AS India prepares for general elections next year, one can expect the Sangh Parivar to deploy dubious methods to give the ruling BJP a boost in the polls. One of the most successful — albeit dangerous — strategies in the Sangh’s playbook is to fan the flames of communalism in order to assure the BJP’s radical voter base that it remains ‘tough’ on minorities, particularly Muslims. The recent deadly clashes in BJP-ruled Haryana appear to be following this disturbing pattern. Communal clashes broke out on Monday after a Hindu procession, supported by the radical VHP and Bajrang Dal outfits, was stoned in Nuh town. In reaction, Hindu mobs burnt down a mosque in Gurgaon. At least five people have been killed in the disturbances, including two security men and an imam. Curfew has been clamped in the worst-affected parts, while extra security forces have been called in to keep the peace.

Opposition politicians said reports had been circulating several days earlier that some notorious hatemongers had been invited to attend the procession, and questioned why these figures were allowed to participate. While the exact trigger of the violence is not known, in previous instances, Hindu hardliners have been instrumental in instigating mobs to taunt and attack Muslims. Moreover, opposition members have noted that as elections draw close, the BJP will use communal violence, hate speech and minority-baiting to grab votes. Certainly, religious clashes over the past few months in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat indicate that these fears are not unfounded. The communal situation in Manipur, also a BJP-ruled state, is particularly grim. India’s central government needs to control these disturbing trends and rein in the Sangh Parivar as elections won after brutalising the country’s minorities will have little legitimacy. Furthermore, the opposition, particularly the newly formed INDIA alliance, needs to reassure minorities that it stands by them, and rejects the politics of hatred and marginalisation.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2023