New Delhi: Mumbai-based Bebaak Collective has described the recent surge in hate towards Muslims and the consequent attacks against them in different parts of the country as an attempt by the Hindu nationalists to erase and undo every aspect of the life of Indian Muslims.A press statement issued by the Collective and signed by several activists, journalists, academics, filmmakers and civil society organisations has condemned recent anti-Muslim violence reported during Ram Navami celebrations in various parts of the country.“These incidents need to be looked at within a wider pattern of concerted attempts to erase, demolish, attack and transform visible symbols and practices of religious coexistence,” the statement observed, adding that the recent string of communal riots was a testament to the “politically engineered social hatred of the right wing organisations like RSS and Bajrang Dal”.Stating that the idea of “Hindus in danger” has become a mobilising cry for anti-Muslim violence, the signatories said, “The Hindu nationalist suspicion towards Muslims as true citizens and patriots, a narrative which came up constantly during the anti-CAA-NRC movement, has devolved into a cultural assertion against the very existence of Muslims.”The statement has also questioned the “complicity of the police” during recent instances of communal violence. “…[T]hey have chosen to let the violence play out and actively targeted Muslim youth with arrests, while the perpetrators are free,” the statement alleged.Reproduced below are the full statement and the list of signatories:§Hindu Religious Festivals: An Excuse to Unleash Social Terror Upon the Muslim CommunityThe pattern of Ram Navami processions becoming occasions for display of Islamophobic bigotry, followed by anti-Muslim violence, is being witnessed in at least nine states; including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, New Delhi, Goa, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Bihar.“Jai Shree Ram” slogans were chanted in front of mosques by sword wielding crowds waving saffron flags. The processions taken out in Muslim neighbourhoods were embellished with songs played on loudspeakers, the lyrics to which called for violence towards the Muslim community. All these provocations let to vandalisation of mosques and Muslim owned shops and buildings. In a separate but connected incident, ABVP goons attacked students and hostel staff in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for protesting against ABVP’s demand that non vegetarian food not be served in the hostel.These incidents are a testament to the politically engineered social hatred of right wing organizations like RSS and Bajrang Dal, reproduced to inflict violence on Muslims. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader, Kapil Mishra, who was central in inciting the pogrom at North East Delhi, was also present in the Ram Navami procession in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, where shops were demolished and at least 10 houses were burnt down. The complicity of the police has been a constant theme, where they have chosen to let the violence play out and actively targeted Muslim youth with arrests, while the perpetrators are free.In Khargone, houses of families of those who were falsely accused were demolished in Chandni Chowk and Khaskhaswadi Mohalla, acting out an archaic idea of collective punishment.As many have pointed out, the Ram Navami processions and the following violence, had the same modus operandi across states. A yatra “celebrating” Ram Navami is carried out through areas with a significant Muslim population. The crowd then stops outside a mosque to raise communal slogans, while the DJ plays music with provocative lyrics calling for violence against Muslims, destruction of mosques and religious wars. Amidst all this, a stone pelting incident is reported, the perpetrators of which are always unidentified people. This orchestrated aggravation is enough for the mob to “turn violent”, attacking and vandalising mosques, as well as Muslim owned shops and houses with weapons and torches, as the police personnel look on. One can’t help but question why the crowd was armed with weapons and swords, and how the police failed to take notice of both the actions of the crowd and the patterned as well as planned nature of the violence.These processions are not isolated instances that took place in a vacuum. These series of events on the day of the Ram Navami violence were preceded by attacks on Muslim vendors in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, students wearing hijab being denied the right to sit in classrooms and appear for exams, saffron flags being hoisted upon mosques in Uttar Pradesh, calls given for boycott of halal meat, Muslim vendors being excluded from participating in temple fairs in Karnataka, the supposed ‘meat ban’ being enacted in south Delhi which severely affected Muslim meat sellers, and religious leaders like Bajrang Muni Udasin publicly putting out calls for sexual violence against Muslim women.These incidents need to be looked at within a wider pattern of concerted attempts to erase, demolish, attack and transform visible symbols and practices of religious coexistence. The Hindu nationalist suspicion towards Muslims as true citizens and patriots, a narrative which came up constantly during the anti-CAA-NRC movement, has devolved into a cultural assertion against the very existence of Muslims. Every aspect of the life of Indian Muslims is being undone and attempted to be destroyed by majoritarian violence.The idea of ‘Hindus in danger’ has become the mobilising cry for anti-Muslim violence. Cultural moments are defined by their potential to instill and invoke majoritarian violence and hatred. Given that we as Indian Muslims are facing economic boycotts, being publicly lynched, having our houses and shops burned down, witnessing the criminalisation of our existence, and facing persecution on multiple fronts; are Hindus really in danger?Signatories:Individuals:Manisha GupteRoop Rekha VermaGeeta Seshu (Journalist)Teesta Setalvad (Activist and Journalist)Maitree Muzumdar (Artist)Frazer Mascarenhas (Academic Administrator)Akanksha (Queer Feminist Ambedkarite Researcher and Activist)Maimoona Mollah (women’s rights activist)John DayalDr. Anjali Monteiro (Filmmaker and academic)Ketki Ranade/ KPCedric Prakash (Human Rights Activist/writer)Pratiksha Baxi (academic)Dr Sylvia Karpagam (Public Health Doctor)YashodharaNoorahmadArzu Sarfaraz (Journalist)Feroz KhanYakub MohammedRanjana PadhiJeh ChinoyRafi VeettilShivani KumariNidhi KJennifer AhmedApeksha VoraPersis GinwallaAasthaFreny Manecksha (Independent Journalist)AnupriyaAnjuAlam NawazShubham KothariDevesh Mundepi (Social Activist)Abhinav C.Kaneez Fathima (Civil Rights Activist)Alima FatimaParoma ChakravartyKunal ChattopadhyayAparnaUttamDevika SaheliDr Aftab KhanPawanShaina Anand (Artist)Hamza Shaikh (Student)MansoorIqraVikas NikumbhValenie LopezHiren GandhiSanaVani SubramanianDorothy Fernandes (Activist)Sr. Justine Gitanjali Senapati (Human Rights Activist)Sayantan Datta (Science Journalist)VihaanShehroz ZiaT Q. ContractorLatha VDev DesaiAbdul Rehman RangrejHumairaShoonyaKhareMeghna NairMridul (Technology Professional)Umer Saleem (Student)Nikhat Fatima (civil rights activist)Shals Mahajan (writer)Manisha ChaudhrySmriti NevatiaEnakshi BhattacharyaPrajval ShastriRadha Khedkar (Entrepreneur)Sumita Bertho (queer feminist activist)Koel Chatterji (Social Activist)Prajval Shastri (astrophysicist)Lisa PiresVinit VichareBhargav Oza (Independent researcher)Khalida ParveenArjumand NaziadyutiNeelam (PhD scholar)MaryaAnu SamanvayaSaima Anam ShaikhUmmuCharu KhannaMisba SayyadSangeeta Rege (Health rights)Sarah ShaikhMehvish (activist and lawyer)Sunil TamminainaSharda Ugra (journalist)Nisha BiswasPadmalatha RaviMini Mathew (Lawyer)Ammu Joseph (Writer)RashmiJasveen Jairath (independent activist)Muhib KhanParagChhayaBasu (retired teacher)Marjorie RodriguesMir Mudassir AliAmod Shah (PhD Researcher)MohorChatterje (Student)Drishti Chawla (Independent Artist)Dr. Mohan Rao (Independent researcher)Saba Khan SShlokaAzra khanSarthak Shukla (Student)Sumathi RaoJaafar AliIbrar (Student)Eulalia PereiraNandini RaoDeeptiMaisha KhanMinha KhanRevathi NarayananShubham Kaushal (lawyer and independent researcher)Misbah AnsariPrashant OlalekarMileena SajuIkramahRaj P. (journalist)Tanushree GangopadhyayRema KandaramathAparna Sundar (Independent Scholar)Neha NikamMadiharakhangiAmy Elangbam (M.A. MODM CHS)Swatija ManoramaSwapna Liddle (Independent scholar)Astha SachanRishab SomaniElizabeth Abraham, Kottayam, KeralaValenieKhushboo RohraRossi D’SouzaRohan JRubeenakhatoonAnkush SinghGajsujenShaibani AzamMumtaz (Student)Md Salman HaiderKaveriAnishaAnwesha DasKomal SaigalKhairunnishaHabibShadabPiyushichhajerMohd ZiaNiharEldred TellisKalpana BanhattiReena MohanChirodeep ChaudhuriLucasMubshira KhanRakesh GuptaAntara Dev SenSalah IqbalSheeba AslamManoj Kumar JhaSyed Saifullah (Advocate)Dr Nayeem KhatibJashodhara DasguptaMamta Singh (Social worker)Atul Gurtu (Retired scientist)Syed Shujath Mehdi (Advocate)Muneer AhmedPamela Philipose (Journalist)Mudabbir ShaikhNivi MenonTariq HasibNiharika BanerjeaAnirban Das BlahDebi K (writer and performer)Aruna BurteRoopashri Sinha (Freelance Researcher)Heena Sinha (Ngo sector)Pallavi Belkhede (NGO sector)Shweta MahajanKirti KumarNishtha JainNisha BiswasShubhangi Sahebrao GaikwadZubair (Student)Dr Padma DeosthaliArminAmit KumarVineeta BalSunita S.Seema Baquer (Cross Disability Consultant)Ashiq Ahamed ChemmalasseriAman IrshadMariamSouban FaridiMs. Sabreen Aslam ModakSelina Sen (author and scriptwriter)SadiyaBilgramiRita PuthenkalamAli Safeer Farooqi (lawyer)PavithraAsha SharmaFióna Bolger (poet)Asif KhanArshad NaseemAkhileshwari Ramagoud (Journalist and Academic)ShahinAkifHalPalakkalkabeerSheemaP DasAnita RaoAshuShagufta Hakeem (Independent Scholar)ShainNoor NisarNikat FarooqueBernadine JosephSadhna AryaYaserArmanGulshadUsmanShazebSudha BharadwajAshish Kajla (Independent Researcher)Amjad H KhanCherian PhilipGroups:Bebaak CollectiveModern Youth AssociationJustice Coalition of Religious-West IndiaJan Swasthya Mumbai- West IndiaGlobal Concerns IndiaSaheli Women’s Resource Centre, New DelhiHindus for Human Rights (nikhil@hindusforhumanrights.org) Forum Against Oppression of WomenSandhya GokhaleChayanika ShahAmmu AbrahamMeenaAll India Progressive Women’s Association – Kavita KrishnanMD International Society for Peace & JusticeRehan KhanIndian Christian Women’s MovementMs. V SaldanhaRaynah Braganza PassanhaMarcia D’CunhaHazelAruna GnanadasonBharat Bachao AandolanAfaque AzadNational Council for Women LeadersShewli KumarEdible ArchivesShalini KrishanParchamSabah KhanVidrohiAvinash KadamSamajwadi JanparishadPyoliFriends of India TexasS.Feminists in ResistanceKoel ChatterjeeAIMCManzoorA.SSamvidhan Bachao Desh Bachao Abhiyan, Uttar PradeshRamesh DixitAnhadShabnam HashmiJamia HamdardDr Khursheed Ahmad AnsariIndian Social Action Forum (INSAF)Wilfred DcostaNCHRO Goa.Lumina da Costa AlmeidaThe Daily EyeVinata NandaorgRukmini SenMavelinaduHritikLalanAlternatives InternationalFeroz Mehdi, general secretaryWhereAreTheWomenVarsha BhargaviDYFIR S LakshmanDhruv GolaniRight to Food CampaignSwati NarayanPartition Studies Quarterly JournalAmrita GuptaSriniketanVishwa BharatiBharat Bachao AndolanFeroze MithiborwalaSouth Asia Solidarity Group, UKKalpana WilsonAll India Queer Association.Panchali KarNational Federation of Indian Women, MaharashtraLata BhiseSonawaneCUNYAnkita AggarwalCSIRAmitabha BasucomBhuvi GuptaAam Aadmi Party, Mumbai, MaharashtraPrabha PandeyHigh Court of BombayAfreen KhanMKSSSabaAISAAishikSahaWomen and Transgender OrganizationsSuneethaWSSRitash (aka Pushpa)SJCJessinSaheliSadhna AryaAshima Roy ChowdhuryAnuradha BanerjiBharat Jan Vigyan JathaSoumya DuttaOpenSpaceAnita CheriaOBR global networkAbha bhaiyaPinjratodAnkita DharBadayl, IndiaRanjan SolomonMuslim Students’ FederationImthinan MGuftaguSadaf vidhaNational Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)Arundhati DhuruMeera SanghamitraPlatform For Social JusticeShweta DaamleAICCNoumaan Jawaharlal Nehru UniversitySimran SinghAryaMayaKaushikiSayaNidhi SinghIsha PNavmeeAnanyaRuby YadavMaitreyiTaniya GuptaShahwaz MalikPallavi TirkeyShah alamNiranjan manjhiManikandan AAbhinavShaheenKauserAdreeta ChakrabortySupriya KumarMeghnaNanditha IRSiddharthMariaSNDT UniversityMs. Prerana S. MohiteDhammpalichavanSakina Hakim CutlerywalaDhanshreeDusanePooja PetkarPutul SatheSmriti ParhiDhwaniTata Institute of Social SciencesBrinelleD’souzaMohamed RameezSaima S HussainChhayaDatarUniversity of DelhiAchinVanaikShamayita SenDublin City UniversityPriyanka BorpujariAnindita BhattacharyaVidushi KaushikUniversity of OttawaPriyanka PareekJamia Hamdard University, DelhiAqsa ShaikhAmbedkar University, DelhiRitu SinhaJamia Millia IslamiaAlmas SaeedEmory UniversityRoshni ChattopadhyayNorthwestern UniversityMegha PappachenSt Andrew’s mumbaiChaynika TewariIIT DelhiRituparna SenguptaUniversity of CambridgeRounak GhoshSt Stephen’s CollegeKaren GabrielNandita NarainUniversity of ChicagoSudeeti Geeta MantrarajAligarh Muslim UniversityShadab BanoUniversity of AmsterdamAnushkaIQ City Medical CollegeBiswaroop ChatterjeeUniversity of MassachusettsSvati Shah
