Islam was introduced to the west coast of India by Arab traders. According to Khushwant Singh in his book India: An Introduction, Hindus gave their daughters in marriage to the Arabs, leading to the establishment of Muslim colonies on the west coast. In 1000 AD, Mahmud of Ghazni, a Turk, invaded India, launching a total of seventeen invasions. He was followed by Ghauri, another Turk, who founded the Slave Dynasty in 1192 after defeating Prithvi Raj in the Battle of Tarain. Muslims ruled the subcontinent until 1857, when the British took control.
Rise of Hindu Nationalism
During British rule, the Arya Samaj, a Hindu nationalist movement, emerged, which subsequently led to the creation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Hedgewar. According to the article, the founders of RSS, Hedgewar and Savarkar, were great admirers of Hitler and Mussolini, drawing parallels between RSS and Nazi Germany. The basic reason for the creation of RSS was dissatisfaction with one thousand years of Muslim rule. In 1980, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the political wing of RSS, morphed into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Communal Violence Under BJP Rule
Since the BJP came to power, hate speech, crimes, and lynching against Muslims have surged across India. BJP/RSS leaders and ministers, including Prime Minister Modi, have allegedly used abusive language and derogatory remarks against Muslims, calling them infiltrators, termites, and people with many children. A massacre of Muslims occurred in Gujarat in 2002 while Modi was Chief Minister, with accusations that his government facilitated Hindu mobs. The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) was introduced by the BJP-RSS government, which critics say was meant to reduce the status of Muslims to illegal immigrants, leading to widespread protests and violence in Delhi.
Violence Against Sikhs and Christians
Twenty thousand Sikhs were killed during Operation Blue Star in and around the Golden Temple. The assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards led to a major Sikh massacre across India, with two and a half lakh Sikhs killed. Fifty-two thousand Sikhs are in jails, including Amritpal Singh, a new Khalistani leader. In Manipur, Christians (Kukis) have been massacred by the Meitei Hindu majority, allegedly supported by Indian security forces.
Insurgencies and Internal Conflicts
In northeast India, all seven states are struggling for independence, considering themselves different from mainland India as Mongoloids, branded outcasts in the Hindu caste system. The region is volatile, with more than 120 militant groups active, 36 in Assam alone. The Naxalite insurgency aims to control central India for a Maoist-influenced government, influencing 13 states over an area of 92,000 square kilometres. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the Naxalite resistance as India’s number one internal threat.
Dalits and Caste System
Dalits (formerly untouchables) live a miserable life, performing menial and degrading jobs. They are barred from entering Hindu temples, drinking water from village wells, or eating in the same room. Due to continued atrocities, Dalits are converting to Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. Brahmins, who are five per cent of the population, control the entire country, followed by Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, while Sudras (Dalits) have no place despite being 40 per cent of the population.
North-South Divide and Dravidian Movement
A major issue threatening India’s unity is the north-south divide. The oldest racial group, Adivasis, live from Assam to Kanyakumari. Aryans dominate the north and centre, while Dravidians are in the south. Dravidians believe their Hinduism is superior, reject the caste system, and are anti-Brahmin and anti-Hindutva. Tamils favour the demand for Dravida Nadu, an independent state. Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu demanded a federation of southern states to fight BJP/RSS supremacy.
Border Disputes and Akhand Bharat
India has border disputes with all its neighbours due to hegemonic designs. A mural in India’s new parliament building reflects the BJP/RSS vision of Akhand Bharat, merging Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Nepal, inspired by Nazi Germany’s Lebensraum philosophy. According to RSS, all south of the Himalayas and north of the Indian Ocean is Bharat.
IIOJK and Human Rights Violations
Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) is highly militarised, with over nine lakh security personnel and one soldier for six Kashmiris, while there is one doctor for 30,000 Kashmiris. Indian forces commit gross human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, rape, and indiscriminate firing.
Foreign Policy and Internal Threats
Indian foreign policy is Pakistan-centric, based on Chanakya’s Arthashastra, advocating attacking the enemy’s weak points. After the Marka-e-Haq incident, Indian diplomats failed to isolate Pakistan internationally. President Trump has criticised India. India faces governance and security challenges in the northeast, Naxalite insurgency, IIOJK freedom struggle, and Khalistan. International concerns exist over rule of law and protection of minorities. If oppressed communities are not protected, the future could lead to India’s disintegration.
Masud Ahmad Khan is a retired Brigadier, freelance columnist, and security analyst.
