A wave of apprehensions prevails among minorities following the brutal killing of Afrazul Islam in Rajasthan. A question which is haunting the minds of all, especially minorities is, does Indian democracy have no place for minorities especially Muslims? Anti-Muslim riots and violence are not new to India but today they have taken a new turn. The situation has become so worse that the culprits are feeling proud of themselves after carrying out such barbarism. They feel that it is their obligation to have hate feelings against Muslims if they are Hindu and patriots. No doubt they enjoy backing of government and administration.
In a recent such incident Shambhu Lal in Rajasthan hacks 45-year-old, Mohammad Afrazul, a daily wager from West Bengal to death and burns the body while keeping up an inflammatory communal rant against “love jihad”, the term used by rightwing groups who accuse Muslim men of drawing Hindu women into relationships and converting them.
Shambhu Lal also made references to Ayodhya, the Padmavati film controversy and the Hindi film PK, which featured a romance between an Indian and a Pakistani. Apparently referring to Hindu-Muslim relationships, he threatens to “find each one of them and kill.”
JNU research scholar Abhay Kumar in an article claims that Shambhu is not the only one to have such hate feelings against Muslims. There are many. They are trained and brain-washed. They are roaming about to kill any Afrazul- Islam or Junaid. They are ‘manufactured’ in saffron-lab. Anti-Muslim violence has entered into a phase where it is incited to take arms to teach Muslims a ‘lesson’. They justify their atrocities.
If you look at the video of Shambhu Lal which went viral, you will find saffron flag behind him. His speech contained all those topics which are being politicized by saffron forces. In the video Shambhu Lal said he put his life at risk for the sake of Hindu sisters who get caught in the ‘love trap’ of Jihadis. He further said Hindu girls are exploited in the name of ‘love jihad’ the poison exported from Islamic countries is destroying the young generation of Hindus.
This raises many questions. Was the argument put forth by Shambhu Lal his own? Aren’t the arguments put forth by Shambhu Lal and saffron political leaders have similarities? Are saffron outfits not the creator of fake arguments of love jihad and anti-Muslim propaganda?
Shambhu Lal has appealed Hindus to rise above the caste and creed and unite against Jihadis. Generally saffron organisations appeal Hindus to sink caste differences. In other words they are asking backward classes to forget unequal behavior and exploitation and hold some other (Muslims) responsible for their backwardness. Thus whatever Shambhu Lal was saying; the script was written somewhere else.
Rajasthan assembly elections will be held next year. Communal forces will use this issue to attract Hindu voters.