Thread by @nehadixit123

Thread
The attack on the Muslim bangle seller in Indore on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan is a reminder of how syncretism has been demonized in New India. 1/n

‘Bisati walas’, a common term for street hawkers, have been under attack for a few years.Many places of worships including temple in India are known for their syncretic culture. 2/n

For centuries, shops outside the temples premises selling offerings, material required for rituals, crafts, crockery, utensils, toys have been owned and run by both Hindus and Muslims. They participate in fairs on festivals like Shivratri, Jamashthmi, Raksha Bandhan.

3/n

In UP, many such 'bisati walas' have been arrested under the draconian National Security Act in the last four years. This is not only a ploy to create sectarian divides within communities, erase co-existence of communities but also weaken the marginalised groups economically. 4/n

I covered several such cases for @thewire_in , one of them in Barabanki in 2019. Read and revisit here. 5/5

thewire.in/rights/in-adit…