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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Hindu girl bullied for befriending Muslims kills herself

News Analysis |

A Hindu woman has killed herself after facing harassment over her friendship with a Muslim man in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, police say. This latest death ties in with the Hindutva campaign to rid India of inter-communal relations utilizing the slogans of “love jihad” and “Beti bachao”.

She told a friend on WhatsApp that she loved Muslims after being questioned over her friendship with the man. Police said screenshots of this exchange were shared on social media. Five people from Hindu hardline groups visited her house on Saturday to warn her parents, police say. The 20-year-old killed herself the same day.

Raigar later told reporters that he killed Afrazul to rescue a Hindu girl who had eloped with the laborer. However, police investigation revealed that Afrazul had no connection to the incident.

The police initially registered a case of suicide, but widened their investigation after reports about the role of social media in her death started to emerge on Monday.

K Annamalai, a senior police officer Chikkamagaluru district, told the BBC that the woman had left a suicide note. “She has mentioned that there was a photo of her with a man from another religious community. People started commenting about it and cast aspersions on her character,” he said.

Read more: Hindutva murderer’s arrest leads to mob violence and financial donations

He added that she killed herself after five persons went to her house and “complained to her mother that she was in love with a Muslim man.” He added that the police had arrested one person, and were searching for others. In the messages, she is advised not to get “involved” with a man from another faith. She replied: “But I love Muslims.”

She added that she doesn’t find anything wrong in being “associated” with members of any religious community. Mr Annamalai said, “whoever has criticised the woman, whether on Facebook or WhatsApp, would be arrested”.

Mohammand Afrazul from West Bengal was hacked and burnt to death in Rajsamand by Shabhu Lal Raigar, who was seen ranting against ‘love jihad’ in a video that was shot and uploaded on the Internet by his minor nephew.

“We believe it amounts to harassment due to which a young life has been lost. We are taking this case seriously because it wasn’t her fault,” he added. In recent years, India has witnessed Hindu-Muslim tensions over what has come to be known as “love jihad”.

The term has been popularised by radical Hindu fringe groups, who accuse Muslim men of participating this in a “conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them”.

Read more: Hindutva Terror: Indian blast case suggests bleak scenario for Pakistan

Love jihad has become an integral part of the Hindutva lexicon. It refers to the marriages between Muslim men and Hindu women. Its appeal to communal sensibilities by demonizing the matrimonial relations of Muslim men and Hindu women and thus synchronizes with the communal slogan of “Hindu Khatre mein hay” (Hindus are in danger).

Hindutva fundamentalists use the threat of love jihad as one of the many perceived perils to the Indian Hindu community. Love jihad appeals to both communal hatreds as well as the patriarchy inbuilt in several Indian cultures. Love jihad posits Hindu men as the protectors of Hindu women.

This mentality manifests in the statement of Hindu Yuva Vahini  leader Nagendra Pratap Tomar. “If the Muslim population continued to grow at the same pace, India will become an Islamic country by 2027”.

Not only are they protecting the survival of their faith but also safeguarding their honor and family by stopping Muslims from marrying Hindus. Hindutva proclaims that a good Hindu woman is one who is subservient to her male counterpart. The Hindutva ideology pushes for a docile wife subservient to a patriarchal system. Career-oriented women are discouraged and deemed to be the opposite of good mothers and wives.

Read more: Hindutva media paints Dalits as “Pakistanis” as Caste violence increases

This is apparent by the statement of the RSS chief that the duty of the woman is to look after her husband, failing which he can disown her and refuse to take care of her. It seeks the Hindu women as nothing more than a breeding station for the Hindu populace. It is this Hindu populace which is under threat from outside forces such as Muslims. Not only are marriages between Muslim men and women imperiling the honor of Hindus but also putting the survival of the Hindu nation at stake.

The term has been popularised by radical Hindu fringe groups, who accuse Muslim men of participating this in a “conspiracy to turn Hindu women from their religion by seducing them”.

The “breeding posts” of good Hindu men are being subverted by Muslims who instead are utilizing them to produce Muslim children. This mentality manifests in the statement of Hindu Yuva Vahini (Hindu Youth Force) leader Nagendra Pratap Tomar. “If the Muslim population continued to grow at the same pace, India will become an Islamic country by 2027”.

Read more: Hindutva groups kill Muslim in brutal attack

Love jihad has often been used by Saffron terrorists to unleash death and destruction on hapless minorities. Mohammand Afrazul from West Bengal was hacked and burnt to death in Rajsamand by Shabhu Lal Raigar, who was seen ranting against ‘love jihad’ in a video that was shot and uploaded on the Internet by his minor nephew.

Raigar later told reporters that he killed Afrazul to rescue a Hindu girl who had eloped with the laborer. However, police investigation revealed that Afrazul had no connection to the incident.