Indian police order Muslim man to prove his patriotism by leading partition celebrations
Police in India have ordered a 22-year-old Muslim to prove he is not a traitor by leading Tuesday's celebrations of the split from Pakistan in 1947.
Dilnawaz Alam was accused by neighbours in Sheohar District, northeast India, of posting pro-Pakistan content on his Facebook page, including pictures of the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, ahead of the 70th anniversary of partition.
In order to show his repentance, “he has undertaken to participate in the Independence day function with suitable fervor”, an official said, “by putting up the national flag on the mast, salut[ing] it during its unfurling and join[ing] others in singing the national anthem.”
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Over the weekend Mr Alam, a member of India’s 172m-strong Muslim minority, also washed the walls of the local police station and cleared its grounds of litter.
The district superintendent said Mr Alam had agreed voluntarily to “mend his ways and thoughts”, rather than face worse punishment.
His case is the latest in a growing number relying on hazy laws that forbid the expression of ‘anti-nationalist’ sentiment, which critics say has created an atmosphere of suspicion and hostility towards minorities.
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In June, 15 Muslim men were arrested for “shouting pro-Pakistan slogans” after the country’s victory over India in the final of the cricket world cup.
The 70th anniversary of partition, an event that led to rampant sectarian violence between Sikhs, Hindus and Mulism and an estimated 1 to 2 million deaths, comes in a particularly frosty period for relations between India, which is led by the Hindu-nationalist, Bharatiya Janata Party, and Pakistan, where persecution of Hindus has risen steadily in recent years.
