The unemployed were transformed into a violent religious mob?
Vandita Mishra, October 20,2024
Recently, a 22-year-old youth Ram Gopal Mishra died in the communal violence during the immersion of Durga idol in Bahraich. Ram Gopal was shot by someone. Before this, Ram Gopal was climbing a roof and uprooting the flag of a particular religion present there. Meanwhile, some antisocial element shot him. Ram Gopal was a part of this religious procession. The question is, what is the tradition of uprooting the flag of another religion in a religious procession? And also, how has it become so easy to create communal tension during almost every religious procession today? Who is it who looks for the possibilities of fights between two communities during religious festivals? And why?
To find answers to these questions, India’s socio-economic picture will have to be read along with the political ambitions here. On Tuesday, the World Bank released a report named ‘Poverty, Prosperity and Planet: Pathways out of the Polycrisis’. According to this, about 13 crore people in India are in a state of ‘extreme poverty’. Extreme poverty means that these crores of Indian citizens are forced to live their lives on less than ₹181 (or $2.15) per day. If the standard for measuring poverty is made ₹576 (ie $6.85), then the number of poor in India will cross the figure of 1990. Currently, there are about 55 crore people who are forced to survive on less than ₹576 per day.
The richest 1% people have 40% of the wealth
The World Bank report is working to shed ‘search light’ on those who are dreaming of making India a world leader. The report is also indicating that the development of a few industrialists is not the development of India. Therefore, India needs to work on economic inequality. The report shows an increase in the Gini index for India, which is strong evidence that the gap between the rich and the poor in India is increasing. This inequality not only promotes poverty, but also hinders social mobility. Earlier, Oxfam’s “Inequality Report 2024” has pointed towards this. The richest 1% people of the country have more than 40% of the country’s total wealth. Whereas the poorest 50% of the population has only 3% of the wealth. Between 2018 and 2022, an average of 70 new crorepatis were created every day in India. Did these crorepatis benefit the poor? Did they provide employment to ordinary Indians at the same rate at which they earned money? On one hand, the country’s wealth is being centralized, while on the other hand, 6.3 crore people are falling into poverty every year due to health expenses.
When there is such severe inequality, poverty, unemployment and inflation, it is very easy to push the youth, who are being prepared in crores every year, towards political communalism.
A very valid question is often asked on social media that why does the son of any big leader not get involved in these communal riots? Why do most of the youth involved in this belong to the lower class or lower middle class?
Why are economically weak and generally unemployed youth used to bring the violent aspect of religion to reality?
3000 incidents of communal violence in 5 years
The violence in Bahraich is a matter of concern for the whole of India. But this is not the first incident. Before this, there are countless examples like Nuh, Haryana (2023), Bengal Ram Navami violence (2023), Jaipur, Rajasthan (2023), Aurangabad, Maharashtra (2023), Jahangirpuri, Delhi (2022), Khargone, Madhya Pradesh (2022) etc. which have happened in the last few years. According to a statistic, about 3000 incidents of communal violence have been recorded in India in the last 5 years. During such violence, the economic condition of the other community is hurt, such as burning their shops, breaking houses, destroying street carts and burning cars etc.
According to renowned social scientist Ashutosh Varshney, one of the main reasons for communal violence in India is political agenda. He says that political parties often use religion and regional identity to win elections and gain support, which creates divisions between communities and promotes religious fanaticism and hatred. I do not know whether the violence in Bahraich should be seen in this perspective or not, but it is true that by-elections are going to be held in Uttar Pradesh in the coming November.
Increase in religious violence during elections?
Opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav has even alleged that the government is trying to create an atmosphere of communal tension before the elections. However, Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations and the research of social scientist Steven Wilkinson seem to be interconnected. Wilkinson showed in his book “Votes and Violence: Electoral Competition and Ethnic Riots in India” how religious violence increases during elections. Political parties take electoral advantage by creating communal divisions, minorities are targeted to gain support from the majority community.
Why does violence increase?
It is the job of the ‘state’ to punish the criminal. But when the state itself chooses the criminal without the judiciary, will it be considered that the state is impartial and is acting according to the law? What message does CM Yogi want to give by meeting the family members of the deceased Ram Gopal in the Bahraich case that trying to ignite communal fire is not a crime? The person who killed this youth is a criminal, but how can the person who started all this be kept out of the category of a criminal? This can be done only when the state, that is, the ruling party, has already made its decision. Doing so is a symbol of the breakdown of the institutional structure of the state. Vikram Singh Mehta (2017) concluded in a study that “if the law and order situation on the part of the state is not effective or is biased, then violence increases. In many cases, the police or the administration takes the side of one community, which worsens the situation”. In fact, this is frightening because a group living in crores starts feeling insecure and when it does not even hope to get justice from the state, law and constitution, and only sees biased behavior, then its insecurity keeps increasing. This cannot be considered a good sign for national unity.
In the Bahraich case, the administration not only failed miserably but also did not take timely action to save the life of a young man. That young man Ram Gopal should have been stopped before climbing on someone’s roof or if he had climbed, he should have been brought down immediately. But no such action was taken. Why was the dispute allowed to escalate so much?
Violence erupts in almost every major religious procession, on this basis the present Yogi government cannot be seen as a strong government. Also, the way the police and administration are going through an institutional helplessness and weakness, such incidents are inevitable. A study by James Fearon and David Laitin (2003) states that – “Countries with weak institutions are more likely to have communal violence, because they fail to prevent conflict between different groups or provide justice”. In such a situation, now I am not surprised why the number of such incidents is increasing.
Use of religious nationalism as a tool
The Prime Minister who talked about giving the country the benefit of demographic dividend 10 years ago has not been able to live up to the aspirations of the youth. Wherever you look, you see a crowd of thousands and lakhs of unemployed youth. The reality is that the youth of a country that needs immediate employment, better health services and proper and affordable education, and rich nutrition have been turned into a religious mob. Animosity is being spread among people by pitting religion against humanity. An attempt is being made to view the nation through the framework of a religion and religious nationalism is being used as a tool. Leaders know very well that this is the cause of communal violence. Martha Nussbaum (2008) writes in her book “The Clash Within” that “religious nationalism, such as Hindutva, deepens divisions between religious communities. Extremist groups often spread hatred against minorities, which leads to violence.The question is why are people getting provoked so easily? Is this ensuring their regular employment? Or are they assured of better facilities? If not, then why? Paul Brass says that where there is scarcity of resources, economic conflict between communities promotes communal riots. The truth is that the country is struggling with economic poverty, wealth and resources are being concentrated in the hands of a few people. The situation has reached a point where the Prime Minister of India introduces a particular industrialist to the heads of other countries so that he can benefit. Why is the Prime Minister of India so fond of a particular person? Why is the idea of concentrating resources in a few places becoming the idea of the government? The answer to this should be found but it is certain that communal violence can be easily nurtured amid growing economic inequality. The eminent scholar Francis Stewart (2008) believes that “when there is economic inequality between different religious or ethnic groups, it increases the possibility of communal violence”.
There are many such studies which confirm that the growing communal tension is not just an issue between religions, but aspects of poverty, inequality and unemployment are also permanently intertwined in it, which are being used for personal benefit in election after election.
People should also ask the question that who gets harmed from both the sides after communal tension/violence? Is the person who dies financially prosperous? Does he have a stable job? Does he have a luxurious house? Do his parents have enough money and resources to live a comfortable life after his death? And finally is he a highly educated person? If this is not the case then people need to think again that why do those who have all this not join these religious processions and violence?
