Ram Navami riots
Communal clashes during Rama Navami rallies / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Hindu deity Rama. It falls on the 9th day of the Chaitra month every year in the Hindu calendar, usually during the months of March–April. At least since 1979, if not earlier,[3][4] This festival often involves processions of Hindu worshipers through cities, including Muslim-majority regions. These displays, often considered provocative, have repeatedly led to violence between Hindu and Muslim communities.[5][6][7] Scholar Paul Brass states that Rama himself has been turned into a political emblem of the RSS family of organisations, and the Rama Navami processions are "led by or turned into provocative displays" by Hindutva organisations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal.[8] However, he fails to mention that Ram Navami processions were common in India, and other parts of the world where Hindus reside. These processions occurred much before VHP and Bajrang Dal even existed.[9][10][11]