A report compiled by Civil Society, “365 days — democracy and secularism under the Modi regime” has hit out at the Central government over attacks on minorities and hate speeches. It said such incidents have become more common in the past year.
Highlighting the number of attacks on minorities, deaths, and vandalism of churches and mosques, the report also said that some communities were feeling threatened.
“We could document only a fraction of what has happened during the past year,” said Harsh Mander, one of the assessors of the report.
ADVERTISEMENT
Activist Shabnam Hashmi said the NDA government has, at times, refused to accept that there has been communal violence. “The report clearly breaks that myth. The Sangh has realised that large-scale violence attracts international media attention and therefore now, meticulously planned high-intensity localised violence coupled with high-pitched hate campaigns is used across India to polarise people and further marginalise the minorities,” Ms. Hashmi added.
According to the report, the first few weeks of the government saw 113 communal incidents and the subsequent months (May-June 2014) witnessed 15 killings and 318 people getting injured in such incidents.
The report added that the new government was providing credibility to myths and superstitions, with the field of science taking a hit. “During the past one year, we have also witnessed an unprecedented four-pronged attack on scientific temper, rational thinking and scientific establishment of the country,” said P.V.S. Kumar of Civil Society.
ADVERTISEMENT
Efforts like reviving the Saraswati, claims that aircrafts were invented in ancient India and yogis had pioneered the concept of TV were attempts in this direction, he added.
The activists said while compiling the report they also learnt that some villages in Chhattisgarh were passing orders banning the entry of non-Hindu priests. However, Ms. Hashmi said, there was strong resistance to such “nefarious designs” by the Sangh.