Delhi Riots- When Religion and Violence Meet

India is a diverse country, having different kinds of people following different religions. Home to at least 9 recognized religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Parsi and other religions, it is natural that differences of opinion exist on religious matters. When this dissent reaches a peak value, small arguments turn into violence- which destroys peace and livelihood of many, including innocent people who do not have religious opinions. The most recent example showing the magnitude of violence which religious dissent can create is the Delhi Riots. When the entire world had its eyes on Trump’s visit to India, in New Delhi just 20 km apart something serious took place.

The 2020 Delhi Riots, also known as the East Delhi Riots, took place in North East Delhi over a period of one week (starting 24th February), causing a massive loss of life and property. The riots were caused because of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) proposed by the government. The following numbers give a clear picture of the impact of the riots- more than 50 deaths, more than a hundred wounded people and most importantly, loss of livelihood of many citizens. The numbers are more astonishing because of the fact that this protest started off mainly as a demonstration, and ended up as bloodshed, striking terror in the hearts of many. The most prominent Shaheen Bagh protests in the Highway turned into a big controversy and later to a blame game between the two sides, sparking violence.

Know what is CAA-

So the big question is- why cause violence in the name of religion? The world at present is facing a lot of problems, and problems caused in the name of religion are many. Religion, being a sensitive topic, has been used worldwide to invoke reactions from people. The Delhi Riots is no different. In this case, it was CAA which caused the reaction of people. The supposed pro-Hindu agenda did not go down well with certain sections of the society. This provoked certain groups to resort to violence and bloodshed in order to revoke the act. There was a big clash between the pro-CAA and anti-CAA demonstrations which later triggered a massive riot, worst in the history of Delhi.

As usual, the blame game was a part and parcel. Three days after communal violence first broke out in Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying he is responsible for the current situation in Delhi. She also blamed the Arvind Kejriwal government of Delhi, holding both Centre and the Delhi government responsible for the riots.

After this, the Centre clarified its stand on the issue, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that the police and other agencies are working together to bring peace and normalcy in the state. He also appealed for peace and brotherhood in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, issued an appeal to displaced residents of riot-hit northeast Delhi to return to their homes. He also announced compensation for riot victims.

If the unrest in the country wasn’t enough, the riots also came under strong criticism from many well-known organisations and personalities, like The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the OIC and several US lawmakers, including potential presidential candidate Sanders, with all of them criticising India over the wide-spread violence in Delhi.

These statements were later clarified by Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. “We have seen comments made by USCIRF, sections of the media and a few individuals regarding recent incidents of violence in Delhi. These are factually inaccurate and misleading, and appear to be aimed at politicising the issue,” Kumar said. He also lashed out at the OIC for making “factually inaccurate” statements, which were selective and misleading, adding that there is an effort on the ground to restore normalcy and create confidence.

The majority of people, critics and analysts claim that the riots were a pogrom or something which was sponsored by the govt themselves, while others claim that this was an orchestrated violence by the opposition and the protesters. But, there is absolutely no significant proof on either side which substantiate their argument. The only thing which we can absolutely certain about is that the lives of innocents have been lost, whoever is responsible for it. The govt cannot wash away its responsibility of protecting people and property on the rioters.

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on behalf of the UN, issued a statement stating that the amount of casualties caused by the communal clash is “extremely saddening” and called for maximum restraint of violence. The foreign media made no wastage of opportunity to highlight continuous crackdown on the protesters and blaming the same on protesters. The govt strictly claims these reports to be biassed and misleading. The govt has confirmed in Rajya Sabha that action will be taken for sure and the rioters will be forced to pay for the loss.

The events of the past will remain in the past. However, it is up to the government and the leaders to earn back the trust of the citizens, which they have lost, courtesy the riots, and also bring back peace and normalcy in the state of Delhi. Another thing the government must do is to create awareness and do away with misunderstandings associated with CAA, thereby ensuring that more cases of violence don’t occur in the future.

Disclaimer: We are a platform which allows all views to be represented without bias or discrimination. This piece is not to be judged upon as the final stance of MUNner’s daily or MEC MUN Society.

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