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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