NARENDRA Modi may have won a third term in the recently concluded general elections in India but the razor thin margin of victory of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), must have provided a reality check to the Hindu nationalist politicians. Despite resorting to extremist methods to bolster its image as well as garner support of the common Hindus, BJP did not get the absolute majority it had dreamed of and had to rely on alliances with smaller parties to form the government. Unfortunately, instead of learning lessons from its dismal performance at the polls, the BJP is resorting to the abhorrent actions that have raised concerns about religious profiling and discrimination against Muslims.
The “Vendor Directive” was recently issued by the BJP-led state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand requiring street vendors and cafeterias along the route of the Hindu-Kanwariya pilgrimage to display their names. Although the Indian Supreme Court ruled a stay order on the directive, it was perceived as a malicious attempt to identify Muslim vendors and potentially damage their livelihoods as the two states made the vendor directive applicable not just to the pilgrimage route but to the entire state.
Mercifully, many conscientious Indian academics, commentators and journalists have picked up the cudgel to condemn the radical move by BJP and expose its odious machination. P. K. Balachandran—a renowned senior Indian journalist working in Sri Lanka for local and international media—in his opinion piece titled ‘Muslim Profiling Meant to Enhance BJP’s Fading Profile—Analysis’ published on July 24, 2024, has shed more light on this nefarious ploy by the BJP. Commenting on the Indian Supreme Court’s restraining order barring the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand State governments from enforcing the directive to restaurants and food carts located on a Hindu pilgrimage route to display the owners’ and workers’ names, the informed journalist says that the order of the two State governments drew the ire of opposition parties and liberals who labelled it as “communal profiling” as it was meant to mark off shops and carts owned by or employing Muslims.
In the Supreme Court ruling, now known as the “Kanwariya case”, police orders that were actually meant to segregate Muslim vendors on a route taken each year by thousands of Hindu pilgrims carrying pots of water from the holy Ganges River, have been put on hold. The police’s plea that the display of names of the owners and workers in the stalls would help pilgrims who had to follow dietary restrictions, such as eating no meat or fish during their journey, has been rejected by the judicial body. Many Hindus opine that Muslim owned restaurants also serve meat, while the food is cooked by Muslims, whose touch is considered as defiling by orthodox Hindus. This case is only the tip of the iceberg as communal profiling in India, particularly in the BJP ruled States in North India has taken a turn for the worse. There are indications that communal profiling is likely to spread because the BJP and its cohorts are in a desperate need to get back Hindus’ support that they lost substantially as indicated by the recent parliamentary elections.
Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP is in power, have witnessed Hindu-Muslim tensions in the recent past. Opposition parties and civil society have been accusing the BJP governments there of persecuting Muslims. Karnataka State in South India also saw communal profiling when the BJP was ruling the State. Besides identifying the real reason for imposing Muslim profiling, it is imperative to take cognizance of its impact in India because it is multifaceted and has significant consequences for individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole. It generates “Social Stigma and Discrimination” because profiling based on religion perpetuates stereotypes and creates a sense of “alienation” for Muslims. It can lead to discrimination in employment, education, housing, and social interactions. Muslims may face exclusion, bias, and limited opportunities due to negative perceptions. There are “Psychological Effects” since constant scrutiny and suspicion can cause mental distress, anxiety, and fear among Muslims. The feeling of being targeted erodes trust in institutions and fellow citizens while children growing up in such an environment may internalize negative self-perceptions. There will be a definite “Economic Impact” too because profiling affects economic participation. The already challenged Muslims may become deprived of employment, acquiring loans, and accessing business opportunities. Businesses owned by Muslims might suffer due to boycotts or reduced patronage. Economic disparities widen, hindering overall development. The advent of Muslim profiling will cause “Political Polarization” along religious lines. This aspect can be exploited by political parties for electoral gains, leading to communal tensions, which are already heightened under the Modi regime; moreover, trust in democratic processes may decline.
It will impact “National Unity and Harmony” since it will negate India’s claims to its strong diversity. If the BJP were truly desirous of building bridges between communities, it would make efforts to promote understanding and tolerance but apparently it is promoting dissension. India presents itself as the world’s largest democracy in terms of size but the ruling party, BJP’s strength has grown in India’s parliament, while the Muslim representation has declined. In 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, there were 30 Muslim lawmakers in the outgoing parliament, with only one from the BJP. In the current Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), there are 25 Muslim MPs out of 543 seats, and none belong to the BJP.
Simultaneously, right-wing groups and sections of the media have fuelled Islamophobia, with accusations like “love jihad” (falsely claiming that Muslim men convert Hindu women through marriage). Anti-Muslim hate speech has surged, particularly in states ruled by the BJP. In the current milieu, it is evident that the BJP is hell bent on suppressing the Muslims further to garner electoral gains in the future. If the BJP were rational, its reduced strength in Parliament would have impelled it to introspect and discipline itself, instead, in its mad frenzy, it has become more brazen and violent.
—The writer, Retired Group Captain of PAF, is author of several books on China.
(sultanm.hali@gmail.com)
