Rising Violence and Discrimination Against Muslims in India Amid Growth of Hindu Nationalist Movements

Rising Violence and Discrimination Against Muslims in India Amid Growth of Hindu Nationalist Movements
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In recent years, India has witnessed the expansion of extremist Hindu nationalist movements and majoritarian policies that threaten the security, rights, and daily lives of its Muslim minority. Discrimination and violence against Muslims have increasingly become a part of everyday life.

The influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has driven significant social and political shifts. According to Al Jazeera, the RSS, active since 1925, promotes a “Hindu India” ideology, aiming to reshape the country’s national identity around Hindu religious principles.

This approach has led to systematic marginalization of Muslims and Christians in education, employment, and social life. Public displays of violence, such as the killing of a seven-year-old child in Azamgarh and the suppression of peaceful “I Love Muhammad” demonstrations, have been widely circulated in national media and social networks, normalizing such acts. The silence of the majority population has further reinforced implicit complicity.

Religious symbolism, including the construction of the Ram Temple on the ruins of the Babri Mosque and the glorification of converts to Hinduism, reflects attempts to impose majority identity while reducing minority influence. Experts warn that these policies undermine civil institutions, weaken India’s capacity to maintain religious and cultural diversity, and threaten both social cohesion and democratic legitimacy.

A nation once proud of its pluralism now faces the risk of normalizing discrimination and violence, placing the social and legal future of millions of Muslims in serious jeopardy.