It did not get great publicity but a recent U.N. report on religious freedom in India offers a stinging image of a country suffering from communal divisions and mob-inspired religious persecution.
It argues there is a very real risk of a repeat of a tragedy like the Gujarat riots of 2002, when more than 2,000 people, mainly Muslims,were killed by Hindu mobs.
The U.S. Special Rapporteur of religion or belief Asma Jahangir, a well-respected Pakistani human rights activist, travelled to India last March to prepare the report. It catalogues violence and discrimination faced by India’s religious minorities, whether Muslim or Christian or Sikh.
“Organised groups claiming roots in religious ideologies have unleashed all pervasive fear of mob violence in many parts of the country.” the report, released on Jan. 26, says.
“There is at present a real risk that similar communal violence might happen again unless political exploitation of communal distinctions is effectively prevented,”
The report makes special mention of Gujarat,. It says the Hindu nationalist state government of Gujarat — headed by Narendra Modi and a favourite of many Indian business leaders—has done little to help victims who still live in fear of persecution.
Indeed, it says there is “is increasing ghettoization andisolation of Muslims in certain areas of Gujarat.”
The report comes after a series of incidents in India that have sparked widespread worries about the rise of religious mob violence.
Last month Hindu militants attacked a bar and assaulted women in the city of Mangalore in the Hindu nationalist-run Karnataka state. The militants – labelled the “Indian Taleban” by media – said they were trying to safeguard Indian culture.
Last year, dozens of mainly poor tribal Christians in the eastern state of Orissa were killed by Hindu mobs over the issues of religious conversion.
With general elections due by May, the political atmosphere is already charged with religious rhetoric. The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party says it wants to rebuild a Hindu temple on Ayodhya, where a mosque was razed by Hindu mobs in 1992.
The report is a timely reminder that despite all the talk of a global India, religious tension may be as pervasive as ever — especially when political parties are vying for political power.
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Whether it is written by a Pakistani or Indian, there is some truth in the report. Although it does not address the reasons causing these tensions. The real situation is not always black and white. Though it doesn’t give the right to kill Christians in Orissa, doesn’t mean they are innocent. Christians have been enticing poor Hindus to convert to Christianity. This isn’t right either. Why don’t we hear about Buddhists, Jews or Sikhs being attacked by Hindus these days? Why is it just on Muslims and Christians? Makes me think about it….
- Posted by MunavalliI agree with what Krissie said about organised religions being political tool. I don’t think jesus wanted to found a religion. religion is a concept is not very old must be 2000 years old or little more than that.
- Posted by vivekApropos your news item on UN Report On India, I just showed bias on the part of Ms Asma Jehangir based on her views on Kashmir.
As far as Hindus are concerned, the ONLY positive thing about them is that they do not proselytize as Christians do and they don’t want to establish the “Rule of their GOD” as Muslims want. Hindus don’t care what others’ religious beliefs are and how do others go about it. Hindus DO NOT need sermons on religious tolerance from followers of Abrahimic religions.
The communal violence is being dealt with by courts and/or by the law enforcement agencies.
- Posted by Kokamal BiasedNikhil:
- Posted by rajeevI did not say clearly that rationally speaking, if you have not read these holy books, then it is hard to criticize.
I have to agree with Kokamal Biased. I mean Islam is basically a terrorist religion teaching 200 ways to butcher innocents in some random country while Hinduism isn’t. So yes, all religions are not same.
- Posted by Nikhil
-Nikhil, then include all 3 Abrahamic religions as violent. Islam is lagging since Christanity already did that long time ago. It is crusade in Christanity and Jihad in Islam. Romans and pagans faced death and destruction by Christanity. The frescoes and paintings in Vatican and the ruins and the temples in Rome tell the story. Palestinians say that about Jews. I take cold bloooded murder of 100,000 (?) and so on…. in Iraq as an act of terrorism by USA, supposed to be secular but Church influenced in reality.
I feel there are 2 things for this: 1. expansionist tendencies due to conversion and 2. intolerance arising out of superiority complex (there is only 1 God and other faiths are wrong).
But I agree all religions are not the same.
Krissie:
- Posted by rajeev@Its time religion was brought into the 21st century and made obsolete in favour of a teaching of responsibility for our actions and caring in the community and family.
–I understand you preaching atheism (which is OK). But is it your own conclusion or you believe in some atheist and got influenced, which is not any different from falling a religion. You can give a blanket statement by including all religions, but do you know all religions? But I can understand what you are trying to say.
An interesting link for you:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/artic leshow/msid-132248,prtpage-1.cms
@ Krissie
I’m not Muslim, Hindu, or any other faith. I was born into the Christian faith but I have grown up since then.
–Swami Vivekananda, during late 1800s, in New York, told enthusiastic Americans not to bother to convert to Hinduism but instead encouraged them to read Gita and Vedas to become better Christians.
These thoroughly researched spiritual scriptures will provide insight into meaning of our existence in the universe. They do not separate people or encourage hatred. There is no crusade or Jihad element in them. Even atheists find them clearly acceptable. A certain IQ level makes it easy to understand the underlying concepts. You cannot ignore an established scientific research and start reinventing wheel, there simply is no need.
- Posted by AzadDP