“From Love To Hate: Religion, State Laws and Political Manipulation in India

Author: Udita Jain, Amity University, Gwalior.

“ Hindu-Muslim unity, khaddar and removal of untouchability are the foundation of Swara”.

- MAHATMA GANDHI 

India is a religiously and culturally diverse nation with both secularism and republicanism. Although this diversity is a source of pride for the country, it also exposes deep rifts where socioeconomic inequalities, political ambitions, and old grievances converge, leading to major ethnopolitical and communal clashes.

Religious conflicts, particularly between Muslims and Hindus, are still occurring. Thus, in this, we delve deeper into the main religious conflicts, the ways in which the state interferes, and the problems that society faces in the modern world. This demonstrates how political players strategically take advantage of historical grievances and ethnic identities.

The question is whether India is truly secular today or not due to governmental meddling, which has the authority to enact laws and violate fundamental rights, including religious ones. The state is breaking several articles of the constitution, including articles 14, 19, 21, 25, and 26, as a result of its political manipulation.

Why is parliament  creating bills on Muslim and Hindu personal laws, and why isn't the unified civil code being enforced to this day and what are the loopholes in it ?

Religious conflicts , Secularism , Political manipulation , Inequality ,state  interferences .

'Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and spread of religion' are guaranteed under Article 25 of the Indian Constitution. Some members of the Constituent Assembly suggested revisions that would either completely eliminate the freedom to propagate or restrict the ability to exercise religion to private areas because they were worried that it would encourage forced conversions. Others contended that forced conversions were outside the scope of this freedom and that free dissemination would also raise public awareness of many religions, which would foster harmony and understanding. Laws on anti-conversion are made by the state, yet they solely discuss Muslims and not Hindus.

Uttar Pradesh: An earlier law from 2021 was revised by the Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was enacted by the Uttar Pradesh legislature in late 2024. One significant change was to increase the penalty to life in jail for anyone found guilty of marrying a woman by tricking her and forcibly changing her religion. The fact that the law is often referred to as the "love jihad" law, which is based on the Hindu nationalist conspiracy theory that Muslim males are deceitfully luring and abducting a huge number of Hindu women in order to marry them and convert them to Islam, makes it clear that it is intended specifically to target Muslims. If someone plans to change their religion, they must inform the local District Magistrate and obtain their consent.

But why do we need permission? It's our fundamental right to conversion, and if any adult girl or boy chooses to convert on their own, there won't be any chance of forced conversion or deciphered conversion. The Hindu politician named this crime "love jihad" because they only target Muslim men, which is discrimination based on gender and religion because there are numerous instances where the pattern of murders is the same.

Cases:

Shraddha Walker Case ( 2022) After an altercation, 28-year-old Aaftab Poonawala murdered his live-in lover Shraddha and then allegedly burned her face to conceal her identity before mutilating her body into 35 parts. To escape suspicion, her body pieces were stored in a 300-liter refrigerator,then disposed of one at a time in the Chhatarpur forest every night for the next eighteen days, at roughly two in the morning.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad characterized the episode as an example of "love jihad" and called on the central government to enact legislation to prevent such incidents.

Saurabh – Muskaan Rastogi Case  

Unaware of the horrific destiny that lay ahead, Saurabh, a former Merchant Navy officer, returned from London on February 24 to celebrate Muskan's birthday. On February 25, Muskan and Sahil tried to drug him, but the sedative-laced food just made him sleepy. Muskan poisoned him once more on March 4, effectively knocking him out this time. Then, in an effort to get rid of the evidence, the couple dismembered his body after stabbing him to death.Originally, they intended to dispose of the body parts in various places, but ultimately, they decided to enclose them within a plastic drum that was filled with sand and cement. Muskan made sure her six-year-old kid was sent to the grandmother's residence before they carried out their plan.

Everyone has the right to freedom of religion or believe, including the "freedom to change" their religious beliefs, according to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).Article18(1) Everyone is entitled to the "freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief" of their choosing, according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Although freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed by Article 19, it is not permitted in a secular nation to use derogatory language or disparaging remarks about a particular religion. Human Rights Watch claimed today that hate speech against Muslims and other minorities was often utilized throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2024 election campaign. Beginning on June 9, Modi's campaign to win his third straight term in power was marked by repeated declarations by the leadership of his Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) calling for violence, hatred, and discrimination against marginalized communities.

Since Hinduism is the dominant religion in India, politicians use it as a tool to win votes. For this reason, our national politicians and government support Hindurashtra while disregarding the religion of the minorities. This is supported by a number of situations. On December 6, 1992, a sizable contingent of Vishva Hindu Parishad activists and affiliated groups demolished the 16th-century Babri Masjid in the Indian city of Ayodhya. After a political demonstration organized by Hindu nationalist organizations descended into violence, the mosque became the focus of a protracted sociopolitical controversy.

Recent documentaries made in India, such as The Kashmir Files, Bastar: The Naxal Story, The Kerala Story, and the recently published Sabarmati Report, demonstrate that Modi's India is not an anomaly. The Indian prime minister, who saw it last year with a number of cabinet colleagues, has openly supported the latter after applauding it for "revealing the truth." A "fake narrative can only persist for a limited period of time," according to Narendra Modi.

Madhya Pradesh Bulldozer Demolitions (2022)The Madhya Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ordered the demolition of homes and businesses, primarily held by Muslims, after a communal fight during the Ram Navami parade in Khargone, accusing the residents of being rioters. Many people opposed this action as collective punishment devoid of due process.

VHP Vigilance and Bajrang Dal. With the implicit approval of political officials, right-wing organizations affiliated with ruling party affiliates have harassed Muslim vendors, barred them from temple festivals, and brutally attacked interfaith couples in a number of states, including Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

1. Carefully and inclusively implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

2.Stop the Abuse of "Love Jihad" and Anti-Conversion Laws

3. Tightly Implement Hate Speech Laws to Strengthen Them

4. Encourage Interfaith Peace via Educational Policies

5. Religion's depoliticization in electoral processes

6. Use the Special Marriage Act (SMA) to safeguard interfaith unions.

7. Public Support for Programs in Interfaith Communities

8.Controlling the Media to Reduce Religious Polarization

The secondary analysis of qualitative data used in this article is based on a variety of pre-existing sources, such as research papers and other relevant publications. These sources serve as the study's primary data basis. It is crucial to examine arguments made for and against the subject in order to understand the existing state of affairs, putting prejudice aside.

India's religious diversity and the harmonious cohabitation of various faiths under the general heading of constitutional secularism have long been praised. However, in recent decades, political forces have methodically transformed personal beliefs into tools of public divide by taking advantage of religious sentiments for electoral gains.

In this process, state laws—which are supposed to protect equality and justice—have frequently been used as weapons. Among other things, laws pertaining to cow protection, interfaith weddings, and religious conversions have turned into hot spots, disproportionately affecting minority communities and fostering a climate of distrust and dread. Certain official institutions and legal systems have been seen as supporting majoritarian narratives rather than acting as impartial arbiters.

In addition to polarizing society, political manipulation of religious identities serves as a distraction from urgent socioeconomic problems like unemployment, poverty, and education. Political actors make sure that identity-based and emotional appeals take precedence over logical discussion and governance by dividing the national conversation along communal lines. This trend has been exacerbated by the emergence of social media, which has made it possible for hate speech and disinformation to spread quickly, frequently with covert political support.