Operation Sindoor: Exposing the BJP's Anti-Muslim Politics
By Venkatesh Ramakrishnan | Published September 20, 2024 | Updated September 21, 2024
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) recent "Operation Sindoor" in Uttar Pradesh reveals a disturbing pattern in its political strategy, one that increasingly relies on stoking anti-Muslim sentiment for electoral gains. This meticulously planned campaign, ostensibly aimed at empowering Hindu women, has been widely criticized for its divisive underpinnings and its role in furthering a majoritarian agenda.
At its core, Operation Sindoor involves BJP workers and members of affiliated Hindutva organizations approaching Hindu women, particularly in mixed-population areas, and urging them to assert their religious identity more visibly. This often includes encouraging the application of sindoor (vermilion mark), wearing bangles, and displaying other traditional symbols. While framed as a movement for cultural pride and women's safety, the campaign's rhetoric and on-ground activities betray a more insidious motive: the 'othering' of Muslim communities and the consolidation of Hindu votes through fear and religious polarization.
"This is not about empowering women; it's about marking territory and creating an atmosphere of 'us versus them'," says a local activist who wished to remain anonymous.
Analysts point out that such campaigns are often timed to coincide with upcoming elections, serving as a tool to distract from pressing socio-economic issues like unemployment and inflation. By foregrounding religious identity and constructing a narrative of Hindu victimhood or cultural endangerment, the BJP aims to galvanize its core voter base and sway undecided voters who might be susceptible to communal rhetoric. The choice of Uttar Pradesh, a state with a significant Muslim population and a history of communal tensions, is particularly telling.
The implications of Operation Sindoor extend beyond mere electoral calculations. Such initiatives contribute to the erosion of social cohesion, deepen communal fault lines, and create an environment where minority communities feel increasingly insecure and marginalized. The long-term consequences for India's secular fabric and democratic values are a matter of grave concern for civil society groups and political observers alike.