The Law as a Means to Belong: Assertions from Indian Muslim Civil Society Networks

Abstract

This paper principally asks – In what ways is the law being used to assert citizenship by Muslim citizens as the onslaught against their civil and political liberties continues? In the last decade, India has witnessed new forms of everyday violence against the Muslim minority. Through these shifting modalities and a certain institutionalization of violence – survivor families have struggled to engage with legal institutions, in the rare cases that they have pursued cases – defining hate, gathering evidence, and the financial and emotional costs of pursuing a legal battle have left many in a long cycle of waiting for justice. However, my ethnographic fieldwork in contemporary Uttar Pradesh shows the myriad ways in which a community-based ecosystem silently works towards continuing these battles, how legal institutions are being used repeatedly to archive violations, organize support, and also develop a community-wide ‘culture of legality’ (Hunneus, et al 2010).