Hardly a day passes in India without reports of Muslims or their religious institutions being targeted. The recent court order from the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh, essentially banning seminaries, adds another layer to this concerning trend. The order, affecting 2.7 million students and 10,000 teachers in 25,000 madaris, raises serious questions about religious freedom and tolerance in so-called world’s largest democracy.
Madaris have a long history in India, serving as centres of Islamic education for centuries. While concerns about their curriculum and governance may be legitimate, outright closure is not a viable solution. If Indian authorities had apprehensions about content or practices within seminaries, they should have worked towards implementing reforms rather than blanket bans, which only serve to alienate and marginalise the Muslim community further. The persistent threat faced by Muslim religious places in India cannot be ignored. Recent times have seen a disturbing trend of mosques being either demolished or taken over by Hindu extremists. This encroachment on sacred spaces exacerbates existing tensions and undermines the principles of religious coexistence.
The incident in Dharchula town, Uttarakhand, where Muslim traders are being forced to leave, is yet another example of growing atmosphere of intolerance and discrimination. The targeting of Muslim communities under the guise of being ‘outsiders’ is deeply concerning and goes against the ethos of inclusivity. Additionally, incidents of cow vigilantism, where Muslims are targeted for their dietary choices, are alarmingly common. The restriction on individuals to eat food or do business of their own choice is a violation of fundamental rights. These acts of intolerance and bigotry perpetrated by Hindu extremists validate the ideology of Pakistan as envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. His vision of a separate nation for Muslims was based on the premise that they could not coexist peacefully within a Hindu-majority India. Anyway, it is imperative that international community does not turn a blind eye to the plight of Indian Muslims. Capitals such as Washington can play a significant role by leveraging diplomatic channels to pressure the Indian government to uphold rights and freedoms of all its citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity. Rising above political and economic expediency, global community must raise its voice in solidarity with Indian Muslims and advocate for their rights on international stage.
