India: Tensions Rise Over Vandalism and Land Disputes, Mainly Targeting Muslims
India is currently experiencing heightened communal tensions, fueled by incidents of religious vandalism and land disputes, particularly involving Muslim communities.
In Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim shrine, known as the tomb of Nawab Abdus Samad, was vandalized by a group of Hindutva members on August 11, Clarion India reported. The group, reportedly from organizations like the Math Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti, BJP, and Bajrang Dal, chanted the slogan “Jai Shree Ram” and claimed the 150-year-old tomb was built on an ancient Hindu temple.
The shrine, officially recorded as Maqbara Mangi under Khasra Number 753 and listed as national property, was allegedly damaged with hammers and rods. This incident occurred during the ongoing Muharram observances, which Muslim community leaders believe was a deliberate act of provocation. The police have deployed forces and set up barricades to prevent further clashes, while opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and Congress have condemned the incident, accusing the ruling party of fostering intolerance.
In Assam, a separate incident saw the demolition of a madrasa and a mosque’s boundary wall in the Jorhat district by the administration on August 12. The action was prompted by allegations from the nationalist organization Bir Lachit Sena, which claimed the structures were illegally built on public land. The administration, while citing a “routine drive” to clear unauthorized constructions, has yet to produce official records confirming the encroachment.
This demolition aligns with a broader trend in Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has defended eviction drives targeting “Miya Muslims,” a term for Bengali-speaking Muslims. Sarma claims these evictions are intended to clear encroachments on forests, wetlands, and grazing lands to secure land rights for indigenous tribes under the Forest Rights Act. Critics, however, argue that these actions are politically motivated and discriminatory, aimed at polarizing voters ahead of elections. Since 2016, the BJP government has cleared 1.39 lakh bighas of land, with renewed efforts commencing in June 2025. These actions have sparked protests in Muslim-majority areas, with critics labeling the evictions as illegal and discriminatory.
