Poison of communalism

India, the birthplace of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, has long been a land of spiritual diversity and also embracing Islam and Christianity as integral parts to its rich cultural fabric. Yet, the wheels of communalism have increasingly turned toward discord and violence, threatening this rich legacy of coexistence. Since 2014, communal divides have intensified, fostering an environment where religious intolerance is no longer the exception but the unsettling norm. Calls to demolish centuries-old religious sites, once considered unthinkable, are now disturbingly commonplace, with the 16th-century Sambhal Mosque emerging as the latest flashpoint. The 2019 Supreme Court ruling on Ayodhya highlighted a growing trend: courts swayed by public sentiment, hesitant to oppose majoritarian narratives for fear of unrest. The Places of Worship Act, 1991, ostensibly safeguards India’s pluralistic ethos by freezing the religious character of sites as they stood on August 15, 1947. Sections of this law strictly prohibit conversion of places of worship and terminate pre-existing legal disputes related to their religious status. However, its enforcement appears tenuous in the face of political and social pressures. The Sambhal Mosque, a protected heritage site, now faces challenges to its very existence. A petition claims it was built over an ancient Hari Har Mandir, mirroring contentious narratives in Varanasi, Mathura, and Dhar. A court-ordered survey on November 19 quickly spiralled into violence by November 24, tragically resulting in five deaths, including two teenagers. This incident underscores escalating communal tensions in Uttar Pradesh and a deepening fear among Indian Muslims that historic mosques may suffer the same fate as the Babri Masjid. The Babri Masjid’s demolition in 1992 and subsequent legal handover to the Hindu community in 2019 emboldened right-wing groups to pursue a broader revanchist agenda. Lawyers aligned with this cause have filed numerous petitions challenging the legitimacy of historic mosques, primarily in Uttar Pradesh. Prominent among these are the cases targeting the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura and the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi. These petitions have stoked fears of a systematic campaign to rewrite the country’s religious landscape. The seeds of the current communal push can be traced to the 1964 conclave convened by RSS leaders in Mumbai to establish the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The VHP’s vision of India as a global spiritual leader has often been accompanied by a drive to reclaim what it views as usurped Hindu heritage. This vision has fuelled petitions targeting an estimated 50 disputed religious sites, with advocates like Vishnu Jain at the forefront. India’s history of peaceful coexistence faces a critical test as communal disputes threaten to erode its foundational ethos. Resolving these matters requires not only adherence to legal principles but also a commitment to fairness and sensitivity. Preserving harmony in a diverse society demands respect for its multifaceted history, transcending divisive agendas. In India, the growing entanglement of religion and politics reflects a disturbing trend: the deepening grip of communalism on the nation’s democratic framework. A country that prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy must confront this toxic convergence before it corrodes the very foundations of its pluralistic ethos. Religious matters, which ought to remain personal and spiritual, are increasingly weaponized as political tools. This troubling trend not only erodes social harmony but also distorts the democratic process, diverting attention from pressing governance issues to divisive identity politics. Religion and politics don’t mix and if this is not understood then democracy will eventually become autocracy.