'Marching to Provoke': Ram Navami Violence | Article 14

'Weaponisation of Hindu Festivals', authored by Irfan Engineer and Neha Dabhade, documents 11 communal riots during Ram Navami processions in 2022–23 across six Indian states. The processions, often backed by hardline Hindu groups and state support, featured loud music, inflammatory slogans, and provocations in Muslim-majority areas, leading to violence. Despite prior intelligence, the police allowed such routes, and in BJP-ruled states, retaliatory actions like demolitions disproportionately targeted Muslims. Both Hindu and Muslim communities suffered casualties, while marginalised youth were drawn into the processions by a false sense of pride and belonging.

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Timestamp:
00:00 - Intro
02:00 - Public Spaces & Sectarianism
02:42 - Provoked Riots
04:06 - Muslim Community Fear
06:12 - Youth & Pride
07:13 - Stories of Hope