In brief
Following a deadly attack in Kashmir, India's Muslim population fears increasing persecution, as state actions intensify against them, amid accusations of links to Pakistan.
Widespread detentions and property demolitions targeting Muslims in India have sparked fears that right-wing Hindu nationalists are leveraging a recent terrorist attack in Kashmir to escalate their oppression of the nation's largest minority group. Public fury erupted after 26 individuals—mainly Hindu tourists—lost their lives to militants near Pahalgam, a town situated in the predominantly Muslim region of Indian-administered Kashmir. India has accused Pakistan of aiding the assault, a claim that Pakistan has firmly rejected.In response to the strike, which occurred on April 22, India appears poised to consider military action against Pakistan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging to track down the terrorists and "demolish" their safe havens. A Pakistani minister expressed concerns over the possibility of an imminent Indian offensive.Thus far, India’s central administration has prioritized punitive measures against Pakistan, threatening to disrupt cross-border water flows. Concurrently, government officials and right-leaning Hindu factions have intensified their campaign against Muslims, casting it as an effort to combat illegal immigration.In states governed by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, local authorities have seized the opportunity to target individuals they label as "illegal Bangladeshis" and Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar. Such designations are often weaponized against Muslim migrants from various regions within India, raising alarms about widespread discrimination and potential violence against this community.
