Indian independence anniversary overshadowed by extremism 

Concern is growing over religious persecution in India as the 74th anniversary of independence approaches on Sunday. In a report recently covered by the Tablet the scale and sophistication of religious persecution in India was exposed, showing how social media apps like Facebook and WhatsApp were being used to spread disinformation and target minorities.

However, according to Open Doors, the extent of the discrimination was often rendered invisible by the highly localised nature of the incidents, and the complicity of local police, government and media in covering up or even assisting in crimes against religious minorities perpetrated by Hindu extremists….

Asserting that Indian national identity is synonymous with Hinduism, the new wave of religious nationalism has created an atmosphere in which violence against minorities feels subtly authorised by state policy and ideology….

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/14386/indian-independence-anniversary-overshadowed-by-extremism