By Ranjona Banerji
The narrative by our public intellectuals and commentators has not changed. Basically, if you protest against any religion-based atrocities by the BJP and its affiliates, you have scored a self-goal. The general Hindu is, by this argument, narrow-minded, bigoted, and more than a bit stupid.
Thus, the atrocity itself does not matter. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri called BSP MP Danish Ali a pimp, a terrorist, a militant and an insulting term for a circumcised Muslim man in the Lok Sabha. He was not corrected by the Speaker Om Birla, also BJP. And later, he was rewarded by the party and made in charge of the Tonk constituency in the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ramesh-bidhuri-danish-ali-hate-speech-new-role-for-ramesh-bidhuri-who-abused-danish-ali-is-reward-for-hate-4431513
Anyone who points this out is politically unwise, goes the argument.
How then is the media or members of the public going to hold an incumbent government accountable?
Apparently, when faced with a majoritarian government which panders to the lowest common denominator, one can do nothing. Various scenarios will be played out, like the current crisis with Canada. You can say or do nothing, because you will be playing into the BJP’s hands.
Or the situation in Manipur. Five months have passed since the violence began. The biggest act of the Central government has been to ban the internet. With a media which has tied itself in knots trying to bow down to the authorities, we have forgotten that awful video of women being molested and raped. We have forgotten that armouries were raided. We have forgotten that there is anarchy, or civil war, if you will in the state. To point this out is of no use, according to our public intellectuals, because it only plays into the BJP’s hands.
https://english.jagran.com/india/manipur-violence-cars-burnt-bjp-offices-attacked-as-protests-continue-for-third-day-in-strife-torn-state-10-points-10103776
News and digital media do give us scant information about Manipur. No carpet-bombing, as would have likely happened in other times. TV? Well TV as we know lives in another place.
As an aside, a TV anchor recently laughed away on X, formerly Twitter, about how the Washington Post had got a headline in a story about India wrong. O my, what a crime. This Washington Post recently did an in-depth report on how the BJP uses social media trolls to spread hatred, misinformation and BJP anti-minority propaganda. How could it. And yet, is it not the Washington Post that is the “gold standard” for investigative journalism with its work to uncover the Watergate scandal? The reason why every third-grade TV channel uses the suffix “gate” for every scandal. As I recall, I’m getting old here, this investigation got a US President to resign?
If only the Indian media managed to work even a third as hard to uncover scams and scandals under the current dispensation. O dear. Forgive me. Any such action would be counterproductive, as our public intellectuals inform us. The Indian population adores a scammy government, as long as its Hindu majoritarian.
So.
A girl is raped and walks the streets begging for help. Ignore.
A Muslim man is tied to a pole and beaten to death for eating prasad at a Hindu temple. Ignore.
A state continues to burn for five months. Ignore.
An elected representative abused a Muslim elected representative in Parliament. Ignore.
You complete the list.
I give up.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.