Why BJP-ruled States bear the fury of communal violence?

Is Karnataka heading to become second Gujarat? Why does communal violence always take place in the BJP-ruled or its ally states? Why does BJP handle communal violence with gentle hand though it persistently advocates stern laws to curb terrorism? These are some of the questions that the national party needs to answer on behalf its saffron bandwagon who are carrying out violent activities against Christians first in Orissa and now in Karnataka.

Godhra's gruesome carnage, which has been imprinted on the nation as a black chapter, still hounds many. The new barbarous attack on Christians, churches and missionary institutions in Orissa after the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda, an anti-conversion Hindu activist, is still on at several places despite the Naveen Patnayak government's claim that riot in the state has been checked.

The organised Hindutva groups – Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal – after putting blame on Christian community leaders for the killing which was termed by the administration as the result of a Maoist attack soon engaged themselves in ghastly violence in retribution.

Would anyone dare to justify the brutal torching of Rajni Majhi, a 20-year-old Hindu girl in Orissa, whose mere fault was living in an orphanage run by Christian missionary? Indisputably the State has failed to protect the minority community, and it is an assault on the constitution.

It’s not all, the communal violence from the East coast of India (Orissa) has now reached to the South, as Karnataka witnessed similar religious clashes and have shown no sign of abetting. In these fresh hostilities, again in a BJP-ruled state, 14 churches were vandalised by miscreants, suspected to be Bajrang Dal activists, to protest against alleged forcible conversion of Hindus into Christianity.

The attack on Christians and their institutions in Karnataka is not made in a haphazard manner; instead the outcome was a systematic, orchestrated attack on the minority community. The co-ordinated violence that has engulfed several districts in Karnataka could not be the handiwork of scattered Hindu groups.

Interestingly, instead of the main accused Bajrang Dal the fringe Hindu group, Shri Ram Sena is being made responsible for the onslaught against Christians. Undoubtedly, Shri Ram Sena's hand in violence can not be neglected but that can not diminish the accusations of Bajrang Dal, which has a long history of confrontation with the Christian missionaries in the country.

Yeddyurappa has said strict action will be taken against the miscreants responsible for attack on churches but fear and anxiety remains with uninterrupted violence. Resembling Orissa, the government of Karnataka has not been able to contain the violence which has spread to different parts within a couple of days.

Why communal violence has reached to South needs to be analysed? After securing ground in Karnataka in May this year (BJP came into power) the Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be looking for communal polarisation of vote banks to consolidate its electoral hold.

Aware of the instant favourable outcome of the divisive politics, which has a long success history of British Empire in India; BJP is looking to carve out a broad political base based on hate politics. It is of the view that by manipulating the communal temperature in the country and polarising a pluralistic society on communal lines the party would be able to hold power. In the long run, though the gain made over such politics serve little purpose— but that they forget.

Common mass in India or anywhere is very sensitive on communal issues. In a secular country like ours – however many times finger has pointed over India's secularism – provoking one's mind to carry out violence against other community is quite an easy affair. People/institutions found responsible in such heinous acts need to go under stringent punishment. The inherent link between the Sangh Parivar and BJP need not to mention.