The Muslims of India have been living under fear, horror, panic and dread
FAISALABAD: Muslims are the second largest demographic of India, with 14.2 per cent of the country’s population or roughly 172 million people. Some estimates show India may have more Muslims than Pakistan. Over the centuries, Muslims have played a prominent role in India’s economic rise and cultural influence and in every walk of life, including science, the arts, sports, music and film. Out of the 12 presidents of India, three were Muslim. The only two South Asian Muslim billionaires named by Forbes magazine, Yusuf Hamied and Azim Premji, are from India.
Nonetheless, there is a complex history of Hindu-Muslim riots in India. The aftermath of the Partition of India in 1947 saw large-scale communal strife and bloodshed throughout the country. Since then, India has witnessed sporadic large-scale violence sparked by underlying tensions between sections of the Hindu and Muslim communities. One of the most violent events in recent times took place during the Gujarat riots in 2002. More than 1,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless as rioters set fire to Muslim homes and businesses. Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, was widely accused of turning a blind eye to the violence.
The Muslims of India have been living under fear, horror, panic and dread. They have been threatened by extremist Hindus. Activists from the ruling party BJP and the RSS have started a concerted campaign against Muslims. The main features of this campaign include protests against the so-called ‘love jihad’ — Muslim men allegedly converting Hindu women to Islam by trapping them in love affairs — and ‘ghar wapsi’ (homecoming) initiatives which convert Muslims and Christians ‘back’ to Hinduism. Moves towards Hinduisation have also been taking place across India. The plight of Indian Muslims is a dirty spot on the face of Indian secularism.
Engineer Mansoor Ahmed
Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2016.
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