Delhi Riots 2020, a preplanned conspiracy? Current situation, facts, root causes, and aftermaths.

Delhi Riots 2020, Root causes of Delhi riots and aftermaths, Delhi Riots Facts, Gujrat Riots

Delhi riots 2020 included various incidents involving religiously driven bloodshed, rioting, and property destruction in the North-Eastern part of Delhi. Indian Home Minister declared these riots a preplanned conspiracy against Indian unity. This bloodshed began on 23rd February at night and caused the deaths of over 55 people. Most of the victims were Muslims who were shot, set afire, or cut using irregular blows (Slater, J., & Masih, 2020). Different pictures and videos emerged showing the scenes where wounded Muslims were beaten and forced to recite and memorize the national anthem in order to prove their loyalty.

Facts
The Muslim population in India is 200 million that is 14% of the total population. The local administration failed to protect the rights of this prominent minority in Delhi. According to an independent survey, over 120 houses, 320 shops, at least 2 schools, 3 factories, 4 mosques, and 300 vehicles were burnt or damaged during the riots. These properties mostly belonged to Muslims. In addition to that, thousands of people left their houses in order to save their lives (Express, 2020).

Despite the failure of the Delhi police, many Hindu families reportedly helped their Muslim neighbors. Many areas between Maujpur and Jaffrabad, that have a mixed population of Muslims and Hindus, guarded one another by barricading the neighborhood in order to prevent mobs from entering their areas. There were many other cases as well where both communities maintained communal harmony in their surroundings (Alavi & Jain, 2020).

The alarming thing regarding these riots is that the Delhi police department is facing accusations from witnesses, victims, opposition politicians, human rights organizations, and Muslim leaders that Delhi police could not protect minorities, and in certain situations, even incited violent attacks on Muslims. UN high commissioner for human rights also expressed his concerns over these killings. Similarly, the “US Commission on International Religious Freedom” also showed concerns over allegations of targeting and potentially disenfranchising Muslims in India (USCIRF, 2020).
Possible Causes of Delhi Riots
Many experts and analysts have proposed various theories to analyze the Delhi Riots in 2020. One prevailing opinion is that the Indian central government supported these riots to disperse the Protestants across India. In December 2019, protests started across India in response to the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) that allowed fast-tracked naturalization for all the immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. CAA is believed to be discriminatory to a Muslim community living in India (The Hindu, 2020).

CAA threatens Muslims’ existence when it gets combined with anticipated NRC (National Register of Citizens). BJP leaders, in an effort to disperse protesters, issued threats to Delhi Police and gave a deadline to clear the protest sites within a week. Top officials of Delhi police were warned to face the consequences if they failed to clear the areas. So, it is strongly believed that the Delhi police incited these riots under the pressure of the central government (Serhan, 2020).

Another opinion is that the Delhi riots were the reflection of "Gujrat Riots 2002," where more than 1000 people were killed. The majority of victims of the Gujarat riots were also Muslims. Riots initiated after 60 Hindu pilgrims got killed in a train fire. The coincidence is that Mr. Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time and police were also accused of supporting mob. This fact indicates the direct or indirect involvement of the BJP government in the Delhi riots.
Hindutva ideology can be considered the root cause of violent riots in Delhi. The organizations like RSS have been the followers of this poisonous Hindutva philosophy. So, blood on the streets of New Delhi may not simply be the religious conflict but also a political conflict among two visions of India. One vision assumes India to be the secular state whereas, the other vision wants to make India a Hindu nationalist country. It was believed in even previous decades that BJP’s stance on Hindutva philosophy and conversion policy coincides with ever-increasing violent attacks on religious minorities in India (Marshall, 2004).

So, Delhi riots can somehow be related to Hindutva thinking. RSS and its allies are dreaming of a new brand of aggressive Hindutva that won’t provide space to other religious minorities in India. Many Hindus in India and across the world have also stood against this prevailing Hindutva culture in Indian society. The recent example is the protest by a progressive activist group based in the US. The group comprising Indian students strongly condemned the Delhi riots during President Trump’s maiden visit to India. The participants opposed the Hindutva ideology and claimed that most parts of the riots were allegedly carried out by right-wing Hindu extremists against Muslims (Kapur, 2020).

Therefore, the evidence suggests that the Delhi riots were not a conspiracy. Rather, these riots were incited by the prevailing extremism in the Indian culture. Some elements like protests against CAA and NRC can only be considered minor factors that caused this bloodshed. Delhi Police has been denying all the allegations and claiming to arrest over 1000 people who were allegedly involved in spreading the violence. The silence of the central BJP government over Delhi riots during earlier days, and the allegations on PM Modi regarding Gujrat riots may also be the coincidence. But, the current situation of Muslims in India raises serious questions regarding the safety of religious minorities in India in the years to come. 





Sources

Alavi, M., & Jain, S. (2020). At Epicentre Of Delhi Riots, How A Mohalla Of Hindus And Muslims Kept Peace. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-violence-at-epicentre-of-delhi-riots-how-a-mohalla-of-hindus-and-muslims-kept-peace-2186047
Express. (2020).Thousands of extremists brought to Delhi. Muslims attacked. Investigating commission. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://www.express.pk/story/2015020/10/?fbclid=IwAR24DH3SMbNDVo_zxFzJqPm5CSmBxnq43oKwNNxexA2J_xDp0HDMQILV2LE
Kapur, M. (2020). A black & white “Holi Against Hindutva” for Indian students in the US protesting Delhi riots. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://qz.com/india/1811015/yale-harvard-princetons-indian-students-to-protest-delhi-riots/
Marshall, P. (2004). Hinduism and Terror. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://www.hudson.org/research/4575-hinduism-and-terror
Serhan, Y. (2020). India Failed Delhi. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/india-modi-hindu-muslim-delhi-riots/607315/
Slater, J., & Masih, N. (2020). In Delhi’s worst violence in decades, a man watched his brother burn. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-delhis-worst-violence-in-decades-a-man-watched-his-brother-burn/2020/03/05/892dbb12-5e45-11ea-ac50-18701e14e06d_story.html
The Hindu, H. (2020). Shaheen Bagh residents brave the cold as anti-CAA stir enters Day 15. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/shaheen-bagh-residents-brave-the-cold-as-anti-caa-stir-enters-day-15/article30422794.ece
USCIRF. (2020). USCIRF Condemns Violence in India’s Capital City. Retrieved 9 March 2020, from https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/press-releases-statements/uscirf-condemns-violence-in-india-s-capital-city

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