The dying republic

The prevalent notion is that Muslims are the emblem of others in India, but it is noteworthy that the vilification is not only limited to Muslims but extended to other minorities as well. This time the plight is directed towards Christians as depicted through the Manipur crisis. The Hindutva movement has its current political expression in the ruling BJP which has been playing an instrumental role in communal violence for decades. Hindutva, which promotes Hindu Rashtra, is defined as a way of life that is coterminous with the Hindu identity. Ipso facto, minorities are purposefully portrayed as a threat by Hindutva ideology promoted by Hindu elite. Anyone that does not follow the Hindutva creed is ex-communicated from his or her Indian roots. As is the case in mainland India where Muslims are the main targets, the Hindutva zealots have now unleashed their wrath upon the Christians in Manipur. This certainly engenders the need to question India’s commitment to secularism or to being a republic.

The incidents of communal violence and religious riots have monopolised the national as well as international newspapers. In modern India, religious processions have been weaponised to terrorise Muslims. Hindu extremists provocatively prowl through Muslim neighborhoods, stop outside mosques, raise slogans, get involved in lynching and vigilantism followed by a concocted reek of Islamophobic notions such as ‘love jihad’.

Communal tensions are also a normal feature of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) which is a highly militarised zone, more so after the revocation of Article 370, which removed the region’s special status. Armed militias are involved in atrocities, like in a recent instance 15 Kashmiris have been incarcerated for not standing up for the national anthem. Through the recent G20 meeting in IIOJK, India is exploiting its membership of a significant international organisation to further its self-serving goal of legitimising its illegal control of the disputed region. It was an attempt to gain international recognition over its illegal annexation of the disputed territory. However, the strategy failed miserably, as some G20 countries, including China, refused to attend while others delayed their confirmation to participate.

Recently, violence occurred in the BJP-ruled northeastern state of Manipur between the Kuki and Meitei tribes over economic, social and political advantages as well as tribal quotas. Meiteis make up the majority ethnic group of Manipur (53%), and they follow Hinduism, whereas Kukis follow Christianity. According to Articles 341 and 342 of the Indian constitution, some communities were categorised as Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The Meitei tribe was not included in either and was awarded OBC status while the Kuki tribe was included in the ST list. On May 3, the Manipur High Court ordered that the non-tribal Meitei population should be given ST status. The Kuki tribe objected to the idea because they thought Meiteis had advantages in terms of demographics, politics and education, and that giving them ST status would limit their chances.

The violence, meanwhile, caused 100 casualties, destruction of 41 churches and displacement of over 60,000 people. Till now, there has been no official statement from BJP about the current crisis and the state is under a curfew with shoot on sight orders.

However, BJP, under the tutelage of PM Narendra Modi, is preoccupied with making and breaking coalitions in Maharashtra. The party feeds on the politics of religious polarisation, the results of which are manifested in Delhi riots, and now in Manipur. The BJP’s passion for identity politics has set off this communal polarisation in Manipur. The communal crises are tarnishing the republic and the secular fabric of India. In such circumstances, the state should intervene and put an end to provocative actions but unfortunately, it is easier said than done. It is a gross violation of human rights, to say the least. The world community must focus on the plight of minorities in India, including Christians and Muslims.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2023.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.