SUMMARY
India is a country that has been facing the issue of ethnic tension between different religious communities. Albeit being an extremist Hindu nationalistic group, the VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad: World Hindu Council) has promoted itself as political rather than violent. However, the extremism flourishing within the organization has rendered egregious actions. VHP has a nationalistic agenda and the organization perceives Christianity and Islam as the main threats to Hindu identity. Given that Christian missionary and the Muslim population “encroached” on Hindu territory, the VHP claimed the risk of Hindus becoming lured into foreign religious faiths.
The conflict issue dates back to India's independence from the British Empire in the late 1940s with a growing nationalistic atmosphere. However, it was not until 1964 that VHP was established. Ever since, VHP has addressed the issues they perceive exist within India regarding the “ominously” expanding Christianity and Islam.
What preceded the one-sided violence in 2002 was an attack on two train cars by Muslims which caused the death of several Hindus. The attack ignited a massive retaliation against Muslim civilians which was supported by several Hindu nationalistic movements (including the popular political party; Hindu Nationalist Party). The tension between Muslims and VHP was fuelled by previous incompatibilities. One of the most infected and lingering disputes was the sixteenth-century mosque in Ayodhya. Hindus are claiming that the mosque was built over the birthplace of the Hindu God, Lord Rama. The tension grew as the mosque was demolished in 1992 and gradually fuelled the already strain relations between Hindus and Muslims, thus appeasing the Hindu nationalists. In addition, previous to the violence in 2002, VHP threatened to tear down a Muslim shrine, a seventeenth-century tomb belonging to a Muslim general. The reason for the threat by VHP was the belief that the tomb was built in the vicinity of the birthplace of Shivaji, worshiped like a God. The tomb was perceived as an insult to the Hindus.
The violence that was carried out by VHP was directly aimed at the Muslim community where atrocities were committed to civilians. Melee attacks were commonplace and people were randomly attacked by mobs. The retaliatory violence against civilians took place during February and March and caused the death of hundreds of people.
VHP first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2002, when the one-sided violence resulted in over 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in February that year, when the group killed at least 80 civilians from the Muslim community.
