It is imperative that the Indian subcontinent comprehend the animosity between Muslims and Hindus in order to advance from its current $3.5 trillion economy to China's $17 trillion economy. According to India's 2021 census, Muslims make up 15% of the country's 1.4 billion inhabitants, making them the second-largest religious group behind Hindus (79.8%). According to figures released by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) in May 2024, the proportion of Muslims in India has increased by 43% since 1950, from 9.84% to 14.09%. Though it does not accurately reflect reality, the growing Muslim population in India sends a clear message to the rest of the world that minorities in India are properly protected by the government.
If it is so, then why is there animosity between the two largest religious groups in India? There is not a single year we spend without riots between Hindus and Muslims. Why does this happen? And what could be the reason behind it?
The British colonial rule has started the division of society and begun to sow the seeds of animosity between the two great religions of the world: Hindu, the oldest one without beginning and end, and Islam, the latest one formed in the seventh century. When Britishers came to India for business purposes, it was the Mughal court who permitted them to do business in India. In the first battle of independence in 1857, the whole of India unanimously elected Bahadur Shah Jafar, the supreme leader. Until now, despite the atrocities of Mughals and Britishers, everything was hunky-dory in our relationships. From here onwards, the Britishers could sense that if the communities continued to live in peace and harmony with each other, they could challenge them anytime. Therefore, they started manipulating the logic and instilling it in them to create differences.
Since India had been under Islamic hegemony from the 12th to the 19th centuries, Muslims began to consider themselves as a ruling class, and Hindus were treated as subordinates to them. Although it was not uttered by them, the Muslims of India secretly harbored it in their minds. And it had become a strong reason for them during the partition of India, and they refused to go and settle down in Pakistan. The Muslims who did not go to Pakistan considered India their land.
On the contrary, Hindus believed India was their land from the beginning, and the Muslims and Britishers were invaders who came to India finding the right opportunities and settled here. Hindus were adamant to believe in their logic. Finding it a bone of contention, the Britishers started massaging the egos of both sides to build a smooth path for their administrations. It worked quite beautifully to demarcate a line between the Hindus and Muslims. Taking inspiration from here, our politicians went a step ahead to let it burn continuously to gain political mileage. As a result, a simple attitude of royalty got mixed with the different religious ideological principles for stitching a complex tapestry.
Political commentators of the modern era hold Nehru and Gandhi responsible for the division of India. If it is correct, then it would also mean that Muslims happened to be the biggest obstacle for Nehru to become the prime minister of India. Therefore, in the eyes of Nehru, Muslims were thorns in his path. Again, by the same logic, how can we hold Nehru responsible for allowing the Muslims to live in India? However, Nehru is blamed for the partition of India, allowing Muslims to live in India if they don’t want to go to Pakistan, and the appeasement policy of minorities as well.
On this complex tapestry of division between the two largest religious groups, political parties have been playing very meticulously to keep the wound alive for electoral gains. Religion is a significant factor in the enmity, but it is more a political tool to get an edge in the election.