Two major threats to India’s ‘Unity in Diversity’

The latest round of communal violence in Haryana is a result of the failure of the administration in anticipating and handling such situations. Perhaps, it is as much a result of the complicity of the Haryana administration at the behest of the political bosses. It is not just about the resultant loss of life or damage to the property during the arson and loot. The optics emphasise much more.

From the very first call to carry out a religious yatra by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders to the stone pelting on the procession from rooftops of the minority dominated areas to the carrying of weapons, every law has been broken. This only goes to show the levels of preparedness in both the camps. Whoever is defending either of the groups is equally guilty here.

Was there a provocation for a section to resort to stone pelting on a peaceful procession? Yes. An accused GauRakshak (accused in the murder of two persons) put out a video stating that he would take part in the procession. It is a provocation in every sense. No one denies it. But can calculated stone pelting from the roof tops and from the opposite side of the street be justified? No. Even this can’t be justified. Though the GauRakshak or a fringe element involved in the murder did not take part in the yatra, the pelting happened. This led to a retaliation. And then onwards it was free for all. Whether the procession would have remained peaceful if no stone throwing were to take place? We do not know.

If the law looks at the intent, it certainly was there on both sides. And the anti-social elements on both sides have to be booked without any lenience. But this has become a practice in the country. If lynchings in the name of protecting cows are reprehensible, then stone pelting on processions are also equally condemnable. Processions are taken by all. But, not all processions are stoned. This stoning has become selective and yet thanks to the so-called liberal and secular voices only blame the majority community because the BJP is in power.

When similar incidents take place in Bengal, it is termed as political violence and usually the Opposition is blamed. Behind this hate-theatrics, we tend to forget the real damage to the social fabric. The Nuh violence has spread to other parts of the State and is knocking on the border of the national capital.

Gurugram took the brunt of it. In the process, it is the daily wage earners and migrants who are facing the worst. There have been warnings delivered to a section to vacate their bastis and move out of Haryana. This migration is now becoming the order of the day. In Manipur we have seen such migration recently wherein various tribes have given call for the ‘outsiders’ to leave. Even a section of the Mizos from Mizoram have asked the Meities to move back to Manipur. In both the places, such groups have the blessings of the ruling parties. Some residents of Uttar Pradesh too had to migrate fearing physical attacks in the recent past during such riots.

Consolidation of the majority as well appeasement of the minority are destroying the ‘unity in diversity’ of our country. We can only anticipate more such incidents in the country in the run-up to the elections.