Social

A shocking incident occurred on April 2, 2023, when the passengers of the Alappuzha-Kannur Executive Express in Kerala were doused with petrol and set on fire. In connection with this incident, police arrested one Shahrukh Saifi from Ratnagiri District in Maharashtra. He was a resident of Delhi's Shaheenbagh. A total of three people died in this incident. During the interrogation, the arrested accused said that he was inspired by the famous Islamic cleric Zakir Naik. Earlier, Zakir Naik's involvement has been found in many cases linked to Islamic terrorism and the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam. Looking at this recent incident, one needs to understand how the Islamic teachings that Zakir Naik particularly preached to instigate Muslims in India.

Several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and forums have been accused of selective and biased social activism leading to disturbance to communal harmony in the country. These groups were found responsible for creating unrest in society many times by targeting the majoritarian community. These groups used to accuse the majoritarian community, here Hindus, of promoting discrimination and injustice to minority communities over fabricated facts and incidents. Recently, such groups were once again exposed over a suicide case of Darshan Solanki, a student of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Mumbai and belonging to a backward community. After his suicide, some anti-social groups targeted the Hindu community by alleging that Darshan Solanki committed suicide over caste discrimination. They precisely conducted a campaign and tried to spread hatred to instigate other communities against one community, here Hindus. However, like in the past, these groups saw missing and turned down their campaign after the revelations of facts.

Massive protests have been observed after a non-Muslim man burnt the Quran in Sweden. On January 21, 2023, Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish political party, burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Since then, unrest has been observed in many countries. Significant protests have been observed. However, the Quran was burnt reportedly in protest against the migration of Muslims in Sweden by Rasmus Paludan.

Rani Gaidinliu is one of the forgotten freedom fighter and social activists in India. She was born on 26 January 1915 in Nungkao village in the Tamenlong district of Manipur. She belonged to the Rongmei tribe of Nagas in Manipur. She died on 17 February 1993 at the age of 78 in Manipur State. She was the political and spiritual leader belonging to the Naga community. She led the revolt against British rule in India. She opposed the conversion of the Naga people to Christianity, as she advocated traditional Naga religious practices. British Government arrested her in 1932 when she was sixteen years old. She was sentenced to life imprisonment by the British court. She gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu.

The issue of Christian conversions in Nepal has come into focus after an extensive report published by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on January 14, 2023. BBC reported that Christian missionaries have converted the indigenous Tamang community, who used to follow the Lama faith, an ancient spiritual practice, to Christianity. "Missionaries, many of them South Korean like Pang, have helped build one of the world's fastest-growing Christian communities in Nepal, a former Hindu kingdom and the birthplace of Lord Buddha," BBC reported.

On December 18, 1992, the United Nations adopted and broadcasted the statement on the rights of individuals belonging to religious or linguistic national or ethnic minorities. Every year, the day is celebrated in India by the National Commission for Minorities which focuses on religious harmony, respect, and a better understanding of all minorities' communities.