Dear Reader,

This week at Scroll, we brought you stories that look closely at how India’s secular fabric is fraying – and why holding on to it matters more than ever.

In Madhya Pradesh, Scroll reporter Tabassum Barnagarwala investigated how the police arrested a middle-aged man, Jabbar Khan, ignoring their own constable’s testimony that he was not forcibly converting people to Christianity.

In another report from Indore, she revealed how Muslims were forced out of a bustling market under direct pressure from the son of a BJP legislator – a stark example of the growing efforts to edge minorities out of economic and social life.

And in a personal essay, our colleague Tanya Shrivastava reflected on how politicians today seem threatened by practices that once naturally celebrated India’s pluralism. Her piece reminds us how essential it is to nurture the everyday gestures of coexistence that make this country whole.

These stories are urgent and vital. They take time, courage and resources to tell. If you believe in journalism that refuses to look away, we ask you to support Scroll by becoming a member today.

Regards,
Team Scroll