There was little Shia-Sunni conflict in the pre-colonial era. In early 20th century, the struggle for political power sharpened the boundaries, increasingly leading to violence.
Traditionally, BJP’s outreach to Shias, who make up an estimated 15% of India's Muslim population, has been predicated on community’s religious leadership. But that is now changing.
From the time of before Aurangzeb and EIC to the Dogras and now. Shias have been sidelined and systematically targeted. This procession is a step towards coexistence.
In episode 579 of #CutTheClutter, Shekhar Gupta delves into the historical discord between Shias and Sunnis, and why the timing of the latest Sunni protests in Pakistan is odd.
Claims that the conflict is an Indian conspiracy or a distraction from the Bajwa corruption scam don’t explain why Deobandi & militant groups are harassing Shias.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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