In the entire debate of whether the Assam riots are an ethnic issue, a communal one or indeed an insider-foreigner clash, an extremely important point has gotten missed out in the narrative. In the last 7-10 days, we have had (muslim) mobs vandalising police and media in Mumbai, the Buddha statue in Lucknow, and carrying out (relatviely) minor violent demonstrations in many other parts. All of them protesting Assam and Burma(!), weaving them inside a larger narrative of muslim grievances.
It has put paid to almost all narratives - from BJP's "foreigner" thesis to the nuanced secular "complex Assamese identities" treatise. The overwhelming narrative that gets crystallised is frightening. Its about the reality of "pan Islamism". India has seen that over many issues - periodic Shia displays of angst over US policies on Iran, or the virulence displayed over the Danish cartoons recently - but these have been sporadic and episodic. But the latest round of violence has displayed, chillingly, that on certain issues, the ummah prevails over the local community and worse, even an "Indian" identity.
So the Buddha statue in Lucknow is fair game because there are (real or imagined is besides teh point) Rohingya muslim grievance against Burmese buddhists.
This, rather than quibbles over who is Indian and who isnt, is the worrying point.
