How Haryana violence has affected 'Brand Gurugram'

“Gurugram is our gem and we cannot have this (violence) happening here. The incidents going viral worldwide at a time when we are proudly hosting G20 events is not great. It has dented our image as a corporate hub or a prospective investment option. People will be scared to migrate here or invest and that will affect the state,” Gurugram MP and Union minister Rao Inderjeet Singh told The Tribune, expressing alarm about communal violence in what he called Haryana’s “face.” He added that the violence had done irreversible damage to image of Gurugram across the world. Hindu-Muslim clashes just outside the Indian capital this week have worsened religious fault lines in the region and exposed a booming business hub to threats of violence and disruption, authorities and analysts said. Seven people have been killed and over 70 injured in rioting in Nuh and Gurugram districts of Haryana state after a Hindu religious procession was targeted and a mosque attacked in retaliation. The 48-hour cycle of violence which was put out on Wednesday has brought to the fore Hindu-Muslim tensions brewing in the region since 2015, a year after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) captured power nationally and in Haryana. **Also Read: How tensions have forced migrants to flee Gurugram, Nuh** The lynching of two Muslim men in the region earlier this year by suspected Hindu vigilantes and the failure to nab the main suspect had worsened tensions, with the main suspect saying on social media that he would participate in the Hindu procession this week. Ultimately he did not show up, police said. “It has been shocking to see how distrust between two communities spilled onto the streets,” Haryana’s home (interior) minister, Anil Vij, told Reuters. “Security has been restored…bringing relief and social harmony will take time,” Vij said, adding that authorities understand safety concerns of businesses in Gurugram. [caption id=“attachment_12956742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Flames and smoke rise from stores and other temporary structures set on fire by miscreants in a new case of communal violence following Monday’s attack on a VHP march in neighbouring Nuh district. PTI[/caption] Gurugram, formerly known as Gurgaon, is a city of over 1.5 million people that shares a border with New Delhi. A new urban centre with glitzy high-rises, luxury hotels, malls and gated condominiums, it is home to multinational firms, large Indian corporates and start-ups, with 250 of the Fortune 500 companies having offices here. **Also Read: Did the police fail to act on time in Nuh?** Among the multinationals with offices here are Google, American Express, Dell, Samsung, Ernst & Young and Deloitte. Suzuki’s main India plant is also located near Gurugram. Because of the violence, many companies allowed employees to work from home on Tuesday while schools and colleges were shut before resuming classes on Wednesday. Previous tensions In the past, Gurugram has witnessed tensions over Muslims holding Friday prayers in public spaces and meat sales during Hindu festivals, which Hindu groups wanted banned to respect Hindu sentiment. Clashes between India’s Hindus and Muslims break out occasionally, but have been less frequent since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP government took power in 2014. [caption id=“attachment_12956732” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Workers of Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Bajrang Dal burn an effigy during a protest effigies against the recent communal violence in Haryana, in Kanpur. PTI[/caption] But tensions between the communities have risen, with many Muslims saying they live in fear as Hindu activists have become emboldened by the BJP’s politics. “Muslim men attacked the Hindu procession and killed many of our people,” said Praveen Babbar, a leader of Hindu Yuva Vahini (Hindu Youth Force). “Every action will have not just equal, but sometimes even more brazen reaction,” he said. Also Read: Haryana violence: How social media posts fuelled communal hate before the clashes Aftab Ahmed, Nuh’s state lawmaker from the Opposition Congress party, blamed local police for not acting fast enough even though he had alerted them about “provocative statements” being made by Hindu leaders. Haryana Police, however, said they acted swiftly and prevented riots from spreading, and that two of its men were killed in the violence. Analysts said the violence is worrying for the message it sends to businesses at a time New Delhi is seeking more investment under its “Make in India” campaign. “Official reaction was inexplicably slow,” said Tara Kartha, distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. “The commercial heart of north India was a target this time. It should have been prevented.” With inputs from Reuters