How Hindu festivals are being 'misused' to incite violence and hatred

By Ram Puniyani* 

Communal violence has long plagued Indian society, intensifying over the past decades. In pre-colonial times, such conflicts were rare and mostly ethnic, but under British rule, communal violence took root as a more frequent occurrence. The British promoted a divisive view of history, interpreting events through the religious identities of rulers, which fueled the rise of communal ideologies in both Hindu and Muslim communities. These narratives fostered a "social common sense" that exploited religion to incite conflict. Over the last 30 years, scholars, journalists, and researchers have worked to understand how communal groups have found new ways to instigate violence, particularly targeting the majority Hindu community.

Kunal Purohit’s influential book, "H-Pop", delves into how popular culture, especially certain songs, has been weaponized to spread hate—particularly against figures like Gandhi and Nehru, as well as against Muslims. According to Purohit, certain Hindutva pop stars are driving this trend, with their influence most visible in North India.

Building on this, Irfan Engineer and Neha Dabhade’s book, "Weaponization of Hindu Festivals", explores how Hindu festivals—especially Ram Navami—are increasingly used to intimidate Muslim communities, leading to heightened tensions and violence. Published by Pharos Media, the book focuses on incidents from 2022-2023, offering an in-depth analysis of communal violence observed in areas like Howrah, Hoogly, Sambhaji Nagar, Vadodara, Biharsharif, Sasaram, Khargone, Himmat Nagar, Khambat, and Lohardagga.

For centuries, Hindu festivals played a unifying role across communities, often celebrated in Mughal courts and alongside Muslims. Ram Navami, for instance, once fostered joy and unity. However, this book reveals how recent religious processions, ostensibly part of festival celebrations, have been increasingly aggressive and hostile, especially toward Muslim-majority neighborhoods. Engineer and Dabhade highlight how well-armed processions with loud, inflammatory music and provocative slogans now deliberately target these areas, often provoking violence. Some incidents even involve participants replacing green flags on mosques with saffron flags—a stark symbol of dominance. Since 2014, this aggressive display has intensified, encouraged by political changes.

The authors describe the troubling pattern seen in these processions, where a small group of provocateurs exploit festival occasions to generate conflict. Irfan Engineer notes in the introduction, “Even a small group of Hindu nationalists, under the guise of a ‘religious procession,’ can provoke reactions by parading through minority neighborhoods with provocative slogans and music, hoping for a reaction. Once provoked, the state swiftly acts against the minority, with arrests and demolitions often carried out without judicial procedure” (p. 24).

The book also discusses other religious events, like local Yatras, Ganga Aarti, and Satsangs, which have also started to display a similar trend of aggression. For instance, during the Kanwad Yatra in UP and Uttarakhand, authorities attempted to enforce labeling of food stalls by owner identity so participants could avoid Muslim-owned businesses—an order fortunately blocked by the Supreme Court.

This rising tension is creating deep-seated fear and division among Muslim communities. Festivals that once symbolized unity and celebration are now sources of fear and violence. The book stresses the urgent need for the state to intervene by curbing the use of arms and stopping abusive loud music at these events. Existing laws against hate speech and the misuse of DJs could help, if enforced.

To prevent further communal violence, the book calls for rigorous investigation and accountability for those responsible, along with compensation for victims. Promoting community programs that foster unity through culture, media, and education is also crucial. In his foreword, Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, underscores the need to revisit Gandhi’s messages of peace and nonviolence to restore sanity in society. This message is indeed vital in today’s climate.

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*Political commentator. A version of this article was first published in Newsclick