India dispatches: ‘Today, hearing that a Muslim man was lynched or beaten up has become routine.’
In the last two months in India, we have seen Muslims being harassed, publicly beaten, and in certain cases even lynched at the hands of right-leaning Hindu protectors. Why is this becoming the new norm, and is there any safeguard against it? While many citizens allege that it started getting worse soon after the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected at the center in 2014, the problem has always existed; I think it just came to light when the government started to look the other way.
Consider how such vile instances are treated by the authorities. For instance, late last month a Muslim man selling bangles in the state of Madhya Pradesh was mercilessly thrashed in broad daylight by a group of men because he was apparently operating in a “Hindu Area” and had reportedly given a false name to the police.
His assailants also allegedly robbed him during the incident, which occurred on a regular Sunday afternoon. In response, the state’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra stated that bitterness is bound to arise if a man hides his name, religion and caste. These shocking and rather inciting comments were made by an elected representative of the government….
