Once considered to be one of the most progressive states of India, Karnataka is today battling deep communal division. The recent demand of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal, seeking a ban on Muslim traders at temple complexes, has led to some temples blacklisting Muslim traders, even though there is no ban. The state government, which has largely avoided comment on the demand, told the assembly that the restrictions on non-Hindu vendors operating on temple premises were based on a rule in 2002 under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997. The growing religious division is not only hurting the image of Karnataka but has the potential to hurt the image of the whole of India.
Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is considered to be the IT capital of India. Some of the biggest IT giants and other multinational companies are based in the state. Naturally, the growing religious division is starting to alarm the corporate sector in the state. Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw on Thursday became the first big corporate leader to come out against growing religious division in the state. She urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to “resolve the growing religious divide” in the state, warning that if the tech sector becomes communal it will “destroy” India’s global leadership in it. A rattled BJP, which rules Karnataka, has accused her of expressing a “politically-coloured opinion.” The BJP, which is ruling the state, should immediately put an end to religious intolerance. The party should understand that the Indian economy depends a lot on the IT sector. Any damage to the sector will have serious repercussions on the economy. Before it gets out of hand, the Karnataka government should resolve all issues. At a time when the Indian economy is slowly starting to recover from the impact of Covid, this is the last thing the country needs.