As communal tensions rise in Uttar Pradesh, Muslims face relentless targeting, with secular voices struggling to counteract the political forces inciting hatred and spreading violence. Humra Quraishi writes…

Photography: Vinta Nanda

Communal unrest in Uttar Pradesh is reaching critical levels, with Muslim communities facing blatant targeting and destruction of homes. Bahraich is among the areas gripped by fear, as Right-Wing forces intensify divisive tactics. This escalating situation stresses the urgent need for intervention to safeguard vulnerable communities and promote communal harmony, yet political silence prevails. Concerned citizens and secular voices are now calling for an end to the violence, as civil strife looms. Discover the alarming reality and the calls for justice as Uttar Pradesh wrestles with its communal crises.

The Escalating Threat to Muslims in Uttar Pradesh

In recent months, the communal climate in Uttar Pradesh has reached a distressing peak, with daily news reports reflecting an atmosphere thick with tension and fear. Alarming reports detail targeted violence in areas such as Bahraich, where Muslim homes, businesses, and lives are under unrelenting attack. While Bahraich’s plight captures the media spotlight, it is, sadly, not alone. Across Uttar Pradesh, Muslims are living under a constant shadow of fear as divisive tactics by Right-Wing forces intensify, with violent outcomes.

Having spent much of my childhood in Bahraich due to my maternal grandfather's posting, I remember it fondly. The town was filled with warmth, community, and familiarity, and as I reflect, my thoughts turn to those I once knew there. Are they safe? Are their children and grandchildren left intact amid the targeted violence that has taken root in recent years? With communal brigades well-trained and unleashed, the safety of Muslims in these regions appears to be in jeopardy.

The danger, however, is not coming from within the mohallas, bastis, or villages but from external forces, specifically the Right-Wing politicians who seem determined to breed hostility by spreading communal poison. Through indoctrination and the encouragement of sectarian militancy, the vulnerable and easily influenced are driven to resent and attack “the other.” One wonders at the necessity for these private militias, especially given the police force's obvious alignment with the ruling power. Who are the recruits for these brigades? Who oversees their training? These questions hang unanswered, hinting at a calculated indifference by those who hold power. The pressing need for inquiry into this dangerous practice is glaringly absent.

Civil Society’s Role in the Fight Against Communal Violence

For the Muslim community, the growing concern about their future is compounded by the seeming impunity enjoyed by these Right-Wing forces. Thankfully, secular Hindus have started raising their voices, speaking about the fact that unchecked violence against Muslims not only threatens communal harmony but could also lead to widespread civil unrest. The powerful political leaders may retreat to their well-guarded government homes, but ordinary people, who live and work in the lanes and streets of these regions, would bear the brunt of such conflict.

While expectations from politicians pushing the communal agenda remain low, one would hope for greater advocacy from senior and retired civil servants. It’s crucial for them to stand with honest, secular officers attempting to protect the targeted and disadvantaged, even if political directives hinder their efforts. The fact remains: administrative and police forces are under the ruling power's influence, making it difficult for genuine efforts toward communal harmony to gain traction.

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that conscientious citizens of this country play an active role in ending the destruction of Muslim homes and communities. Bulldozing a family’s home is far more than just structural damage; it tears apart the fabric of a family’s identity and survival. With their homes destroyed, children are left without books, clothes, or a stable environment. Families lose kitchens, bedrooms, and the sense of security essential for everyday life. Such actions devastate not only individual families but entire communities, with long-lasting social and psychological impacts that could persist across generations.

The assessment of a political ruler’s effectiveness can be made through their treatment of the vulnerable segments within society—specifically, women, children, incarcerated populations, and minority communities. Today’s leaders might proudly tout various achievements in grandiose speeches, yet the reality faced by women, children, and minority groups reveals a bleak and grim truth. For those within prison walls, the situation might appear doubly dire, as their voices remain suppressed behind barriers. And with such traumatic conditions outside the prisons, one can only imagine the added hardship faced by those held inside.

The issue extends further to the thousands of women, children, and men reported missing across the country. Who will find them, and when? This disturbing reality is compounded by the endemic malnutrition affecting countless children. And as homes continue to be razed by bulldozers, poverty deepens, directly endangering the health, education, and overall well-being of children in these communities.

A Reflection: Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Poignant Verse on Beirut

In a moment of reflection, I came across a stirring verse titled “Beirut” by the renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Within this verse lies the anguish and pain of a community witnessing the devastation of their homes and the lives they cherished. Faiz’s verse is a powerful reminder of the destructive force that violence brings, transcending boundaries of place and time. His daughter, Salima Hashmi, captures the sorrow and resilience of Beirut’s people in poignant accompanying images, bringing alive her father’s moving words.

In this translated poem, Faiz compares Beirut to the fairest maiden, its beauty shattered yet resilient under the duress of violent attacks. The images of broken mirrors, likened to the twinkling eyes of children, and blood-stained streets, symbolize the resilience that keeps the city—and its people—alive, despite its tragic loss. Beirut stands defiant, bearing witness to both suffering and hope. As Beirut endures its trials, the poem resonates with a universal longing for peace amid destruction, much like the plight of communities under siege closer to home.

The reality for Muslims in Uttar Pradesh today echoes the resilience Faiz portrayed in Beirut. Much like Beirut, Bahraich and other towns stand as symbols of endurance amidst suffering.

This week’s column ends with an excerpt from Faiz’s “Beirut,” a verse that speaks to the resilience of those who endure despite loss and adversity:

Beirut the fairest maiden in the pageant of life,

Beirut the wondrous replica of the Garden of Solomon...

The city was there at the beginning of time
The city will be there till the end of time.

In these lines, the enduring spirit of cities and communities like Beirut—and Bahraich—is captured in the face of seemingly endless adversity. Just as Faiz’s words evoke, we must acknowledge the human cost of the violence faced by Muslim communities today, advocate for peace, and stand in solidarity with all those caught in the crossfire of divisive politics.