Ram Navami to Ram Mandir

In the run-up to the 2019 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be falling back on its old trick for quick returns—communal polarisation—as witnessed in the recent clashes in Bihar and West Bengal. A spate of low-intensity communal attacks against Muslims, especially centred on Ram Navami celebrations, has taken place in these two states. Social media and the party’s organisational strengths were cleverly deployed to this effect.

Ram Navami celebrations this year have been marked by belligerent rallies of young men on motorbikes, waving swords, and saffron flags. Typically, these well-planned processions start from a Hindu neighbourhood accompanied by religious songs and slogans. They then proceed towards Muslim neighbourhoods, where the songs and sloganeering become blatantly communal and the aim is obvious. Several such rallies were led by local Sangh Parivar leaders/cadres and joined by their counterparts from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.