A viral video shows the burqa-clad woman saying no one can force her to raise slogans against her will and question her patriotism
NEW DELHI – Emboldened by official apathy, Hindutva elements in the country, especially in the states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or its allies, have been coercing Muslims on trains, buses, and on streets to chant ‘Vande Mataram’. They have been threatening the unobliging and, in some cases, even getting physical.
Videos of several of these incidents have been doing the rounds on social media. One such case emerged on Wednesday, wherein a burqa-clad Muslim woman is being forced to chant the contentious slogan.
An undated video which has gone viral on different platforms, shows the woman being harassed and pressured to chant ‘Vande Mataram’ and as she refused, some passengers were seen asking her to leave the country. The woman could be seen stubbornly objecting to the suggestion, saying no one can force her to raise slogans against her will and question her patriotism.
The incident highlights religious harassment and forced nationalism, raising serious concerns about personal freedom, dignity, and safety in public spaces.
Since Narendra Modi took over as prime minister in 2014, incidents of Muslim individuals being pressured in educational or public settings to sing the song have consistently been reported. A primary school teacher in Bihar was beaten for refusing to sing the song based on his religious belief that it violates Islamic tenets. More recently, directives mandating the song in schools in regions like Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda district have faced criticism from Muslim leaders, who call them an attack on their religious beliefs.
In 2017, Muslim municipal councillors in Meerut reported being pressured to sing “Vande Mataram,” with slogans like “Hindustan mein rehna hoga to Vande Mataram kehna hoga” (If you want to live in India, you must say Vande Mataram).
