The history of violence between the Hindu and Muslim communities is neither unprecedented nor uncommon. As the fact goes, the cases of communal violence, from mob lynching to burning people alive, have increased in the past few years, making it a rather recurrent spectacle for the public. A recent case that occurred in a town in the state of Rajasthan gives strong evidence to the claim that religion has now overpowered people’s sense of reasoning and that concomitant communal violence is on a fatal rise.

Introduction

A dastardly video footage showing a man brutally murdering another person and saying hate comments against the Muslims has made it to the headlines. Shambhu Lal Regar, the murderer belonging to the Hindu community, killed a 48-year Muslim labourer for a girl he took to be his sister. In the entire story that has surfaced, it is clear that Shambhu wanted to kill a person who was disturbing his sister. The murder, as investigated by the police, has come out to be a case of mistaken identity since Shambhu wanted to kill somebody else. While it may be that the identity was mistaken, the religious community on target was clearly Muslim.

On further examination, the police have reported that Shambhu was very anti-Muslim and was under a strong influence of hate videos doing the rounds on the internet. This whole action resulted from his continual following of such Hindu-Muslim hate crimes. His intent for recording this crime was only to become a part of these anti-Muslim groups and spread hatred against the community.

Adding Fuel to the Communal Fire

Communal violence has become a part and parcel of the society now; such news rarely even touches a nerve. What is different about this case is the enormous support from the Hindu groups that justified the monstrous actions of a murderer. In the days that followed a trial case against Shambhu Lal, it was no longer a murder incident. It became a large-scale Hindu vs Muslim battle and both the parties put forth a firm foot. Amidst the building communal tension, the government had to shut down the internet services of the region and deploy heavy security forces.

It is not only shocking but also shameful how communities are promoting and supporting hate crimes publicly. It is shocking that people have the mentality to gather in support of a murderer for the only reason that he belongs to their community. Supporting a murderer is as much a crime as committing the murder. No crime can be justified in the name of religion. What is shameful is that people have abandoned their innate rationality to co-exist with others and prefer to kill instead of resolving their differences. Humanity has lost its path in the labyrinth of this new-world barbarism of communalism where lives are cheap and snatched away with a click of fingers.

Conclusion

A faulty socialization results into the child turning into a criminal with the justification of religion to support it. The existence of fundamentalist groups is also a reason for increase in the number of hate crimes. It is imperative for parents and schools to teach the children since the very beginning the right lessons of co-existence and love towards all religions. The forces of communalism should not outweigh the humanity instilled in mankind.