Ram Puniyani
(Asian independent) Communal Hate is the most divisive tool. Roughly the degree of violence is proportional to the prevalence and accentuation of ‘Hate’. This in turn leads to polarization and the situation where ghettoisation and accompanying phenomenon become the norm. As we have witnessed the rise of this phenomenon at a rapid pace during the last few decades. The religious minorities in particular feel intimidation leading them to a sense of helplessness and marginalisation. The hate has been constructed through issues of cow, love jihad, and demonization of Muslim kings among others.
A recent study by Centre for Study of Society of Society and Secularism, Mumbai presented by Irfan Engineer, Neha Dabhade and Diya Padalkar goes into details and type of hate Speeches. As per this study the number of Hate speeches declined from 2024 to 2025. They point out that though the total number of these speeches may have come down as per the data base they have used, there may be other sources of data, which cannot be accessed easily. The hate speech begins from the top is amply demonstrated by this meticulous report. The report says, “The highest number of hate speeches was made by Nitesh Rane, Minister of Fisheries and Port Development in the Maharashtra Government (10), followed by Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (6), and Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah made five. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, made three hate speeches.”
In the backdrop of this hate speech starting from the top and percolating down, while assuming more aggressive form, there are few incidents, which can indicate that despite such intense atmosphere of hate, there are series of incidents, which have happened in the recent past which indicate that though the dominant element is to abuse the religious minorities, there are many in the society who are sticking to love and amity for all.
Though there is a prevalence of demonizing religious minorities, there are still many individuals who are sticking to the values of love and amity, still upholding the values of harmony in a multi religious society. For them the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb and respect of all religious communities still matters as the core values of their life. This incident we had discussed in the last article, but now we have a better understanding of this incident. In Kotdwar in Uttarakhand, Deepak Kumar is the shining example of this. He manages a Gymnasium. When he heard some Bajrang Dal Activists harassing Vakil Ahmad, he came to intervene. Vakil Ahmad a seventy-year-old man who has been running “Baba School Dress” for the last 30 years. The hooligans confronted him saying how dare he, a Muslim, use the word Baba for his shop as this word is for Hindus. Their level of ignorance won’t tell them that the baba word is coming from Persian, used both for Hindus and Muslim seers. Deepak Kumar retaliated by saying that it is the owner’s choice as to what name he gives to his shop. When the Bajrang Dalis asked his name Deepak Kumar said Mohammad Deepak, in the deeper traditions of Indian syncretism. Now as he became known Rahul Gandhi invited him and congratulated him. Deepak Kumar is planning a Yatra, ‘Insaniyat Yatra’ to give the message of peace.
The other major incident giving some hope is from Lucknow University. Within its campus is the Lal baradari Mosque where the Muslim residents of campus used to offer Namaz. Since it is very old and not in a good condition, it has been locked and the residents are offering namaz outside the mosque. When some Muslim students during this month of Ramadan went to offer Namaz there, they were prevented by some other right-wing students from doing so. Remarkably again at this time other students from NSUI, AISA guarded them and they could offer their prayers.
In yet another incident which took place in Jalalpur village under Bommalaramaram mandal in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district on 15 February, unknown persons entered the Jama Masjid and damaged parts of the structure. Worshippers discovered the incident the next morning when they arrived for prayers. Members of the mosque committee saw the damaged part of the mosque, washroom doors which were destroyed and also the microphone system. Beer bottles were found inside the premises. Several copies of the Holy Qur’an were reportedly scattered in the compound. When this came to be known many Hindu traders reached there and undertook to get the mosque repaired at their expense! Another disturbing event was the blanket distribution in Kareda village in Tonk district of Rajasthan: A former BJP member of parliament, Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria. While distributing the blankets he asked the name of one of the elderly women. As it turned out she was a Muslim. He took the blanket back and said we don’t give this to those who abuse Modi. Three other Muslim women also returned their blankets. This insulting act infuriated others. Later workers from other parties not only condemned him but also gave blankets to the Muslim women
One Hindu woman who calls herself Hindu Sherani, Riddhima Sharma, visited the Gogavir Temple (also called Gogamedi) in Rajasthan She saw a priest there whose name was Hussain. She shouted at him as to how dare he come into the temple to do Jihad. Other devotees objected to this telling her that the temple has the tradition of having a Muslim priest!
With so many incidents of love and amity, the dominant atmosphere of hate is very heartening. What does it show? It seems that hate spreaders are dominant but get away due to state patronage. The Indian ethos of love and harmony is still very much there though not as visible. In the prevalent atmosphere where hate mongers have state patronage to the extent that the state Central Government recently funded a meeting of Sanatan Rashtra Shankhnaad, in Bharat Mandapam was given 63 Lakhs. In this event speeches against Muslims where the theme was demand for Hindu Rashtra! All this shows the resilience of Indian ethos which still survives despite the campaigns spreading Hate!
