A troubling rise in religious tensions, far-right Hindu nationalists in India are targeting Muslims in Uttarakhand. Many Muslims have fled Purola, a town in dread and despair, due to rising violence and discrimination.
Mohammad Salim and his family fled their looted business in May due to extremist violence. Salim, a father of three, strives to rebuild his life in Haridwar while his old neighbours celebrate the Muslim expulsion. Rakesh Tomar, a renowned Hindu nationalist, openly desires to prevent Uttarakhand from becoming an “Islamic state,” despite its 13% Muslim population.
The violence has destroyed decades of communal tranquillity, fuelled by anti-Muslim conspiracy theories like “love jihad,” which wrongly accuse Muslim males of converting Hindu women. Tomar and his associates have organised economic boycotts, encouraging Hindus to support Hindu companies and hurting Muslim shops.
The BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for its nationalist rhetoric, which many believe exacerbates existing tensions. Tomar and other RSS activists want a Hindu-only state, undermining India’s secular ideals.
The Uttarakhand crisis illustrates India’s widening divide and the need for healing and justice as Salim mourns his broken dreams and his motherland.
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