By / Siasat
There are ominous signs that the Indian diaspora community is asserting the aggressive brand of Hindutva identity in the countries of their wellbeing. The Hindus- Muslim communal clashes in Leicester, UK, Hindu -Sikhs clash in Melbourne Australia, and the bulldozer march in New Jersey, US are some of the disturbing developments.
These events signify that the Indian diaspora community wants to play the role of being the vanguard of the clash of civilizations on a global scale. Observers feel that the Hindu right-wing elements in India, the BJP government, and also India’s foreign office are aiding and abetting militant Hinduism abroad.
These developments are posing a serious challenge to the governments of the countries where the Indian diaspora community is located and are also challenging the Muslim community in these countries to come out in the battle of religions.
Leicester Riots
In Leicester, the trigger was the first cricket match between India and Pakistan at Asia Cup in UAE that India won. Indian diaspora community took out a victory procession and passed through places that had significant Muslim populations. They wore masks and chanted the Hindu war cry of Jai Sree Ram and hurled abuses to the Pakistani community in particular and to their religion.
This triggered a backlash from the Muslim community. Videos show a Hindu flag being pulled down outside a Hindu temple but it did not show how desperately a Muslim cleric was trying to stop such vandalism.
According to several media reports, it was a preplanned activity by the Indian diaspora community that wanted to assert their Hindutva identity. They wanted to demonstrate their physical prowess on the Muslim community and chose Leicester city for such a violent demonstration. The Hindu- Muslim clash in Leicester cannot be attributed to one single cause as this was simmering for a long time. The Indian diaspora community was waiting for an opportunity that came due to Queen’s funeral when local policemen were called for duty in London. The procession was taken out knowing that the minuscule police forces cannot control the Hindu- Muslim clashes.
This story was originally published in siasat.com . Read the full story here
