This refers to the article entitled “Challenges and Concerns of Indian Muslims in Modi Era” by Syed Khalique Ahmed (Radiance, 30 August 2026) wherein he has rightly dwelt upon the widespread anti-Muslim atmosphere across India after its Independence,resulting in frequent communal violence in various parts of India. A grim communal violence erupted in Assam during foreigner deportation movement, killing more than three thousand innocent Muslims in Nellie in 1983. Again, India was seriously affected by the communal violence after the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992, destroying huge life and property throughout India.
Soon after the BJP Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was formed at the centre in 2014, Muslims are confronted with different serious problems linked to their existence and identity in India. Masjids, madrasas, and shrines built during Mughal and British period are now targeted and bulldozed on the plea that these were forcefully set up on the site of Hindu temples. Many Muslim genuine electors are now systematically disenfranchised by deleting their names from the Electoral Roll prepared in some states after SIR by ECI, thereby launching an attack on democracy in India. Even Muslims are mob-lynched, prohibited from consuming their lawful foods, Muslim girls denied entry into educational institutions with hijab and so on. Muslims are now required to manage the personal life as per UCC enforced in some states in lieu of Muslim Personal Law.
Thus, Muslims in India are invariably persecuted and deprived of the rights and privileges granted to them under the Constitution and by these acts the BJP Govt. and its allies like RSS and VHP aim to exterminate Islam and Muslims from India and to transform secular India into Hindu Rashtra. The Glorious Qur’an announces: “They (unbelievers) desire to put out Allah’s Light with their mouth. But Allah will not allow it. But His Light should be perfected even if the unbelievers may detest it” (9:32).
Let all flowers bloom and beautify the garden!
Muhammad Abdus Samad
Ambari,Dhupdhara, Assam
Treat Minorities with Respect
Incidents of minorities being targeted across the country, especially in BJP-ruled states is really disturbing. Recently, those allegedly associated with a Hindutva group disrupted a burial and assaulted mourners in Bardhaman district in Bengal which is no less than shocking. Every country, big or small, across the world has minorities and they are treated with utmost respect, though there may be a few exceptions.
It is the duty of the majority community to respect their sentiments and religious feelings as provided by the Constitution, but often, this does not happen. We need to treat our minorities as equal citizens and ensure that they are not discriminated against in any manner.
Hameed Hussain
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Noble Sentiments, But Reality Negates Them
The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s sentiments expressed at his speech in New York on August 20 where he stated that “anyone who believes Muslims should have no place in Bharat cannot truly call himself Hindu” are unexceptionable and rightly to be applauded by all irrespective of faith and community.
Unfortunately, these noble sentiments do NOT express the ground reality in India. When Muslims are described as ‘ghuspaithiyas’ (intruders) by senior BJP leaders, when the same leaders state that ‘those who are creating violence can be identified by their clothes’ and when hate remarks are continually spewed against the minority community on an ongoing basis,how can we believe that the noble vision articulated by the RSS chief is anywhere near realisation in our country?
- Gopalakrishnan,
Kolkata, West Bengal
Human Versus Nature
There has been a string of massive forest fires recently in North America and Europe. Even though fire crews tried their best to control these fires, but they often failed. With fires wreaking havoc in the forests of North America and Europe, and with rains and floods causing destruction in South Asia, including Pakistan, humans seem to have faced nature’s wrath in recent times.
If these heavy rains had fallen over the forests instead of cities, the fires would have been naturally extinguished. But this seems like nature’s strategy which remains beyond human comprehension.
Qasim Abbas,
Mississauga, Canada