RUTHFULLY YOURS

India’s centuries-long resistance to Muslim aggression began in 636 C.E. This started a series of incursions in which Muslim warriors desecrated Hindu places of worship and universities, slaughtered monks and priests, and unleashed a reign of terror to impose Islam and subjugate the majority Hindu population.  In K.S. Lal’s 1973 book, Growth of Muslim Population of Medieval India (1000-1800), the author estimated that about 60-80 million people died in India between 1000 and 1525 as a result of Islamic invasions.

Modern India still faces significant encroachment and cross-border terrorism from Muslims who today represent demographic and territorial challenges to the Asian country.  The Muslim population of India has increased dramatically since the partitioning of British India into the two independent states of India and Pakistan, the latter officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.  This has resulted in greater clout by Muslims in the determination of government allegiances, policies, and expenditures, in addition to a significant increase in general unrest.

Although the religious component of the 2011 census in India has yet to be released, it is believed that the Hindu population has dropped below 80% for the first time since independence in 1947.  The official word is that the data on religion is being withheld so as not to influence the upcoming elections this year.  Apparently, political leaders worry that the information will skew election results as Hindus become increasingly alarmed about Muslim population growth and cast their votes for the political party that opposes illegal immigration.  Their concerns are not misplaced, as areas with marked Muslim population increases have seen higher rates of violent crime.

In a push to appease the growing Muslim population and garner votes, the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill was created and has been promoted.  The legislation is built on the erroneous assumption that majorities violently target minorities.  The bill has been characterized as discriminatory, biased, and unconstitutional by Hindu leaders because it targets the Hindu majority, presumes guilt even from anonymous complaints, and is designed solely to aid prosecutions brought by minority populations.  Hindu leaders are rightly concerned that if this bill becomes law, only Hindus will be prosecuted and convicted of violent acts and the incitement of hate crimes. 

The last time India’s religious data was released in the 2001 census published in 2005, the Hindu demographic share had indeed declined.  Overall, the proportion of Hindus shrank from 83.4% percent in 1961 to 80.5% in the 2001 census.  In some regions, the increases were even more dramatic.  In West Bengal, a state bordering Bangladesh, the Muslim population increased to 36%, up from 20% of the population in 1947.

These statistics give great unease within India because the country is bordered by two Muslim-majority nations.  Pakistan, to the west, is about 97% Muslim, making it the second-most populous Muslim-majority country with the largest Shia population in the world.  The 1,800-mile border between Pakistan and India is considered one of the most dangerous borders on the globe, with hostilities dating back to 1947.  Meanwhile, Bangladesh, to the east, and nearly surrounded by India, is 90.4% Muslim.  Massive illegal immigration and smuggling along the shared 2,429-mile border have engendered much violence.

The marked increase in the number of Muslims within India has profoundly impacted the country, especially in the border regions of West Bengal and Bangladesh, where significant illegal immigration has occurred.  In these regions, Muslims have engaged in cattle-trafficking and slaughtering, desecration of Hindu religious sites, and sexual harassment of Hindu girls.  The Border Security Forces, although fully armed, have been powerless to stop the criminal activity under orders from the Indian Home Minister, who has tied their hands. 

Last August, a heavily armed group of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists and Pakistani troops entered Indian territory and ambushed an Indian patrol.  Lashkar e Taiba first achieved worldwide notoriety following the 2008 Mumbai attack.  For three days, they held the largest city in India hostage with 12 shooting and bombing attacks, killing 164 people and injuring more than 300, allegedly with the support of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.  In January, Pakistani troops infiltrated Jammu and killed two Indian soldiers, beheading one.  The Indian Defense Minister has cited 188 such incidents at the borders with Pakistan in the past three years.

Illegal immigration on India’s border with Bangladesh has been encouraged by all of the major political parties, who provide IDs, ration cards, and voter registrations for the mostly Muslim new arrivals.  Touts or fixers help them attain citizenship, often providing fake documents.  They assist with job placement for a cut of the immigrants’ salaries.  As a result, the majority Hindu population fears that an Islamic conspiracy exists to take over India’s border states.

These fears are magnified by new mosques and madrasas that have sprung up along the border to serve as safe havens for militants and storage for arms and ammunition.  Some illegal immigrants are used by jihadists to set off blasts, smuggle counterfeit currency, or transport drugs.     

The increasing number of Muslims — their ranks boosted by illegal immigration — has also utilized the “vote bank” phenomenon to gain political influence.  In contrast to the Hindu practice, common in most democracies, of voting according to individual preferences based on each candidate’s political platform and other considerations, the Muslim practice is for the community to vote in concert, according to the mandate of the local imam.  In existence since independence, this tactic has gained steam over the past 30-40 years. 

Further, non-Muslim candidates are often forced into deal-making with Muslims.  The way this occurs is that non-Muslim politicians who engage in traditional door-to-door campaigning to garner support are prohibited from entering Muslim areas.  Thus, they must visit the local imam for political deal-making that will translate into Muslim votes. 

Whenever Hindu politicians assess the support needed to get elected, they  factor in the influence of Muslim communities, with their large number of votes associated with each mosque.  Just one imam endorsement can yield a block of votes and increase a candidate’s chance of winning an election.  

In this way, a candidate becomes beholden to Muslim religious leaders, who can guarantee the votes of an entire community.  In return, non-Muslim candidates could end up granting prime real estate for mosque-building; providing Muslims with better jobs and business opportunities, plus more government money and resources; allowing arrest and harassment of Hindu leaders and the release of jihadists, and ignoring Islamic propaganda and criminal syndicate activity.  Of the 500 seats in the Parliament, about 150 seats are affected by Muslim vote bank considerations. 

Vote bank politics were at work recently in an inflammatory West Bengal incident, in which 13 local tribal members were accused of gang rape.  The allegations are believed to be part of a conspiracy fueled by a politician who is fighting to maintain and expand her political power.  The charges were made against tribal members who recently engaged in a six-month strike against area Muslim-owned factories to protest sexual assaults on their women and to win better pay. 

The tribal members vehemently deny that any rape took place and assert that the government is siding with the Muslim business owners by bringing false charges against them.  According to reports from IBTL (India Behind the Lens), evidence exists of police brutality to extract confessions and of media collusion.  In the aftermath of the alleged rape, IBTL reports that police have surrounded the village, are molesting tribal women, and are prohibiting tribal males from remaining in the area. 

India’s 1,300-year-old struggle against Muslim aggression has thus evolved from past border invasions and violent skirmishes to today’s internal political battles.  As more and more Muslims enter the country illegally, they have gained political clout through alliances with politicians willing to swap votes for favors.  In this way, India is turning its back on its Hindu tradition and population to embrace a foolhardy and dangerous future.