End the Politics of Polarisation Once and for All

The lynching of a 50-year-old agricultural labourer in Dadri near Delhi by a mob that alleged that he and his family had eaten beef was both barbaric and appalling. No less shameful is the indifference of local political leaders who have suggested that the victim may have been at fault.

It is unfortunate that this climate of hatred along religious lines is spreading to so many parts of the country. At a time when some political parties are trying to drive a wedge between communities for electoral gains, what suffers collateral damage is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to put the country on a path of growth and development. Old-style divisive politics goes against the aspirations of India’s young, who want relief from petty games of bigotry for a ballot boost.

Such incidents could hurt the image of a government committed to forging ahead by wiring India up with the rest of the world. The message needs to go out loud and clear: religious polarisation has no place in a modern democracy.

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