India’s chief Muslim NGO calls for law against Islamophobia

Munawar Zaman
Press TV, New Delhi

It was not a long ago when protests against the new citizenship law in India sparked dramatic social and political movements.

The law gives eligibility for Indian citizenship to illegal migrants such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, but does not mention Muslims. After the law was enacted, citizens united irrespective of their faith and called for it to be revoked.

In recent years, India has seen a remarkable rise in violence against religious minorities especially Muslims. Now calls are growing for legislation to protect the communal harmony.

With election fever heating up in the largest and most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, anti-Muslim rhetoric is also flaring across the country. Minority communities especially Muslims are again becoming targets ahead of the polls.

Critics have accused the ruling BJP party of polarizing the country on religious lines for political gains. Experts fear this could lead to further social discord. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board is now demanding legislation to protect all faiths and revered figures from being insulted including on the social media.

Despite being the citizens of the world’s largest democracy, Muslims in India are apparently having challenging times in Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s New India vision. Since 2014 there has been a growing fear and panic among minorities amid an alarming mistrust of the ruling BJP.

Incidents of violence and intimidation against street vendors, traders, entrepreneurs, business men, advertisement agencies, sportsmen and even Bollywood stars have sparked heated debates across the country.

Critics call it an effort to transform India into a theocratic supremacist Hindu state. But the ruling party refutes all critics saying India is a champion of democracy enshrined in equality for all.

Violence against Muslims and other minorities has prevailed since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, but the last decade has seen a dramatic rise of right-wing Hindu domination.

Based on reports by rights groups, the ruling BJP in recent years has adopted various laws and policies that legitimize prejudice against religious minorities. The government of PM Modi is also accused of using draconian laws to target and silence its critics.

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