‘Trump Army’ campaigns for Hindutva in Uttar Pradesh

The Newspaper's Correspondent Published February 5, 2017

NEW DELHI: A self-styled Trump Sena (Trump Army) has been raised by young Hindutva groups in India’s western Uttar Pradesh region to intimidate Muslims and Christians and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), in assembly elections due this month, reports said on Saturday.

The Indian Express said the group has been inspired by US President Donald Trump’s decision to bar immigration from Muslim countries said to be harbouring terrorists.

The Trump Army showed its first support at BJP President Amit Shah’s rally at Pilkuwa, Hapur, on Friday. Pilkuwa falls under Dhaulana assembly seat in Hapur district from where BJP has fielded its four-time MP, Dr Ramesh Chand Tomar.

Widespread anti-Muslim violence polarised general elections in 2014 in Uttar Pradesh, which saw Mr Modi sweeping the state with 70-plus seats out of its 80. The assembly elections have been so far shorn of communal violence although Hindutva groups have been vocal about controversial issues like a proposed temple in Ayodhya and cow slaughter.

Many rightwing Hindus in India and the United States supported Mr Trump’s election bid saying they were impressed by his anti-Muslim election rhetoric. The Trump Army accuses Muslims in western Uttar Pradesh of plotting an en masse Hindu emigration from the region, which has never been independently verified.

“Trump Sena has been formed to end atrocities being committed on Hindus in western UP,” the Express quoted the group as saying.

“Hindus are being forced to leave their properties behind and migrate. We are inspired by what US President Donald Trump is doing. We also support Yogi Adityanath for giving a call to end migration of Hindus from western UP. We understand Dr Ramesh Chand Tomar’s concerns how demography of assembly segments in western UP is being systematically changed to suppress Hindu community. Therefore Trump Sena has been formed to stop all this.”

The group said Trump Sena volunteers would pan out in the entire state starting from western UP and assure Hindus that they were with them.

“Anyone getting threats from anyone to migrate can contact us. We will stand behind them and given them full protection. A lot of youths are joining us every day and soon we will become a formidable force and not let atrocities committed on Hindus. We will mobilise youths and also start campaign against ‘love jihad’,” the group said.

It said since Muslim clerics can issue fatwas to support Muslim candidates, the Trump Army would also ask people to support BJP and Hindu candidates.

Published in Dawn February 5th, 2017

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lucky

Feb 05, 2017 12:05pm

It's time now that all the foreign imports & aliens breeding in India should be sent back to where their forefathers belonged.

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Mirza Mahmud Askari, Dhaka

Feb 05, 2017 01:28pm

Very recently I was in Kolkata, the city with about 20% muslims and West Bengal (WB)with 27% muslims. I was very sad to see the socio-economic condition of muslims in WB. They are so poor and margilized. According to Sachar comission WB muslims has only 3% government jobs despite they are 27% in the state. Both bengali muslims 25% and Urdu speaking muslims 2% hundred years behind the main stream Hindu bengalis. Muslims in WB has always been used as vote bank by the political parites. Thanks God, we were first Pakistanies and then Bangladeshis- an independent muslim majority country.

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Raza

Feb 05, 2017 06:42pm

@lucky: Then what? The rising tide of fascist idea come from rising population of the world and fight for resources. In places like India, where such movements are inspiring for people on right are interesting phenomena from a dialectical point of view. For example , imagine all muslims, christians and sikhs are gone from India or eliminated somehow. Then the conflicts between different caste for the resources will arise. The age old conflict of class and segregation, which has not been addressed until this date.

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Jay SHah

Feb 05, 2017 11:55pm

@MIRZA MAHMUD ASKARI...Mr. Jinnah have envisioned this in early 1900... Unfortunately, we did not get another comparable leader after his passing.

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IMTIAZ ALI KHAN

Feb 06, 2017 03:53am

@Mirza Mahmud Askari, Dhaka We in Pakistan don't have anything against Bangladeshi Brethren most people in Pakistan have very favorable views about Bangladesh. It's sad to see the state of Affair of Muslims in West Bengal in India, but with all due honesty minority in Pakistan and Bangladesh aren't living a lavish life either. We people of South Asia need to be together and strong from all different faiths. Our true strength is our diversity of language, race, religion etc., This played wrong can also cause us pain and separation example Pakistan, Bangladesh carved out from India. We must think of our diversity as our ultimate strength. This is the way we will prosper for a better future. No one should use faith to cause hate, faith is there for love and good energy. Love to Humanity and praying for people where ever they are suffering. Love from Pakistan to Bangladesh.

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