Protests in India's holy Hindu city show rising interfaith solidarity
A protester outside Delhi’s largest mosque, the Jama Masjid, on Dec. 20. Photo by Avinash Giri.
DELHI — On the day of his release, Divakar Singh, a research scholar from Banaras Hindu University, felt relieved. He had spent over two weeks in prison with dozens of other Hindu activists and students for protesting against Modi's new citizenship law, which excludes Muslim immigrants from neighboring countries.
Walking past the grim old walls of the prison, he didn’t expect a hero’s reception.
On Jan. 3, a crowd with people from different faiths gathered outside Varanasi’s central jail with garlands made of marigolds to greet the protesters who were being released on bail — 32-year-old Singh among them. In the videos circulated on social media, Singh, draped in several garlands around his neck, could be seen shouting: “Come with us on our mission to save the constitution!” as he marched with the crowd for several miles in Varanasi, considered one of India’s holiest cities by Hindus and the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It was unbelievable,” said Singh. “We didn’t know our efforts will draw such huge support, and so many people will come to welcome us.”
Singh was one of more than 50 activists arrested on Dec. 19 in Varanasi, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The Modi government’s new citizenship law will give expedited citizenship to migrants from all major South Asian religions in neighboring countries except Islam. Critics also see a proposed citizens' register as an attempt by Modi's Hindu nationalist government to identify and marginalize Muslim families, potentially stripping their citizenship.
Since India's parliament approved the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Dec. 12, nationwide protests have divided the country. Thousands of Muslims, and people from other faiths, have taken to streets against what they say is an obvious step by the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to end India’s secularism and create a Hindu nation.
In Varanasi, Hindus led the protests along the river Ganges, water Hindus consider holy and able to cleanse their sins.
“We wanted to show our Muslim brothers that they are not alone in this fight,” said Singh, the research scholar from Banaras Hindu University. “We have a secular constitution which respects all religion. And this government is trying to target Muslims. We won’t let that happen.”
Police have been swift and violent to repress protests, especially in the states ruled by the BJP. The protests have emerged as the biggest challenge to Modi’s tenure in office. In December, in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) alone, the police detained over 5,500 people and arrested around 1,100 people on charges of arson, inciting riots and others, according to media reports. Twenty-four people have been killed during protests – 19 of them are from Uttar Pradesh – most of them Muslims. Many believe that it's an attempt by the BJP government to silence the protests.
Inspired by Gandhi’s civil disobedience
During the early hours on Dec. 19, calls and messages began blowing up his phone, Singh recalled. Friends, family and acquaintances were suggesting he call off the protest, worried it may turn violent because the police were “everywhere.”
The police had imposed restrictions on the assembly of more than four people in the whole city to stop any form of protest. Those who assembled would be arrested.
“But as the believers of Mahatma Gandhi, we decided to proceed,” Singh said.
“We knew Muslims in the area are scared of being targeted by the government, so they won’t be able to come out and protest,” said Singh. “Hence Hindus will have to step out in their support.”
Singh and some other students from Banaras Hindu University were the first ones to reach the protest site. They started their protests with slogans of communal brotherhood. Initially, there was no Muslim among the protesters, but after listening to the slogans, some of them joined, Singh remembered.
Within a few minutes of the protest, they were detained. “The police asked us to stop the protest and go back, but we chose the path of civil disobedience and courted our arrest – a path that Gandhi has shown while fighting British colonialists.”
Vivek Singh, a political science student from Banaras Hindu University, was on his way to join the protest when police dragged him out of their auto and arrested him.
“I hadn’t reached the protest site,” said Vivek. “If protesting is a crime in this country, then I was arrested even before I had committed the crime. What kind of democracy is this!”
As the news of their arrests spread in the city, dozens of activists and students, mostly Hindus, reached the police station and demanded their immediate release. After the police refused, others also courted their arrest to mark their protest. Out of 68 protesters who were arrested, 20 were students -- among them, 19 were Hindus.
The massive turn-out of Hindus to protest against the CAA and National Register for Citizens (NRC) has sent a positive message to Muslims in the city.
"It gave us hope that our Hindu brothers, especially students, have come out in large numbers to defend us from this selective targeting,” said Abdul Batin, the imam of one of the oldest mosques in Varanasi. “This is the beauty of this city and its people.”
Rising interfaith solidarity
The narrow lanes of Varanasi, one of India’s most ancient cities, are studded with Hindu temples and mosques. Despite rising hate crimes against Muslims since the rise of Hindu nationalism with Modi’s election, the two communities have remained peaceful in the city.
"People in different mosques of the city prayed to Allah for the release of the protesters," added Batin. “The trust between the two communities has increased.” Batin visited the protesters in jail regularly.
“Although the two communities have stood together on several issues in the past, said S.M. Yasin, a veteran Muslim leader, "such strong support from our Hindu brothers was unbelievable.” According to Yasin, people have begun to understand how the present government is trying to destroy India’s long-celebrated pluralism.
“The protest on Dec. 19 and the arrests and the imprisonment which followed has surely increased interfaith bond and fraternity,” said Father Anand Matthew, a Catholic priest and social activist. After the arrests, “people of all religions gathered daily in the district court premises, working with one mind and heart to collect bail” for their release.
Like the local imam Batin, Father Matthew also visited the protesters regularly in jail until their recent release on bail.
“The protest was important for the city of Varanasi,” said Matthew. “People of the city… have sent a powerful message to the PM that the people of the city do not approve the divisive tactics of the party in power, and that they would resist all attempts to dilute the constitution and its values.”
Critics of Modi believe that since he came to power in 2014, he has been pushing a religious nationalism that favors India's Hindu majority and targets its minority Muslim population.
Under Modi’s tenure in office, there has been a sharp rise in hate crimes against minorities, especially Muslims. There have been several cases of lynching of Muslims by Hindu right-wing mobs. Since he won re-elections in May 2019 with a thumping majority, he has stripped India’s only Muslim majority state, Jammu and Kashmir, of its statehood and autonomy granted under the constitution and has carried out a citizens review in India’s northeastern state of Assam, which has determined more than 1.9 million people would be stateless – mostly Muslims.
"The Muslim community remained quiet for so long," said Yasin, the veteran Muslim leader. "But it's enough now! When you push somebody to the wall, he will either surrender or fight back. Muslims in India have decided to fight back." The protests, according to Yasin, have brought the communities together. “They have united to fight for the idea of India — which is home to all religions.”
Singh, the research scholar, feels delighted that protesters’ efforts have increased the trust between the two communities in the city.
“Earlier, Muslims would feel that why would a Hindu come in support of Muslims,” Singh said. “But after their arrest, the minority community feels that they are not alone in this fight against the communal politics of the BJP."
In prison, the police didn’t use force on them like in many other cases, Singh said. In Uttar Pradesh police have allegedly beaten many protesters, especially in Muslim neighborhoods.
"Since most of us were Hindus, police didn't touch any of us," Singh said. "Muslims who were with us were also safe because of that. And we had decided that if they (police) try to separate Muslim protesters from us, we all will go on fast unto death."
Still facing charges, Singh and other protesters feel that it’s not safe for them to protest while on bail. They are, however, extremely delighted to see that their efforts have ignited the spirit of interfaith brotherhood.
“There is a fear that protests will be suppressed by police violence and repression,” said Matthew, the priest. “There is an invisible fire simmering in the minds of the people, especially in the minority communities.” The people, according to him, are looking for the right opportunity to renew the protests.
“The coming days in Varanasi will witness something more powerful,” he added.
“We will continue to find creative ways to continue our resistance,” Singh said.
Avinash Giri is a Poynter-Koch fellow for Religion Unplugged based in Delhi, India.