10 years of India's march towards Muslim genocide

On this day, the 26^th of May 2014, Narendra Modi was announced as Prime Minister of India. His administration, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would change the face of India for years to come and enable the gradual and systematic genocide of Muslims in India.

Contents

Modi raised amongst the ranks of Hindutva nationalists The Modi Effect Rewriting history and erasing Muslim identity in India How should we respond?Also read

For almost a decade, Modi has been proactive in perpetuating a narrative in line with the right- wing Hindu nationalist ideology known as Hindutva, which promotes a pan-Hindu nation. This vision is envisaged at the expense of millions of other minority religious groups in India. Such groups include not only Muslims, but also Sikhs, Christians, and others.

Modi raised amongst the ranks of Hindutva nationalists

From a very young age, Modi has been committed to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a paramilitary organisation which, like the BJP, sits under a larger umbrella organisation called the Sangh Parivar. [1]

The RSS builds its members to see the integration of multiple faiths in Indian society as a threat to the “motherland”, which they claim should be purely Hindu. This nationalist vision has manifested into violent suppression of Muslims and other religious minority groups.

A prominent leader of the RSS, Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar, was inspired by fascist movements in 20^th century Europe. He compared the supremacy of Hindus in India to the supremacy of the so-called Aryan race in Hitler’s Germany.

Golwalkar once stated,

“To keep up the purity of its race and culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging of the country of the Semitic races—the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here … a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by.” [2]

This is exactly the kind of pretext under which the RSS was founded, and Modi has been a life-long supporter of such ideals and values.

The Modi Effect

It is estimated that 3 out of 4 ministers in the ruling BJP are also members of the RSS. [2]

The impact of this is not only seen through state-sanctioned violence against Muslims and impunity of officials responsible for such crimes, but it has also harboured a culture of open hatred and the calling of violence towards the Muslim community with little accountability for the perpetrators.

On numerous occasions, Hindutva activists and leaders have incited their followers to carry out a genocide against Muslims in India.

Pooja Shakun Pandey, National Secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha, once said,

“Nothing is possible without weapons. If you want to eliminate their population, then kill them. Be ready to kill and be ready to go to jail. Even if one hundred of us are ready to kill 20 lakhs [hundred thousand] of them (Muslims), then we will be victorious, and go to jail…

“Like [Nathuram] Godse, I am ready to be maligned, but I will pick up arms to defend my Hindutva from every demon who is a threat to my religion.” [3]

Similarly, Swami Prabodhanand Giri, President of the Hindu Raksha Sena, has previously said,

“There is no more time, the case now is that either you prepare to die now, or get ready to kill; there’s no other way.

“This is why, like in Myanmar, the police here, the politicians here, the army and every Hindu must pick up weapons and we will have to conduct this cleanliness drive (safai abhiyan). There is no solution apart from this.” [3]

Rewriting history and erasing Muslim identity in India

Under Modi’s jurisdiction, India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training has authorised the significant altering of history textbooks which has been argued to be in line with Hindutva nationalist agenda. [4]

Affected textbooks have erased any mention of Mughal emperors or their rich history and contributions to India. [5]

Such books have also removed any reference to Hindu nationalist Godse, who assassinated Gandhi. In fact, they now frame the man who influenced his thinking, Vinayak Savarkar, as a courageous “freedom fighter”.

Mention of the 2002 Gujarat riots and its links to the BJP have also been erased as an attempt to push out Modi’s right-wing agenda. [5]

It is these subtle yet sinister moves that are leading to the silent erasure of Muslims in Indian society.

Why are @ODEONCinemas @vuecinemas @cineworld showing/displaying India's latest anti-Muslim propaganda with the film 'The Kerala Story'?

Latest example of India's far-right Hindutva narrative finding willing audiences here?

Just this week, new evidence emerges it fuelled…
— Islam21c (@Islam21c) May 17, 2023

How should we respond?

In light of recent events including the screening of the poisonous film, The Kerala Story, on top of new evidence showing that the violence in Leicester last year was fuelled by Hindutva-aligned activists, be a means of support and a voice for the 200-million-strong Muslims in India by raising awareness and sharing their testimonies!

If you live in the UK, do what you can to pressure the British government into investigating RSS and BJP sympathisers and activists aligned with their violent ideology in this country.

Pressure should also be put on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other world leaders to place sanctions on the Indian government and avoid being complicit in collaborating with a fascist administration.