OVER the past few decades, constitutionally secular India has undergone a significant ideological and political transformation, increasingly shaped by Hindutva-driven Hindu nationalism and majoritarian politics. According to reports by human rights organizations and other independent sources, concerns have grown over discrimination against Muslims and the erosion of their religious and civil rights. Administrative measures, land-encroachment notices and demolitions targeting Muslim religious and community properties have become particularly contentious in recent years. Between 2020 and 2026, more than 2,000 administrative actions reportedly involved Muslim religious and community properties.
These actions included the demolition of more than dozens of mosques, madaris and shrines across several Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi. More recently, in October 2026, reports emerged that the historic Race Course Road Mosque in New Delhi, a century-old place of worship situated near the Indian Prime Minister’s residence, had been ordered to be demolished. Such developments have intensified concerns about the systematic marginalization of Muslims, the protection of religious heritage and the implications of majoritarian politics for India’s constitutional commitment to secularism.
The essence of Hindutva is not simply Hinduism or Hindustani but, it is a demand that, all those living in India must convert into Hinduism. Muslims, forming the biggest minority (over 17% of total Indian population) is the main target of Hindutva philosophy. There are two main causes of targeting the Indian Muslims; a) Muslims have ruled India for over 800 years and b) Muslim have highest birth rate in India, once compare with all other minorities and even the Hindus. These two aspects are the main reasons for promoting the sense of Islamophobia within India.
The Hindutva followers in India have clearly visualized the Muslims and Islam as their rivals. From 2014 onwards, BJP as the ruling party in India and its Hindutva militant outfits especially RSS have fully exploited the time and space for the promotion of their anti-Muslim objectives. The abovementioned two causes were used by Hindutva followers as two main narratives to promote Islamophobia in India. The BJP, RSS and other Hindutva militant organizations have widely propagated among Hindus that, during centuries of Muslim’s rule in India, Hindus were forced to convert their faith to become Muslims.
Had Muslims followed this forceful conversion strategy, the entire India would have converted into Muslims, since there was an absolute Muslim rule (Kingdom) for centuries. The Muslim rulers never followed such a strategy, which goes against the essence of Islamic teachings. Holy Quran clear says; “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” There is no doubt that after establishment of Muslim Rule in India, a substantial population converted into Islam through a process of preaching and excellent and just human values of Muslims, yet a huge number of Indians remained Hindu and followers of other religions.
They were never forced and compelled to convert into Islam to become Muslims. This is totally an incorrect narrative; Hindutva followers have been propagating for decades and now Indian Government under BJP has officially adopted as its covert strategy against Muslims. The Citizenship Amendment Act-2019 (CAA-2019) is part of the same strategy where millions of Muslims were stripped-off from their citizenship. This is a violation of the basic structure of Indian constitution, the humanitarian delacration-1948 and above all the Character of United Nations. Indian intellectuals, scholars, academicians and leftover liberal class must re-asses this falsified narratives of promoting Islamophobia and abhorrence as a campaign against India Muslims.
The next narrative of BJP and RSS (Hindutva Proponents) for promotion of Islamophobia in India is about the high birth rate, a resultant rise in the Muslim population. This is the estimation of the research wings of BJP and RSS that, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in India which means Muslim population may become equal to Hindu population between 2075-2095. Muslims anywhere in the world do not plan their population based on any such analogy or superiority based on numerical numbers. Indeed, this has never been the basis of rule for Muslims. The 800 years of Muslim’s rule in India had absolutely no such basis. Furthermore, Muslim population growth fertility rate in all Muslim majority states is well above the global rate, thus India is not an exception.
Despite the gathering shadows of Hindutva-driven majoritarianism over a nation of more than 1.4 billion people, one must hope that India’s rational, secular and conscientious voices will rise to challenge the growing intolerance and defend the country’s pluralistic heritage. Should not these voices urge the political leadership to respect the cultural and religious identities of minorities who have coexisted with other communities and contributed to India’s social, intellectual and economic development over centuries?
The time has come for India to abandon policies and rhetoric that marginalize Muslims and instead reaffirm its constitutional commitment to secularism, equality and religious freedom. The growing concerns surrounding Islamophobia demand urgent attention, particularly where Muslims face allegations of discrimination, persecution, exploitation, social exclusion, humiliation and political marginalization. India’s political leadership and institutions must, therefore, take meaningful steps to protect Muslim citizens’ rights, preserve their religious and cultural heritage and ensure that the promise of constitutional equality is upheld in practice as well as in principle.
— The writer is HOD-IR, NDU, Islamabad.
