During the last week of February, an inter-communal riot had shaken Delhi, with over than fifty victims. Violence between Hindus and Muslims is not a very rare occurrence in India, with the latter almost always being most affected by the pogroms. Unfortunately, the situation doesn't seem to improve, as militant Hinduism has been become trendier lately, while this tendency is actively encouraged by the authorities. Actually, the tolerance of the state authorities for violence against religious minorities, especially under the currently ruling Indian People's Party is particularly worrying.



Party leaders were heavily involved in the attacks, while the initial spark was ignited by an IPP counter-demonstration against those who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Said legislation facilitates the acquiring of citizenship by Christian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist and other refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, with Muslims being a glaring exception. Rather unsurprisingly, the law has been accused of being discriminatory on a religious basis. Meanwhile, both the police and the health services have been criticised for their behaviour during the riots, with the former being filmed torturing victims of the attacks, some of them eventually dying from their wounds. Keep in mind that the Delhi police, unlike those of the autonomous Indian states is controlled directly by the government. Of course, the prime-minister himself has been often implicated in turning a blind eye to Hindu supremacist, as his record was already spotted during his governorship in the north-eastern province of Gujarat.

Meanwhile, he openly promotes a vigorous policy of Hindu nationalism, which has actually benefited him greatly during the elections, as he has successfully constructed an idealised profile as India's determined defender, at the expense of perceived threats, foreign or domestic, against Indian prosperity. In my opinion, Modi's right-wing populism is not going to deescalate in the foreseeable future, given its obvious efficiency and that Modi's financial reforms are viewed much more controversially by pious Hindus. His liberalisation of economy, by endorsing privatisation, promoting international investments, curtailing labour rights and relaxing environmental requirements has been praised as responsible for the growth of Indian economy. However, it has also caused unrest, as trade unions inevitably disagreed, while unemployment and income inequality actually increased. As a result, empty appeals at the glory of a Hindu, Indian identity can serve as a valuable red herring to distract voters from more pressing matters, at the expense of course of the weak scapegoats: Poor Muslims, whom their Hindu neighbors are manipulated to blame for their ills.

For a quick summary, Patrick Cockburn provides as usual an enlightening piece.