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India-Pakistan
In an Indian village, Muslims talk of leaving as divide with Hindus widens
2019-05-22
[DAWN] Moslems in Nayabans, an unremarkable village in northern India, say they remember a time when their children played with Hindu youths, and people from either faith chatted when the frequented each other's shops and went to festivals together.

Such interactions no longer happen, many say, because of how polarised the two communities have become in the past two years, and some are frightened and thinking of moving away ‐ if they can afford it.

Moslem residents who spoke to Rooters said they thought tensions would only worsen if Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wins a second term in the current general election, as exit polls released on Sunday indicate is likely. Votes will be counted on Thursday.

"Things were very good earlier. Moslems and Hindus were together in good and bad times, weddings to deaths. Now we live our separate ways despite living in the same village," said Gulfam Ali, who runs a small shop selling bread and tobacco.

Posted by:Fred

#5  Please don't be a stranger.

At least not any stranger that the rest of us.

One of the things I like about Rantburg is, whatever the subject, there is someone who knows about it, has done it, or was there when it jumped off.
Thanks for the background, Dron.
Posted by: SteveS   2019-05-22 20:23  

#4  Thanks for you learned input and perspective Dron. Please don't be a stranger.
Posted by: Besoeker   2019-05-22 16:01  

#3  Some context. Because why trust a Paki paper on Indian news.

As it happens, I know this place. It is a shithole suburb that was once a village. Due to classic Indian municipal zoning, factories and storage dumps came up all around the village and the land was encroached by cheap labour that factories employed. As can be guessed, the cheapest labor is illegal migrants. Bangladeshi muslims began to proliferate, a masjid came up... two. Now immigrant muslims in India, especially surrounded by hindu communities always feel restricted. And of course, they have to be extra polite, smile and reign in their inherent proclivities to survive.

The divide that the Paki paper speaks of is symbolic of the recent call from local govt.s for census on illegal immigrants and unlawful masjids and unregulated madarsas and preachers.

Long story short, there is a Far-Right regime in the state, and the heat is on for islamists everywhere except for southern states.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-05-22 14:00  

#2  "Things were very good earlier.

When was that exactly? The sweet golden haze of memory and all that, but it seems the Hindus and Muslims in India have been going at it since forever. Isn't that how we got Pakistain?

Serious question: is there any place in the world where Muslims and non-Muslims live together peacefully? I'm drawing a blank.
Posted by: SteveS   2019-05-22 13:16  

#1  Don't let the door ...
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2019-05-22 07:54  

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