto railway tracks in Rajasthan’s Alwar. The victim was found dead on the Railway lines between Ramgarh and Jadoli Ka Bas on November 10th. Although the police are still awaiting the post-mortem reports, the case looks like a shoot-out and eventual decapitation after a train ran over the dumped body.
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In June, 16-year-old Junaid Khan died and his cousins were wounded after an assault on a train near Delhi by a mob of 20 that shouted abuse and called them “anti-nationals” and “beef-eaters”. The police had said that the dispute started over seats, and the man who argued with Junaid came back to the train with a mob from his village.
In December 2017, a Muslim man was burnt alive in Rajasthan by Hindutva extremists for being in a relationship with a Hindu girl. The fanatics also made a video of the barbaric act and uploaded it on social media.
India’s descent into brutal mob attacks under the BJP government has disturbed many. The fact that most of the victims belong to minorities points to religiopolitical machinations. For the last 30 months, a climate of fear and insecurity is created by repeated, deliberate, divisive and provocative statements. Empowered Hindutva fundamentalists are seeking to impose a single uniform ethic in diverse domains such as food, dress, culture or thinking.
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The lynching of minorities in north India has been marked by silence from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindutva fundamentalist party that rules all the northern states except Punjab and Delhi. In fact, there has been a conscious attempt to divorce Islam and Muslims from the national ethos. This year’s President’s Ramadan Iftar party was notable for the complete absence of Hindu state ministers.