The polarised state of Indian society isn’t good news. A nation aspiring to be a world power is sending out signals that religious and caste identities matter heavily. Jewellery maker Tanishq has hurriedly pulled an ad depicting an inter-faith baby shower with a message of communal harmony after a social media campaign accusing it of promoting love jihad went viral. Army veterans have petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind flagging fake news of a non-existent “Muslim Regiment” of the Indian Army refusing to fight Pakistan in the 1965 war.
Assam BJP leader and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said his government will crackdown on “marriages by deception”, understood widely as an onslaught on inter-faith marriages. The instances of discord are too numerous to keep listing. Every day brings with it a new storm, often whipped up on social media. Just this February, India’s national capital was witness to large-scale communal rioting, a warning that more violence could ensue if policing is lax. No part of India is safe if the dominant political discourse continues to be about communal issues.
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Even the Covid pandemic wasn’t immune from hate propaganda against religions. Many brands and companies are worried today about being caught in the communal crossfire, which could hurt private investment in future. With key economic reforms being rolled out one after another, it is important that the country as a whole is enabled to take advantage of the openings that are created.
