Karnal: At a condolence meeting for the Pahalgam terror attack victims by the Karnal Vyapar Mandal on Friday, a small business owner said if not swords, Hindus must keep some weapon with them at all points.
“They sneak into our homes as plumbers and electricians. Every single Muslim is plotting against us. Maximum criminals in Karnal are Muslim,” he said. “Every single Muslims wants to kill us.”
After he was finished, the compere stepped in — “stay away from them,” he added.
What on the surface was supposed to be peaceful collectivisation, an homage to the lives lost in the brutal terror attack, was in reality a breeding ground for communal statements and incitement for violence against Muslims. From 10 am to 1 pm, shops on an otherwise busy street were closed for the occasion.
While the Vyapar Mandal vice president, Deepak Bhandari, insisted that they were speaking out against terrorists, the speeches made by local shopkeepers suggested otherwise.
Among the speakers was Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini’s former Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Sanjay Bathla.
“These are their old habits. They don’t feel pain, they don’t care about what’s happened. The media is lying to you about Muslim victims and ponywallahs who helped Hindus,” he said. “Their only religion is money. They only care about their businesses. We should tell our children to stay away from them.”
Bathla and another shopkeeper highlighted the need to double down on their children’s safety. Their children travel to cities like Delhi and Bangalore, and need to be warned against a threat which, according to them, is both literal and existential — Islam.
At least three shopkeepers also spoke about the need for India to implement an Israel-like solution against Muslims in India.
“Israel is a small country surrounded by Muslim countries. But look at it. We Hindus also need to come together in the same way,” said a shopkeeper.
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‘It’s about Muslims’
The Vyapar Mandal and the Chemist Association were also convinced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going to retaliate in a big way.
“What will happen is going to be worse than any surgical strike. See what’s going to happen in the next 2-3 days,” said one.
They referred to the lack of security infrastructure in Pahalgam as a “mistake” that had been made by the government, and instead complimented the Prime Minister for his return to India — which, according to them, was swift action.
“Yesterday Modi ji also said that we will take revenge. Wherever they are hidden, every Indian is so anguished that they will be found,” said vice president Bhandari. “A small mistake was made by Modi ji. What’s happened has happened, but we are waiting to see what’s next.”
Another speaker insisted that it wasn’t terrorists who had opened fire on tourists, but that the attack was emblematic of every single Muslim.
“Everyone is saying this is about terrorism. But this about Muslims — about a religion that doesn’t accept us,” he said.
In effect, it was an all-male demonstration of state–sponsored Hindu victimhood.
Once most had exited, and shopkeepers were beginning to pull their shutters back up, a single man placed flowers at the makeshift memorial that had been set up for the victims — bending his head in prayer.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Ms. Antara Baruah, for a change, why don’t you report on the atrocious anti-Hindu pogroms carried out in Murshidabad in recent days.
Nobody got attacked in Karnal and yet you have latched on to this news and decided to write an article on it.
But three innocent lives were lost in Murshidabad riots and thousands of Hindus had to flee from their homes fearing for their lives – yet you did not bother to investigate and write on it.
Is this an example of your much touted “un-hyphenated journalism”?