By T.J.S. George
We haven’t had a more turbulent Ramanavami in recent memory. In the name of the Lord who exiled his own wife for what he considered dharma, several adharmic activities were carried out by his alleged followers. The Government in Delhi contributed its share of adharma with arbitrary moves purportedly to stop fake news. But revelations that its own party was second to none in the fake news industry forced it to make a retreat, a suspiciously fake retreat.
Ramanavami is meant to pay homage to the ultimate Maryada Purushothama who set up the ultimate Ram Rajya of fairness, justice and prosperity. It is meant to remind us that there are ideals of righteousness we are expected to emulate. But what we witnessed was a display of hatred, enmity and violence. Once again Hindutva damaged Hinduism. Fake bhakti turned even Sri Rama into a political convenience for a campaign of divide-and-rule.
The main theatre of activity was predictably the Hindi belt. But terror reigned in West Bengal, too, because Hindutva warriors think the State is ripe for picking now that the Communists there have been dethroned. There was a familiar pattern in the way violence broke out in various places. Processions, mostly unauthorised, would pass through Muslim areas with provocative songs and slogans — and the inevitable would follow. The instigators in all cases were violence-prone front organisations such as the Bajrang Dal.
Two men in leadership positions symbolised two opposing philosophies following riots in Asansol town. The local Imam’s 16-year-old son was killed in the violence and a crowd collected at the Idgah Maidan for his burial. The Imam, who had been at the Mosque for 30 years, told the crowd: “My son has died, but I don’t want anyone else to lose his child. If you strike back, I shall leave this town.” His flock listened to him.
Babul Supriyo, MP representing the area, defied prohibitory orders to visit a camp nearby. The Police stopped him. Supriyo, who was said to have assaulted a Police officer, was charged under relevant Sections.
From among the crowd, someone asked him to go back and leave them alone for the present. Whereupon the MP, who is also a Union Minister, looked at the crowd and said: “I will skin them alive.”
Sober men who ask for peace are counted among enemies because of their religion. Belligerent men to whom the language of violence comes naturally rise to positions of high responsibility in Government. This sums up our national tragedy.
Knowingly or otherwise, the top leadership of the Government has allowed a temper of intimidation to grow in the country. Numerous are the saffron leaders who call for violence. The latest example is an Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha leader who condemned filmstar Kamal Haasan’s views on “Hindu Terror” and said: “The only way to handle people like Haasan is to either hang them or shoot them dead.” Under the law such statements are punishable. But who is there to punish when the approved political climate promotes the spirit of violence?
It is this approved climate that made the Information Minister think that fake news problems will disappear if accreditation is denied to journalists who spread fake news. For one thing, fake news is spread more by social media activists and party apparatchiks than by accredited journalists. For another, the Minister’s party is in the forefront of this primarily political — not journalistic — activity. Examples abound.
Besides, why this laboured move to give the impression that the fake news legislation was entirely Smriti Irani’s brainchild and that the Prime Minister, when he came to know of it, ordered its withdrawal? It’s a bit much to believe that even Irani will dare launch a significant policy initiative without the knowledge of the Prime Minister. Was a bit of fake news technology used to protect the top? Smriti Irani remains unstoppable. She is now out to regulate news portals. Her fight with the Government’s own Prasar Bharati continues.
Meanwhile, near Mysuru last week, a Jain Muni was injured in a road accident. A news portal immediately came out with the report that the Jain Muni was attacked by a Muslim. The portal is a notorious Hindutva platform. Fake news will remain as real in our country as politicians’ fake degrees.
Sir, you sag “safron leaders call for violence?” Then, what is your answer to the 27 BJP workers killed in karnataka, which is ruled by Congress! They should duck their head and accept these murders? So, you support those murders?! That too some of the killings happened under various sections like 124, 144 etc! What about the casual killing of RSS workers in Kerala? So, they were all ok as our your views? Or is it fake news? You can talk to the mother of these victims who were murdered! As a journalist you are are expected to be on a higher ground when it comes to analysing the facts! Instead you have succumbed to lower your standards due to modi hatred at a personal level , bringing down the value of this age old hometown news paper .
Yes, fake news exists hoisted by all parties! But today,, with technology, people learn very quickly that it is fake and adjust their views. But, you are using fake news when it suits you and call it fake when it does not suit you! That is disgusting. Fake news is not a new phenomenon. It existed before , But before 5 years, since 1947, most of he news iven to the media was fake starting from Nehru till the last few days of MMS, fake news was government’s business!
Modi became the PM because the fake news bubble burst big time! And you still want to say modi is fake?
For heavens sake, don’t destroy the image of this news paper !
This no good , anti-Hindu tjsGeorge is a fake writer . God knows why SOM allows him to write this kind of fake articles . where was his conscience when many RSS workers were murdered? …PLEASE SOM ,we request please dont publish any articles by this fake journo, anti-hindu, liar person
I am a Hindu brought up by God fearing conservative parents, but I do not visit the temples, but do not disrespectful to anybody who goes to any place of worship . Every time read this writer’s point of view, I feel insulted as a Hindu! He very cunningly uses Hinduism and Hindtva and tells us he hates Hinduva, but in reality he hates Hindus! He tries to tell us that we are intolerant and tries to tell us that Rama was the symbol of fairness and we Hindus are not! India is a 1.3 billion population and we have nutbags in every religion, Hindus Muslims, Christians and Sikhs! You can’t use an example of one but case to say we are not tolerant.
Jesus Christ did not preach violence, but how come, the Kerala which is Christian state is killing large number of Hindus? We have a bunch of preachers and priests who are evangelical Christians who are pedophiles, child molesters and rapists! Can we too generalize that to all priests? Probably higher percentage of priests are criminal than Hindus in general.
About Hindu tolerance, there is an 850 year old Ganesh temple in tirunalveli district in TN ! Your tolerant Christian priests have used their political clout to acquire that land to convert it to a cemetery for their community! And the Hindus are silently watching! Go preach your religious tolerance to the scumbags who are grabbing that land with no respect to other religions ! You like Congress because you people can pull such clandestine deals! If Hindus were not tolerant, you would not be daring to write the nonsense spewing venom week after week. Hindus every date! For once you must try your hatred against Muslims and I bet you will never be writing again!
Sir, for the past 4 years you seem to have picked up a lot of conscience Against Hindus! Where was it when 27 people of BJP RSS background were killed in Karnataka! One person Gauri lankesh was killed by unknown person, and you wanted modi to explain it!
May be Hindus are very peace loving and tolerant, but every week if you spew venom and hatred with lies, you might be coaching them to be intolerant! Pray the lord that not many people read your column!2
Just like everything else, Christianity also has 2 sides! The first one is what Jesus Christ professed!, the kind which preaches humbleness , peace and sanctity. Very few people practice it and we all respect it . That is what Gandhi respected. The other side is nothing but business Christianinty. That has nothing to do with anything Christ preached, but uses him as a business tool for conversion, extorsion and outright fraud.
That is group to which this a tutor belongs to. That is what a ll those hawkish evangelists like Benny hinm belong to. The Modus operandi is, all Christian nations churches collect the money and send illegal funds to countries to promote Christianity. Most of these funds are black money from fraud and drugs or media! No w church leaders conduct shows to speed lies about Hinduism, put up shows about miracle Christianity like during cancer, polio etc and force convert the poor and lower middle-class people by bribing or lies about Hinduism, sometimes they even go to the extent of murder. That is why we see highest number of Hindus murdered in Christian dominated state’s like Kerala and orissa.
This operated freely and with the support of Congress government unabated for 60 years.
Modi blocked all the money from all the illegal charities that were supporting these and no wonder George is angry! It is for us to be angry that these rabid dogs are met loose against hinduism!
Since last 4 years, every one of them is filled with Modi hate and deceptive lies about the state of India!
He just wants to reinstall the dumb son and mother back as PM and they can go on their merry way abusing Indians!
These people who teach us tolerance, how tolerant these thugs are? We like Christianity, but notthese goonda elemets who operate in the name of religion . These are worst than terrorists because they create fissures in the society and must be recognized!