Communal Flare-up in Haryana and Beyond

Nuh district in the Mewat region of Haryana has reported prolonged clashes and violence since the end of July. The aftermath of this violence quickly spread to other parts of the state as well, causing serious damage to human lives and widespread destruction of public and private property. The violence was triggered due to a procession led by the hardliners in Nuh district. As has become a regular practice in certain religious processions in contemporary India, provocative songs were played and incendiary slogans chanted, because of which clashes broke out between two religious groups in the area. The ripples of this communal violence could be observed in nearby Gurugram as well.

Research on communal violence has repeatedly demonstrated that such instances are hardly ever spontaneous in nature. In fact, communal violence in India forms a part of a larger political strategy to sustain religious polarisation among different communities and reap political dividends out of it. Although hard-line organisations and faceless mobs are directly involved in the perpetuation of violence, the role of the government and state agencies cannot be overlooked in this regard.