The situation of Indian Muslims has been deteriorating under the Modi regime. Indians Muslims are said to be going through a more difficult situation than 1857 and 1947 as their religious practices are now under threat. Hindu zealots have starting targeting their Islamic injunctions from offering prayers to wearing of Hijab by Muslim girls.
In the most recent incident, Hindu activists set the houses, shops and other properties of Muslims on fire in Karauli city of Rajasthan state. A rally to celebrate the start of the Hindu New Year was passing through a Muslim locality when the participants raised provocative slogans and played Hindutva songs to incite violence. More than 40 houses were burnt and 35 people were injured.
There were reports of communal riots but the BJP dispensation with connivance of the local security authorities failed to act. The state machinery also looked the other way and failed in its basic duties to protect lives and properties. Such incidents are not new for Indian Muslims who continue to live in fear and intimidation. The Indian government has allowed the BJP-RSS combine to commit senseless violence against minorities with immunity.
In Karnataka, girls have been banned from wearing the Hijab in educational institutions, preventing them from receiving an education. The court refused to lift the ban out of fear by Hindu groups and ruled against it. As a result, many Muslims girls did not appear in their exams last month. Even Muskaan Khan, who has become a symbol of resistance after she protested the right to wear hijab, did not appear in the annual exams.
In the state of Uttar Pradesh, the largest in India, the government of radical Hindu monk Yogi is in power for a second term. Apart from the extreme steps, it has gradually started to wipe out Muslim identities by renaming historic districts with Muslims names including Aligarh, Sultanpur, Ferozabad, and Shahjahapur.
Muslims now have to also defend their Islamic traditions, way of life, and their communities against the rising tirade of Hindu extremists. The Indian regime’s animosity against Muslims is replete with trauma but will the absence of action against proponents be enough of the shake the conscience of the international community?
