Topic Reading-Vol.3783-8/20/2022

Dear MEL Topic Readers,
‘Attack on a dream’: Muslims in fear as Indian democracy turns 75
On 15 August 1947, India became independent from the United Kingdom, which ended the British ruling that had lasted since 1858. The independence split the subcontinent along religious lines, Hindu-majority India and mainly Muslim Pakistan. The separation not only killed around two million people but also displaced over 15 million on both sides of the border. The nation’s iconic leader for independence, Mahatma Gandhi, who aimed to establish a secular democratic nation, was assassinated only four months later by a Hindu supremacist. Currently, India has been ruled since 2014 by the BJP under Narendra Modi, which is aligned with right-wing politics and Hindu nationalism. It is now the largest political party both in the national parliament and state legislatures. Even though about 80% of India’s population practices Hinduism and around 14% are Muslims, there is no Muslim parliamentarian in the governing party. It seems that Hindu majoritarianism has been developing as the voices of Hindu supremacists become louder. For example, in a southern state, the BJP government banned the hijab in educational institutions.
As Al Jazeera is a Qatari media based in Doha, you may learn about how Muslims in India feel about this situation.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/15/attack-on-a-dream-muslims-in-fear-as-india-democracy-turns-75