Formal and informal factors of Muslims' marginalization in today's India

Prof. Dr. Christophe Jaffrelot is Senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King's India Institute (London), President of the French Political Science Association and Chair of the British Association for South Asian Studies. He works as a Non Resident Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and as a Permanent Consultant at the Center for Policy Planning Staff of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Indian Muslims have always been under-represented in the formal sector of the
economy, as well as in the institutions of India, including the bureaucracy, the police
and the judiciary. Since the rise of the BJP, they have also been marginalized in the
elected bodies, the level of education for Muslims in North India has been declining,
and, due to he role of vigilantes, and new laws Muslims have lost much of their
access to the housing market. Inter-religious marriages have become almost
impossible. Since 2014, vigilantism and state actions have converged for
transforming Muslims into second class citizens.