Is there more to horrific Udaipur incident and Snowballing Communalism?

A tailor in Udaipur was brutally murdered by two men on Tuesday. The gruesome murder was recorded and the video has gone viral on social media. The shopkeeper is believed to have been killed over a social media post supporting BJP leader Nupur Sharma. The ramifications of the incident led to communal tensions across 33 districts of Rajasthan.

Top politicians have condemned the horrific act. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said such heinous acts will only serve to upset harmonious living.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the killing and demanded the arrest of the suspended BJP spokesperson for her remarks against Islam.

Union Home Ministry tweeted: -

MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday.
The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated.

There is doubtless failure of state machinery in providing protection to the deceased "Kanhaiya Lal" despite the fact that there was a reasonable apprehension of threat to his life.

Internet has been suspended all over 33 districts of Rajasthan. Udaipur and other cities have been fortified with heavy police machinery. The sensitive locations have also been stationed with police. The business and economic activities have been severely affected because of internet restrictions.

But the questions is Could this be a permanent solution. In the past few years, similar acts have been repeated and the angst of the public is soothed by deploying police forces and restricting the internet. This is just another day's news for any Indian citizen.

There are endless what's app messages. Instagram posts and tweets have a tendency to further provoke the already worsened situation. Every single individual in the Muslim community has been made a scapegoat. The whole drama is around the villainising whole Muslim community

As has been aptly put by Advocate Karuna Nundy

Terrorism in the name of Islam doesn't make them any more representative of Muslims than terrorism in the name of Hinduism makes Babu Bajrangi my representative.

Various Islamic scholars and institutions have condemned this horrific act. Ajmer Dargah Deewan Zainul Abedin Ali Khan said that Muslims of India will never allow “Talibanisation” of their mindset.

The main question that arises is what kind of narrative led to this horrific act. Lately, we have been seeing instances of communal disharmony snowballing. These instances are more observed in non-bjp ruled states like West Bengal, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Muslims homes have been bulldozed in Delhi and various parts of UP by the present regime without following due procedure. Their culture of clothes and food has consistently been questioned by the majority. They are treated as an outsider to the nation who have forcefully made their way to the nation.

In April 2022, there have been repeated instances of Hindu Mobs doing provocative acts in Muslim neighbourhoods.

AlJazeera wrote : -

Dozens of videos have been going viral on Indian social media since Sunday, showing processions of Hindu men wearing saffron scarves – and, in some cases, carrying sticks and swords – stopping their motorcycles in Muslim neighbourhoods, playing provocative songs laced with threats of genocide outside homes and mosques, and raising hate slogans.

Bulldozing the homes and properties of Muslims accused of crimes – even if a trial is still underway in the courts – is a phenomenon that has been seen before in BJP-ruled states. The practise started in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, governed by a hardline saffron-clad Hindu monk known for his hate speech against Muslims.

A similar pattern of hate speech against Muslims and violence was also reported in several other Indian states, including Jharkhand and West Bengal in the east – both states governed by parties opposed to the BJP.

It is evident that the bulldozing activity was aimed at only, destroying their homes, livelihoods, and places of worship. It is part of a systematic campaign by Hindutva activists to wipe out Muslims and their way of life.

The Udaipur horrific act has been condemned by major Islamic institutions. But the present regime is absolutely silent on perpetual and planned violence against the Muslim community. The mainstream media (not journalists) have been cherry-picking issues which suit the interest of the government. Do check the video where our team "The Philox" has talked about the propaganda of the media.

The government has taken no action against Nupur Sharma for her blatant statement against Islamic Prophet which has a tendency to excite disaffections between two communities. needless to say, the Udaipur horrific act is also connected to her statement. Do check out the video our team has made on the issue.

Not just Nupur Sharma, at various conferences Hindu leader makes provocative statements without fear of law and order. No mainstream media and no politicians of the ruling government ever condemn the statement.

Such horrific acts won't stop until our Government steps in and takes measures to stop instances of communalism. But the issue is our government won't sustain for long if such issues are tackled and dealt with.

In all probability, our government won't take any measures to harmonise different religious faith. Rather, they will keep building the manufactured narratives for their political benefits.

In that case, it is the responsibility of each individual to foster the feeling of brotherhood and boycott every mass media, provocative messages and most importantly the political party propagating communalist views.