Recent Incidents Of Communal Violence Highlight Rising Discord Amid Various Religions Groups

India has witnessed a series of incidents related to communal discord in the last two weeks. While in some places, people have set examples of brotherhood as Muslims offered welcome drinks to Hindus and Hindu priests embraced their Muslim brothers by allowing them to break their fasts inside the temple premises; there have been many instances of the two religious groups not seeing eye to eye with each other. In Islam, the holy month of Ramadan coincides with the Hindu festivals of Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti. India's growing extremism has threatened its secular, diverse and democratic principle.

Incidents Of Communal Discord In India

The latest incident of religion-based clashes in the national capital's Jahangirpuri area left several people and police officers injured. While the Police said that it was still investigating the matter and checking how the festival took a turn for the worse, media reports suggest that the clashes broke out between the two groups during a procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti. Moreover, earlier on Saturday, groups of people were chanting slogans against the prime minister to allow Muslims to be discriminated against in several states that the Hindu-nationalist Party rules.

On a similar note, when clashes broke out between Hindu and Muslim groups in Madhya Pradesh, the government officials tore down the homes of Muslim rioters to 'teach them a lesson'. The irony of the situation was that the demolished houses were built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Moreover, state government officials are now reaching out to bereaved families to provide rehabilitation options. However, a grave concern is that the houses were taken down without prior official notice.

In Modi's home state Gujarat, rioters took down makeshift shops during the clashes, leaving one person dead. The opposition pointed out that the BJP was stoking religion-based differences amongst several communities, thus adding fuel to an already blazing fire. Similarly, in the neighbouring state of Rajasthan, as many as 46 people were arrested in relation to the stone-pelting incident that eventually led to all-out clashes in the state. The Ashok Gehlot-led government also had to impose Section 144 to ensure peace in the state.

Blame-Game On In The Politics

In such a tense social scenario, the political parties are still stuck on the dirty blaming game. At the same time, the Opposition Parties alleged that the clashes resulted from the deep-rooted communal mindset of the party in power at the centre. BJP members retaliated by saying that far more communal tensions happened when Congress was in control. The BJP Chief JP Nadda was addressing his party in Karnataka's Hospet when he said that recent communal violence that erupted during processions taken out on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti was a "conspiracy" to cause disintegration in society and accused the Congress party of acting in the "most irresponsible" manner.

The cases of communal violence are increasing by the day. On the other hand, influential people in the country like politicians and seers are getting away after delivering hate speeches. The recent occasion of Ram Navami was also stained with the touch of communalism. In Hyderabad, a BJP politician, who was previously banned from Facebook because of hate speech posts, said that anybody who does not chant the name of the Hindu deity Ram would have to leave India soon. Before this, a video of a Hindu priest went viral on social media where he could be seen threatening to rape Muslim women. The Police registered a case against him only a week later when the video went viral and attracted the ire of netizens.

Hate speech has been a sore in India's history for a long time. In the 1990s, hate speech against the Hindus on the loudspeakers of mosques in Kashmir instigated the heavy exodus of the Hindu community from the state. In the same year, party leader LK Advani led the razing of centuries-old Babri Masjid in Ayodhya to build a temple in the name of Lord Ram. The razing of the Babri Masjid led to deadly communal riots in the country. BBC reported that the communally motivated incidents and hate speech instances increased by leaps and bounds since the BJP took over in 2014.

One must understand that communal riots and public discord affect social harmony and the financial and economic prospects of the state. Moreover, India has been one of the most inclusive and secular states globally, thus encouraging investors and tourists to come and take a look at the diverse land of immense opportunities. Incidents of communal disharmony would only project India as a right-wing country and enclose it in an invisible shell, thereby letting go of any economic development in the future.

Also Read: Madhya Pradesh Government To Rehabilitate Muslim Family After Razing Home Built Under PMAY