Hindu-Muslim riots expose risk at major Indian business hub
03/08/2023 10:58
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Hindu-Muslim clashes outside Delhi worsen religious fault
lines
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Revenge killings "justified", says member of a Hindu
outfit
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Restoring social harmony will take time, state minister
says
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Violence sends wrong message to investors, analysts say
By Rupam Jain
GURUGRAM, India, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Hindu-Muslim clashes
just outside the Indian capital this week have worsened
religious fault lines in the region and exposed a booming
business hub to threats of violence and disruption, authorities
and analysts said.
Seven people were killed and over 70 injured in rioting in
Nuh and Gurugram districts of Haryana state after a Hindu
religious procession was targeted and a mosque attacked in
retaliation.
The 48-hour cycle of violence which was put out on Wednesday
has brought to the fore Hindu-Muslim tensions brewing in the
region since 2015, a year after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) captured power nationally and in Haryana.
The lynching of two Muslim men in the region earlier this
year by suspected Hindu vigilantes and the failure to nab the
main suspect had worsened tensions, with the main suspect saying
on social media that he would participate in the Hindu
procession this week.
Ultimately he did not show up, police said.
"It has been shocking to see how distrust between two
communities spilled onto the streets," Haryana's home (interior)
minister, Anil Vij, told Reuters.
"Security has been restored...bringing relief and social
harmony will take time," Vij said, adding that authorities
understand safety concerns of businesses in Gurugram.
Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon, is a city of over 1.5
million people that shares a border with New Delhi.
A new urban centre with glitzy high-rises, luxury hotels,
malls and gated condominiums, it is home to multinational firms,
large Indian corporates and start-ups, with 250 of the Fortune
500 companies having offices here.
Among the multinationals with offices here are Google,
American Express, Dell, Samsung, Ernst & Young and Deloitte.
Suzuki's main India plant is also located near Gurugram.
Because of the violence, many companies allowed employees to
work from home on Tuesday while schools and colleges were shut
before resuming classes on Wednesday.
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In the past, Gurugram has witnessed tensions over Muslims
holding Friday prayers in public spaces and meat sales during
Hindu festivals, which Hindu groups wanted banned to respect
Hindu sentiment.
Clashes between India's majority Hindus and minority Muslims
break out occasionally, but have been less frequent since Prime
Minister Narendra Modi's BJP government took power in 2014.
But tensions between the communities have risen, with many
Muslims saying they live in fear as Hindu activists have become
emboldened by the BJP's politics.
"Muslim men attacked the Hindu procession and killed many of
our people," said Praveen Babbar, a leader of Hindu Yuva Vahini
(Hindu Youth Force).
"Every action will have not just equal, but sometimes even
more brazen reaction," he said.
Aftab Ahmed, Nuh's state lawmaker from the opposition
Congress party, blamed local police for not acting fast enough
even though he had alerted them about "provocative statements"
being made by Hindu leaders.
Haryana Police, however, said they acted swiftly and
prevented riots from spreading, and that two of its men were
killed in the violence.
Analysts said the violence is worrying for the message it
sends to businesses at a time New Delhi is seeking more
investment under its "Make in India" campaign.
"Official reaction was inexplicably slow," said Tara Kartha,
distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Institute of Peace
and Conflict Studies.
"The commercial heart of north India was a target this time.
It should have been prevented."
(Reporting by Rupam Jain, Additional reporting by Sakshi Dayal;
Editing by YP Rajesh and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
((Rupam.Jain@thomsonreuters.com; +91 7042133028;))