As a Muslim born into a political climate irreparably shaken by the illegal demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992, studying and observing these realities in India and in other parts of the world helped shape my generation’s political consciousness.
Faraan: Images from Palestine – land colonization, apartheid, and home demolitions – further deepened my knowledge about a Muslim political subjectivity marked by structural violence.
Today such images have become a part of everyday life for Indian Muslims. Recent developments in India should be analyzed with the backdrop of a war against Muslim minorities within a nation triggered by Islamophobia. Taking a page out of Israel’s playbook, the right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government has been using bulldozers in recent years as a tool of repression and collective punishment. Deemed legal, property demolition often targets critics and peaceful protesters and is aggressively carried out without meaningful notice.
In Uttar Pradesh, the home of Javed Mohammad, a political activist with the Welfare Party of India, was razed following his arrest in connection to protests that broke out in Allahabad. The demolition notice came just one night before the home was bulldozed on 11 June. His wife and daughter were briefly detained, but subsequently released.
From citizens to refugees
Recently, Hindu festivals and gatherings have become a stage to unleash widespread violence against Muslims, especially in the states ruled by Hindutva. Processions during the Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti religious celebrations this year incited communal violence as Hindutva organizers passed by mosques and Islamic shrines.
The resurgence of violence against Muslim minorities culminated in a massive demolition campaign targeting their homes, mosques, and businesses. In a short span of time, Muslims have turned into refugees in their own villages due to this violent state-sponsored pogrom and institutional repression. Last month, Nupur Sharma, a national spokesperson for the ruling Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP), made statements on a television programme insulting the Prophet Muhammad, leading to large-scale demonstrations across the country.
