India: On the Way Out?

The arrest of a Hindu revivalist last week has pushed Prime Minister V.P. Singh’s government to the verge of collapse and the country into turmoil. At the center of the controversy is L.K. Advani, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, a Hindu nationalist group whose support is necessary for Singh’s shaky coalition government to survive. Advani had embarked on a five-week religious march to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, where he vowed to begin building a temple in honor of the Hindu god Rama. But a mosque already sits on the site, and Muslims are vehemently opposed to moving it.

Fearing religious conflict, Singh ordered Advani’s arrest. The B.J.P. immediately withdrew its support from the government, a move likely to bring about Singh’s fall when a vote of confidence is held next week. Nor did it prevent violence. In the days after the arrest, more than 60 people died during riots between Hindus and Muslims, and tens of thousands of troops and police were deployed in Uttar Pradesh to prevent further bloodshed.