In Narendra Modi and Amit Shah’s New India, you don’t need communal riots to polarise the country. No, those are things of the past. Expect assassinations instead and point-blank determination to shoot down any other ideology or thought.
That’s what happened to Gauri Lankesh, M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare. That’s what almost happened to Shadab Farukh, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia who was protesting against the new Citizenship Act, last week. And that’s what happened almost happened at Shaheen Bagh Saturday when a man fired in the air.
“Yeh lo Azaadi (here’s your freedom),” said a lone gunman as he fired at Jamia Millia Islamia protesters, including Shadab. He was remorseless and determined. At Shaheen Bagh, the other angry shooter said, “Humare desh mein sirf hinduon ki chalegi aur kisi ki nahi (in our country only Hindus will prevail).”
Ironically, the first shooting at Jamia happened on the death anniversary of M.K. Gandhi. Nathuram Godse’s ideology has become mainstream in India now. And clearly, so has his ways.
The new diktat in town is: “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro salon ko”, as Modi government minister Anurag Thakur legitimised a Delhi election rally. Two days after the BJP MP urged his audience to chant that, a shooter showed up at Jamia. And a few days after that, at Shaheen Bagh.
Also read: BJP Karnataka tweets, deletes, tweets again on Sharjeel Imam & shooter at Jamia
A heady cocktail of hate
For the longest time since Gandhi’s assassination, Godse wasn’t publicly spoken of or celebrated. Things started changing with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rise to power. When Narendra Modi first became Prime Minister in 2014, the chains of secularism and diversity slowly started falling. In Modi’s second term, even the pretence of a chain fell.
Right-wingers have for long spoken against Islam and Muslims for being extreme and aggressive, while emphasising that the Hindu way of life was one of peace and harmony. In Modi’s second term, this careful ‘perception management’ has given way to young Hindu men and women opting for militant Hindutva ideology. It is Godse or the highway.
The RSS website clearly states that the mission of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is to instil “a spirit of righteous militancy in the Hindu society”. And it seems to be working. Last year, on Gandhi’s death anniversary, All India Hindu Mahasabha leader Poonam Shakun Pandey staged an ‘assassination’ of Gandhi by shooting his effigy. “We have trained our children to kill,” said her husband.
Add to this dangerous ideology, the role of TV media and channels such as Zee News and Republic TV. Hate-regurgitating ‘anchors’ who drive people into a frenzy with twisted panel discussions have made people believe that Hindutva is an all-purpose fix for India, which it always deserved but never achieved.
Lure of money, political power, a sense of impunity and a tamancha (illegal indigenous weapon) further adds to this toxic cocktail that makes people like the shooter at Jamia feel invincible and on the right side of history. That’s instant gratification plus religious righteousness. The shooter at Jamia and many like him think they’re right, just like Godse thought he was.
Also read: Shooter at Jamia had ‘strong nationalistic’ views, met ‘anti-social elements’
A new diktat
Today, you either agree with the BJP’s Hindutva policies or you are anti-national and anti-Indian. BJP’s followers are consolidating to fight imaginary enemies – ‘urban Naxals’, ‘tukde tukde gang’, Shaheen Bagh supporters.
There is tacit support of the rulers if you target the dissenters. The shooter at Jamia wasn’t scared of the battery of police personnel and camera crews present. He surrendered without much protest.
It’s a good time to also recall that there have been zero arrests for the vandalism and violence in JNU or the shooting of protesters in Lucknow.
It is also no surprise that the Hindu Mahasabha will now honour the shooter at Jamia because he is a “true nationalist like Godse”. This was ironically announced on the 72nd death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. That same morning, Narendra Modi had stood sombre faced at Gandhi’s memorial.
In his book Why I Assassinated Gandhi, younger brother of Nathuram Godse, Gopal Godse, gave his brother’s side of the story. The book claims that Godse believed that the assassination of Gandhi was permitted as ‘badh’. Godse said Ram had to kill Ravan to purge Lanka of evil.
With a justification like this, anyone whose sympathies lie with Godse would not only want to emulate him but hail him as the true upholder of dharma who frees the world of evil.
And it was Godse’s ideology that pulled the trigger at Shadab and the Jamia protesters 72 years later. And that ideology – and its variants – are being broadcast live every night into Indians’ bedrooms without any censure.
The author is a political observer and writer. Views are personal.
Compare this with the muslim shooters article ( sharukh ) . Wow, there is a reason these ppl are called presstitutes
Enough of this Mumbo jumbo.
Even a blind can see the pseudo sickness running through entire left and jihadi shops.
No one from this brigade has given one clear point as to why this act is anti Indian.
If we look at the facts Muslims in British India voted to have Pakistan created. Then why confer them Indian citizenship when partition already happened 70 years back.
Rest my case.
The more the opposition parties will encourage Muslims to agitate against the CAA, the more they will push the Hindus in the BJP camp.
For ZAINAB, a person holding a desi katta is a shooter but holding an AK47 is an Islamic freedom fighter. If somebody wants to know how an anti-national thinks, he/she can read Zainab’s posts.
Gadhe why do u forgot earlier provocative slogans raised by muslims like lailaah ilalaah,hindutwa ki kabre khudegi?U also forgot sharjeel imaam threat to cut off North east from India?ur article proves that ur first loyalty lies with islam & not india.
Cmon Ms, bias & hatred needs to have some limits. Dont abandon objectivity in this blatant fashion. Have you forgotten the gun wielding & bus burning peaceful protestors in lucknow & delhi? They were aliens? Not one word about the bullets fired on police by those messengers of peace? That was a violent mob showing its true colors, these shooters at shaheen bagh are mental patients & lone wolfs. Can you see the difference or cant you? I am certain you dont want to.
Following the Election Speech of Minister of State of Finance, there have been three Firings in the city of Delhi, the National Capital. All the three guys have been yelling slogans in support of CAA and evoking religious cries.
There was no action by the party of the Govt which indicates that the minister was surrogating for the Party President, real or his surrogate, or the head of the Govt or for both.
Now the Chief Minister of UP, the two guys came from his state only, repeats the sake slogan.
Election Commission takes action against the Dy Commissioner of Police of the area where the two incidents of firing occurred instead of taking action against the offenders–the Union Minister and Chief Minister of UP.; it also stopped the Union Minister and another BJP MP from campaigning for three days.
How does it help? Some other goon of the party will be deputed by the party boss to do the same.
I am a firm believer that we all need to get past our differences for our country to grow and become a distinct world leader which has its own ideology and method of success. This can be achieved only with a stable, visionary and decision making government.
Opposing just because “The Print” or “Zainab Sikander” ideology doesn’t sync with governments is not the basis of criticism.
Creating a fearful atmosphere in the minds of people by producing articles day in day out and circulating it over social media is not journalism.
A pre-notion about injustice is there or has been implanted in many of my Muslim brothers, you think that as a religion we are being targeted. This pre-notion of yours does not allow you to accept other people (of any religion) fully. This feeling of yours can be sensed and the same feeling is reciprocated to you.
I request you to get out of this pre-notion and don’t become victim of such hatred. Yes, there are some people (from both sides) who will oppose such postive thinking and feelings. However, for our country and its future, such a change needs to happen.
Its easier said than done. I know that it will take time for such changes but please give a chance to the government and see what the future beholds for us.
I request to every citizen to read the actual copy of Act (not socialmedia posts), understand it, check all the loop holes, go through every possibility and then make a decision. I am sure that instead of fear you will have an clear idea about the Act.
*For those who will say that I am being ignorant/bias/bhakt.
I am a well educated citizen who cares about our country, its people, its reputation across the globe and our ideology of Secular nation. Yes, a Hindu who wants all religions of the country to be identified as Indian first. As a young kid, seen the progess of our country under “Congress” and seeing it under “BJP” as well. Congress had a good start but faulted along the line and lost its respect in people’s eyes. BJP is taking good decisions but lacks in implementation.
From past many months I have been observing and reading many articles from both Leftist and Rightwing journalists. Both are trying to thow each other under the bus.
Parties and people will say things, go back on their words, benefit from it but in the end somehow in all this INDIA will lose. Please act responsibly and think about the country FIRST.
Bhadave miye teri phat gayee ek katte me
This will not help Ma’am. Ask fellow Indian citizens, who believe in the Arabic ideology, and stayed back in India after dividing the country in the name of that ideology….to welcome CAA. You will see a fundamental change!!! Otherwise, the message is going out is like this. The official non-believers of the ideology – left behind in all those countries mentioned in the CAA, who are the real victim of the ideological division of the country – but the leftover believers in India, are working against them here also. Think hard. Talk to Dr Syed Rizwan Ahmed or Arif Mohammad Khan sahab.
And if they disagree, you will shoot them ? Yes one can see the fundamental change !!! But don’t worry. People have had enough of your smokescreen of hate-mongering. They are waking up. They will reinstate our country in all its democratic and secular glory.