Martha Nussbaum, a professor of philosophy, in her book “The Clash Within” explains how communal violence can be promoted through historically built- fear, shame and disgust by giving the example of Gujarat 2002 communal violence.

She mentions in her book, historian Tanika Sarkar, who had investigated the events and witnesses, said that evidence showed obsession of men with destroying women’s sexual organs which expresses “a dark sexual obsession about allegedly ultra-virile Muslim male bodies and over-fertile Muslim female ones, that inspire(s) and sustain(s) the figures of paranoia and revenge”.

Historically built feelings play a huge role in deciding one’s actions. 

The Hindu Population has a major say in what’s happening as they are the majority by a huge a number. 

Hindus have an option to not have any contact with the Muslim population. However, the majority of Muslims don’t have this option. Given, their small numbers it’s inevitable that they’ll come in contact with Hindus.

They are more familiar with the other population. Hence, the myths and lies about the Hindu population in Muslim minds get undone. 

FEAR

Muslims already feel threatened and unsafe. They fear the huge population of Hindus. 

Due to traditional Muslim beliefs that “children are Allah’s gifts” and some historical incidences, Muslims are often believed to be sexually very active and hence, it is believed that their population is constantly increasing. 

During the late 90s and early 2000s, the Muslim population witnessed slight growth and the Hindu population witnessed slight decline.

In 1961, the Hindu population was 84.4% while it was 83.5% in 1971, 83.1% in 1981, 82.4% in 1991 and 81.4% in 2001.

On the other hand, the Muslim population increased, it was 9.9% for 1961, 10.4% for 1971, 10.9% for 1981, 11.7% for 1991, and 12.4% for 2001. 

In those days, one of Modi’s slogans for his election campaign was “hum do humare do, vo pach aur unke pacchies” .

This slogan, statistics and other means were used to fashion an aggressive image of Hindu men just like what they show in Muslim Men.

Hindus were told to fear the growth of Muslim population. They were told, the Muslims can take over numerically.

In Gujarat, Muslims were economically more well off. They are traditionally merchants and traders, therefore, Hindus feared Muslims, economically and numerically. 

Gujarat is geographically closer to Pakistan, hence, it added to the fear factor in Hindu minds. 

Also read: Hidden Community Of Muslim Kasgers In Lucknow Don’t See Ram Mandir As A Dividing Issue

SHAME

Historically, Hindus have been told that they are not masculine enough to rule themselves. Orientalist writers during the British rule extensively wrote on how first Hindus needed Muslim rulers and now British rulers. 

Macaulay (colonial administrator), had official documents where he explained how Bengali men are effeminate and not capable of ruling themselves. 

Given the idea that Muslim men are more sexually active, it just made the Hindu men doubt their potency.

He became ashamed because others declared that he is not masculine enough.

To prove that he is potent enough, in the riots hundreds of Muslim women were raped by Hindu men and subsequently their sexual organs were cut. 

DISGUST

To counter the feeling of fear and shame, Hindu men used the feeling of disgust. 

The thought that Muslim men are more sexually active at first gave Hindu men the feeling of shame and fear which was used to give rise to the feeling of disgust.

Uncorralled sexual desire is an animal characteristic. Humans are different because they can think and logically take actions. 

In return, the defeat that Muslim men faced almost every time during riots and the constant disgust that Hindu men put forward against them gave rise to the feeling of shame and fear in the Muslim men.

How the history is portrayed and how it plays with the psychology of mind can have major consequences.

If both the communities are familiar with each other and constantly interact with each other, they will come to know that one community is not very different from the other. Consequently, these myths and false believes will be corrected.

Sources: Jstor, The Clash Within (Book), Jstor

Image credits: Google Image

Find the blogger at @kumar_darshna

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