The incident in Utter Pradesh in India where a mob of Hindu fundamentalists torched a Muslim settlement with over 40 houses reduced to ashes must be condemned strongly. Details of the incident unfold a conspiracy hatched between Hindu fanatics and the law enforcement agency. The police silently watched the mobsters put a match to the houses, strengthening the impression that Muslims do not enjoy state protection when it comes to such communal violence. What strengthens this perception even more is that the fire brigade vehicles were also stopped from putting out the flames. The sad thing is lack of attention by the Indian media.
These acts of aggression hence cannot be seen in isolation from the general indifference of New Delhi towards its Muslim population. Nor can one view them without thinking of the deteriorating plight of the community that lags behind in virtually all spheres of life compared to their compatriots. Incidents like Gujarat massacre also point towards the same reality that the country remains far from a place safe for minorities. It is an open secret that culprits of such violence are generally let off the hook as is also witnessed in Samjhota Express blasts. India still has a long way to go in order to become what it claims it already is; a pluralistic nation or for that matter a shining democracy.