On July 31, a Hindu far-right mob set ablaze a mosque and killed the deputy imam in Gurugram in retaliation to a clash between Hindus and Muslims in the neighbouring district of Nuh. In Gurugram, India, six people have died and 110 arrested due to clashes between mobs and Muslim-owned properties. The district councillor has urged people to stay home, and the police commissioner has increased security around mosques.
The incident has been strongly condemned, with Asaduddin Owaisi and Jairam Ramesh, members of Parliament and members of different political parties, condemning the attack on Muslims in India as a terror attack and a cold-blooded murder, respectively. They also attributed the attack to a media and political environment of polarization.
In Nuh, two policemen and two other people were killed in a clash, leading to fear among residents and allegations of arbitrary arrests of young Muslim men by the police. In response, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has arrested 116 people, deployed troops, imposed a curfew and suspended the internet, yet Hindu mobs are still attacking Muslim-owned shops, properties, and places of worship.
The attacks have been linked to Hindu far-right organisations, and violence has spread to other areas in the state. Three mosques were burned down, property was looted and vandalised, and guns were fired. authorities have responded by closing schools and colleges and suspending mobile internet services in three districts. On Wednesday, a Hindu nationalist group, the Bajrang Dal, organised protests in several cities across India, burning effigies and chanting slogans against Muslims. They were opposing what they perceived as Islamic extremism and terrorism.
India is experiencing civil unrest due to two hate crimes in Haryana and Maharashtra states, where railway security and police officers killed colleagues and Muslim passengers. A police officer has been arrested for an attack, and the motive is unknown. Critics have labelled the attack a hate crime against India’s Muslim minority.
Over the past six years, India has seen a rise in Hindu nationalist policies under the BJP government, which has inflammed religious violence and discrimination against minorities, particularly Muslims. BJP chief ministers in India have been accused of enforcing Hindu nationalist policies, including a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, limiting interfaith marriages and cattle transportation, and renaming Muslim-named cities with Hindu names. Muslims are punished for protests while Hindu mobs are acquitted or pardoned.
Rana Ayyub is a Muslim author and journalist who is concerned about the rise of Hindu nationalism in India under Adityanath’s cabinet and its potential to embolden radical right-wing groups. She believes the country’s silence is an endorsement of hate politics and is worried for the safety of Muslims in India.
Asim Ali, a political researcher based in New Delhi, believes that the government’s lack of action against radical groups has increased attacks since the BJP rose to power a decade ago. He is concerned that the upcoming Indian election could cause further sectarian tension and recommends speaking out against radical actions as a preventative measure.
Prime Minister Modi has been travelling abroad to promote India’s democracy, but his policies at home do not reflect his rhetoric. As India prepares to host the G20 leaders meeting in New Delhi, religious and political tensions have surfaced, demonstrating the country’s deep-seated divisions.
Modi has been criticised for not responding to the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, which has caused over 130 deaths and displaced thousands of people. An additional 11 people were killed and several injured in a new outbreak of violence believed to be triggered by a dispute between two ethnic groups. The region has been experiencing an increase in violence.
India is facing a complex set of issues related to sectarian violence, religious intolerance, and the rise of Hindu nationalism. Prime Minister Modi has yet to comment on the situation, leaving many to doubt his commitment to promoting democracy and protecting minority rights in India. The upcoming G20 summit will be a test of India’s commitment to upholding the human rights of all its citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
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