Uttar Pradesh trying to sow new divisions between Hindus and Muslims
The BJP-led state government wants hoteliers and restaurateurs to display their names, so that Hindu pilgrims visiting Shiva temples at this time of the year can avoid Muslim-run establishments. The Supreme Court stayed the state order and will re-examine the matter later. The district where the order was supposed to apply saw serious violence in 2013.
Lucknow (AsiaNews) – The Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issued an order requiring hotels, restaurants, and vendors along the route of a Hindu pilgrimage to display the name of the owners, but the case has gone before India’s highest court.
On Monday, the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling staying the decision, which state governments ostensibly adopted to prevent religious unrest during the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage dedicated to Shiva that began on Monday from the Ganges River, near Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and will end 2 August after pilgrims visit various local temples dedicated to the deity.
The original order, issued on 17 July for the Muzaffarnagar district, seeks to identify Muslim vendors to ensure that Hindu pilgrims buy only from Hindus.
The government of Uttar Pradesh, led by BJP, an ultranationalist Hindu party, defended the decision before the Supreme Court, arguing that it was taken to maintain peace and tranquility.
Even minor confusions regarding the type of food served to pilgrims (kanwariyas) can hurt their religious feelings and cause unrest, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar, said lawyers representing the state.
The Supreme Court has challenged this argument, announcing today that it will fully examine the case before issuing a final ruling.
Muzaffarnagar district was the scene of sectarian violence in August-September 2013. Two young Hindus murdered a Muslim man, sparking unrest that left more than 60 people dead and 50,000 people displaced, mostly Muslims, not to mention gang rapes and other sexual violence against women.
The districts of Muzaffarnagar and Shaml are in western Uttar Pradesh, and are home to ethnic Jat, both Hindus and Muslims, dedicated largely to sugarcane production.
This is one of the areas where the Bharatiya Janata Party has managed to increase its influence by turning the story of local communities on its head. Traditionally, in rural areas like Muzaffarnagar, caste divisions, rather than religion, had determined differences.
Instead, local BJP leaders fuelled sectarian divisions and widespread violence by making the disadvantaged castes believe that they could achieve what they had always been denied.
After the two Hindus killed the Muslim man, a group of Muslims sought revenge. Shortly afterwards, BJP leaders posted a fake video on social media, which was quickly picked up, claiming that it showed a recent massacre of Hindus. In fact, it was about an incident that took place in Pakistan several years earlier, but the images went viral in a few hours, sparking unrest.
The difficulties of determining what happened has meant that many people have been denied justice. While some people have been convicted, independent reports blame local officials for the outbreak of violence and law enforcement for poorly handling the situation.
In India’s parliamentary election that ended in early June, the socialist Samajwadi party won in many other districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Muzaffarnagar.
This historic result for the party has made it the third largest political force after the BJP and the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress. Its success represents a refusal of years of divisive politics and new sectarian tensions.
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12/09/2022 18:34
11/01/2022 16:49
