Syed Ali Mujtaba
NEW DELHI — Communal tensions have been on the ascendency ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took over the reins of the government in the eastern state of Odisha in June this year.
Soon after the BJP government was sworn in on June 12 communal tension arose in Balasore when miscreants threw stones at a mosque and set fire to a Muslim house. Curfew was imposed and internet services were shut down and the usual crackdown targeting minorities followed.
In August 2024, the media reported attacks on minority communities in various parts of the state; Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Sambalpur, and Bolangir districts, etc. were all under the grip of communal tension. Besides, many cases of violence went unreported.
Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan (GASS), a civic advocacy group in the state of Bhubaneswar, reported several attacks on migrant workers, particularly from the neighbouring states of Bihar and West Bengal. Hundreds of migrant workers were displaced, it said.
Hindutva forces took advantage of the recent political upheaval in Bangladesh and the resultant misinformation campaign of Hindus being attacked there to target Muslims in Odisha.
Attack on Christians: At the end of August, there were reports, particularly on Janmashtami day (August 26), that the Sangh Parivar asked members of the Christian community to leave the Kandhamal region. Several Christians were forced to leave their homes under a silent but pervasive threat, and this exodus continues
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
