Daily Times

Secular India is undergoing a sinister change. There has been a rise in attacks on the country’s Muslim population. On June 27, a Muslim dairy farmer was beaten by a mob and had his house set on fire. On May 26 two Muslim meat traders were attacked by a vigilante squad in Malegaon, Maharashtra by a mob which suspected them of possessing beef. Video footage of the incident shows them being slapped and abused, along with being forced to say Jai Sri Ram (“Hail Lord Ram”). On April 6, a 19 year old Muslim boy was tied to a pole and beaten to death for having a relationship with a Hindu girl.

But Muslims aren’t the only victims of India’s rising Hindu extremism. On May 6, 2016 a Protestant church was attacked by a mob of 500 Hindu extremists. The mob pelted Christians attempting to flee from the scene with rocks. Apparently someone had seen torn Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flags outside the church and blamed the church for the party being disrespected.

Then of course there are India’s long suffering Dalits. 55 houses and five shops were burnt down by Thakurs on May 5 at a village about 25 kilometres outside Sahanpur. According to the Indian National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) there has been a 66percent increase in crimes against Dalits. It also shows that incidents of sexual violence against Dalit women have doubled.

The Indian National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) reports a 66 percent increase in crimes against Dalits. The statistics also show that incidents of sexual violence against Dalit women have doubled

If there is anything that can be deduced from this data, it is that Hindu extremism is on the rise in India. And why should that surprise anyone? After all, the country’s Prime Minister is someone who was heavily involved in the 2002 Gujrat Riots. An incident during which it is estimated that at least 250 girls and women were gang raped and burnt to death. In total around 2000 Muslim’s perished during the riots while tens of thousands lost their homes and livelihood.

Fortunately, the Modi establishment does extend mercy to some beings. Even if they aren’t human. Kindness is kindness and credit should be given where it’s due. Mayankeshwar Singh, the national convener of the BJP’s Cow Development Cell (yes, they actually have a cow development cell)announced that the BJP would pursue a national ban on cow slaughter in August 2014. In April 2017, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya inaugurated an ambulance service that would exclusively cater to cows. The Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Van service is officially meant to rescue sick or injured cows and transport them to veterinary doctors or ‘Gau Shalas’. An impressive feat in a country where people often have to carry their sick or injured loved ones to the hospital. There is even talk of cow sanctuaries, similar to those set up for endangered wild animals like tigers and elephants, at the highest levels of Indian government.

Whether the systematic lynching of minority groups and the elevated status of cows in India are here to stay or just a symptom of the BJP government remains to be seen. But perhaps our neighbours should look to the west to see what the consequences of dabbling in religious extremism at a national level can be.

The author can be reached at: mmab11@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, September 26^th 2017.