T he Hindu chauvinism is a centuries old phenomenon in which Dalit and other untouchable castes had been persecuted. In modern world, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar laid the foundations of Hindu nationalism / extremism in 1923, when his seminal work Hindutva (Who is a Hindu?) became the source of principles that shaped the ideology of Hindu nationalism / extremism. This was followed by the establishment of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in 1925, aimed at ensuring the unity of Hindu community to form Hindu Rashtra (Hindu Nation). After independence, the RSS came up with its own political wing, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, but failed to mobilize the Hindu community to form Hindu Rashtra.
However, the RSS had a rebirth in 1980 when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was launched as its political face. Since then, it has successfully socialized its narrative within the Indian society, aimed at marginalization of minorities. Babri Mosque incident of 1992 and anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 reflects the gradual internalization of extremist narrative propagated by the RSS and the BJP.
Narendar Modi, a staunch advocate of the establishment of Hindutva as the dominant ideology in secular India, assumed power as the prime minister in 2014. Under Modi administration, persecution of Muslims, Christians and other minorities including Dalits and Sikhs continued unabated as Modi won the elections with anti Muslim / Pakistan theme.
Now for elections of 2019, he again started same rhetoric but after failure in aftermath of Pulwama attack, he unleashed atrocities on innocent Kashmiris. So it can be said that India under Modi has lost her long maintained character of being a secular and largest democracy of the World as rights of minorities under Modi are not only being violated but they are subjected to worst kind of atrocities. In addition to religious persecution, social discrimination is also prevailed in India. Dalit people are considered ‘untouchable’; higher caste people would not marry a Dalit, invite them into their home or share food with them.
Dalit children sit separately from other children in schools. Almost 1 out of every 3 govt schools in rural areas, prohibits children from sitting together.
In a recent move, BJP has announced that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (an accused in Malegaon blast case-2008) joined the party and subsequently, was nominated for Lok Sabha seat from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She will contest against the Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh (former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister). It is one of the four seats in MP where polling is scheduled on 12 May (Phase-). BJP has remained undefeatable in Bhopal since 1989 though it has a sizeable Muslim population. By fielding Sadhvi Pragya Singh against a strong Congress candidate, the BJP is hoping for polarization. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is presently, out on bail in “2008 Malegaon bomb blast case”. It is mentioned that on 29 Sep 2008, two bombs fitted on a motorcycle exploded resulting in killing of seven people and injuring over 100 (mainly Muslims) in Malegaon which is located in Nashik District, Maharashtra and has sizable Muslim population.
Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) had booked Ms Thakur, Lt Col Purohit and several others in the case. Since then, the case was handled by three different agencies, including the CBI and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is former Akhil Bhartya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) member and the founder of “Jai Vande Mataram Jankalyan Samiti”. She is accused of supplying her bike and sending two of her confidantes – Ramji and Sandeep Dange – to do the job of planting the bomb in Motorcycles at Bhikku Chowk and Modassa Chowk, Malegoan.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur has spent nine years in jail. In 2015, the NIA apparently gave her a “clean chit” in Malegaon blast, however, investigation / court proceedings against her continued. She is also an accused in 2007 Ajmer Dargah case. In 2017, the NIA cleared Ms Singh as well as RSS leader Indresh Kumar of their involvement in that case. Interferingly, RSS activist Swami Aseemanand had confessed that Hindu extremists were involved in the case.
Interestingly, NIA has been handling terrorism incident against Muslim in a way that majority of accused Hindutva activists are gradually exonerated by exerting pressure on public prosecutors ( like Rohini Salian), not producing crucial investigation papers to the courts or influencing the courts through political quarters etc. Similarly, NIA’s handling of the Malegaon case was also beset by many doubts about the agency’s intentions.
It is analyzed / acknowledged by many Indian writers that NIA’s complicity with Hindutva extremists is reflection of Narendra Modi / BJP’s Hindu facilitation / promotion policy. NIA court’s recent decision in “Samhjota Train incident” is also regarded as a continuation of the same policy of Modi / BJP.
Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur’s nomination as BJP candidate in Lok Sabha polls has generated censure, dislike and criticism from all the walks of Indian life. Commenting on the development, former IOK Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Imagine the anger if I’d field a terror accused. Channels would’ve gone berserk by now trending a mehboobaterrorist hashtag. Omar Abdullah exclaimed that “If Sadhvi Pragya is fit to contest election; she is fit to be in jail”. An Indian writer maintained that “Just as Osama hid in the impregnable mountains of Afghanistan, the likes of Pragya will hide behind the fig leaf of the democratic ‘will of the people’ to further the agenda of extremism”. Indian public will soon be amused when BJP will nominate Swami Aseemanand and like for Lok Sabha seats. It is reiterated that Modi government has also unleashed wave of oppressive activities against liberals / Dalit activists / journalist and lawyers who were critical of his policies. Reportedly, they have been booked under fabricated charges ranging from collaborating with Urban Maoists to conspiring to murder PM Modi.
Modi’s such moves are part of BJP’s 2019 Poll strategy to gag the dissenting voice with state power. Indian intelligentsia feels that the aim is to silence those who have raised their voice against the abuse of state power and to warn others against opening their mouths. It can be concluded that Modi’s polices to encourage persecution of religious and social minorities have given impetus to the separatist movements which pose a serious threat not only to the Indian federation but also to the regional peace. So world community must take serious note of such violation of human rights and persecution of minorities.
