Escalating Tensions: Muslims Face Discrimination and Harassment Across India

Across India, the Muslim community is facing a disturbing pattern of discrimination, harassment, and targeted actions by authorities, raising concerns about the erosion of their rights and freedoms, according to several articles published on The Wire, The Express Tribune, Carion and Muslim Mirror.

In Uttar Pradesh, the police have issued threats and warnings to Muslims, prohibiting them from offering namaz (prayers) on the roads during the Eid festival. The Meerut police chief has warned that cases will be filed and passports may be cancelled if the order is defied. This move has been criticized as an overreach of police powers, as the decision to punish should lie with the courts, not the police.

Similar restrictions have been imposed in other parts of the state, with the Sambhal police issuing an order banning namaz even on private terraces. These actions are seen as a psychological war against Muslims, attempting to portray them as a threat to public order and manipulate the minds of Hindus.

In Maharashtra’s Beed district, an explosion inside a mosque caused structural damage, leading to protests by the Muslim community. Two suspects were arrested, and the incident followed a communal procession where casteist remarks were made, and the mosque’s construction was questioned.

The situation has escalated further in Haryana’s Gurugram, where authorities demolished the homes of approximately 300 migrant workers from West Bengal, allegedly without prior notice. The workers, who earn their living through occupations such as rickshaw pulling and factory work, claim that the action was based on suspicion of them being “Bangladeshi” due to their Bengali language.

The demolition has sparked outrage, with the affected workers expressing their frustration at being targeted for their identity. They argue that the issue was not about illegal encroachment but a targeted attack on Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the city is bracing for a massive security deployment of nearly 14,000 police personnel during the upcoming Gudi Padwa and Eid-Ul-Fitr celebrations. While the authorities claim this is to ensure a safe and peaceful environment, the scale of the deployment raises concerns about the potential for harassment and profiling of the Muslim community.

These incidents highlight a worrying trend of the Indian state actively working to marginalize and criminalize the Muslim community, echoing the discriminatory policies of the colonial era. Experts warn that this “Hindutva-isation of India” is creating a rift between Hindus and Muslims, with the state machinery now actively fueling the divide.

As the Muslim community faces these challenges, the onus lies on the Indian government to uphold the principles of secularism and protect the rights of all its citizens, regardless of their religious affiliation.