In an article published on 12 March 2020 in NYT captioned ‘How Delhi’s Police Turned Against Muslims’, the authors Jeffrey Gettleman, Sameer Yasir, Suhasini Raj and Hari Kumar found more evidence that how profoundly Indian’s law enforcement machinery has been politicized by the BJP government. They wrote: “India has suffered its worst sectarian bloodshed in years, in what many see as the inevitable result of Hindu extremism that has flourished under Modi government. His party has embraced a militant brand of Hindu nationalism and its leaders have openly vilified Indian Muslims”. The Indian media had already stated that more than 50 people killed in Delhi were Muslims, and HR activists called it an organized massacre. The authors, like many other conscientious analysts and writers, believed that some judges seemed to be caught up – or pushed out – by a Hindu nationalist wave.
There is a perception that India’s Supreme Court is aligned with PM Modi, as it has made a string of rulings in government’s favor. One of the judges, Arun Mishra, publicly praised Modi as a visionary genius. Muslim leaders see the violence as a state-sanctioned campaign to teach them a lesson. After years of staying quiet as Hindu lynch mobs killed Muslims with impunity Modi government deprived their political power after passage of new citizenship law. Forty-six people were killed, more than 250 injured and four mosques set on fire in the sectarian violence in Delhi that coincided with President Trump’s visit to India. During Modi’s rule, minorities have suffered at the hands of law enforcing agencies. In 2017, sixty senior retired officials from Indian Central Services through an open letter to the Government of India had raised alarm over the growing intolerance, extremism and State’s high handedness.
They had urged authorities and constitutional bodies to take stock of the situation. They expressed sense of deep anguish over what has been happening in India, which prompted them to write the open letter. They regretted over religious intolerance aimed primarily at Muslims and vigilantism that has become widespread. Gau-rakshas continue to act with impunity and seem to be doing so with the tacit complicity or active encouragement of state machinery. Students groups and faculty members, who raise questions about equality, social justice and freedom, are subjected to attacks by the Hindu fanatics with a supportive government to back them. They had appealed to authorities, public institutions and constitutional bodies to take heed of the disturbing trends and take corrective action. They vowed to reclaim and defend the spirit of the constitution of India, as envisaged by the founding fathers.
While liberal elements of the society have been condemning violence in the name of religion and state oppression that was first time that very senior retired officers had openly expressed their anguish over the situation in India. Unfortunately, international community is mute over violations of human rights and plight of minorities in India. Minorities are groaning under repression by the brute Hindu majority and law enforcing departments in India. Muslims, Christians and Dalits are being subjected to inhuman treatment, and are not allowed to lead their lives according to their beliefs, traditions and culture. In addition to killings in Kashmir, efforts are being made to change demography of Kashmir and Assam.
This is happening in India, which claims to be a secular state; but nowhere in the world has secularism been so blatantly betrayed. The situation has assumed alarming proportions since NarendraModi is at the helm. In so-called secular India, AbulKalam Azad’s hope of equal opportunities and respect for minorities has been shattered, as Hindu fanaticism is on the rise.
