By Haris Zargar
The bubble of optimism that emerged after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to secure an outright majority has swiftly evaporated. A palpable sense of fear and insecurity among Muslims over escalating violence, hostility and state persecution has instead prevailed.
Indian Muslims had hoped for a reprieve after the results of parliamentary elections saw Modi’s Hindu right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returning to power in a coalition with smaller regional parties, which critics speculated would shackle his Hindu right-wing government from continuing with its communally polarising politics.
There was a belief that the results would lead to a reduction in religiously motivated attacks in the country.
Some observers had anticipated a shift in the functioning of Modi’s coalition-dependent government. They hoped it would adopt a more inclusive strategy of engaging with minorities, reining in Hindutva forces and fostering a sense of belonging among Muslims.
However, the “silver lining” turned out to be faux positivity as the Modi government now appears to be doubling down on its repressive tactics, with critics contending that the spike in violence against Muslims is vengeance for the recent election results.
This story was originally published in middleeasteye.net. Read the full story here.