By Ranjona Banerji
“First I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s greatest stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Council-er of the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season”.
“Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than the absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is far more bewildering than outright rejection.”
These words are from a “Letter from Birmingham City Jail”, written by Martin Luther King Jr on April 16, 1963.
These words gain especial significance in these times. India has seen since perhaps 2012, the Indian equivalent of King’s “white moderate” create a template and a platform that enables fascism, bigotry and social hatred. These “moderates” are spread out across the media, across academia and given space as public intellectuals and commentators to spread their ideas to the general public.
For instance every commentator who after a public protest against injustice, who made a case for the hurt feelings of a burnt bus: that person is King’s “white moderate”.
Every person who has argued and still does that “this is not the time to protest”. We heard them during the CAA protests, against the women of Shaheen Bagh, during the farmers’ protests: their demands may be fair, but “this is not the time” and sometimes “this is not the way”.
Interestingly, none of them were similarly exercised when Muslims and Dalits are lynched by enraged mobs. The moderate will not say: “there is never a time for this”. Rather, they will switch their game. They will search for earlier examples when a Muslim or a Dalit or a woman or a Christian or anyone from a minority or section which faces majoritarian discrimination ever broke the law. Then that transgression is waved about as a reason why “this is not the time, first let law and order return, we must be fair to everyone”. That is, every argument listed by King is played out.
And now we see in the Israel-Palestine story being played out in front of us with horrifying violence, the same arguments being paraded and the media giving them maximum space.
I list a few, from India and elsewhere:
1. Indian Muslims should not support Palestinians because it hurts their cause. They should support Israel’s atrocities on Palestinians to gain better acceptance from the Indian majoritarian Hinu rightwing.
2. No one can support Palestinians unless all of them dance on the streets dodging Israeli bombs and sacrificing their families to denounce Hamas in no uncertain terms.
3. Palestinians should wait because this is not the right time. Israel is upset. It has the right to be upset and to hit out and kill as many Palestinians as possible.
4. If you do not condemn Hamas the way I want you to, you are the same as Hamas.
5. It’s not genocide until I say so.
You may claim that I’m exaggerating and being unfair.
But sadly, I’m not. If you search the world’s media you will find these comments and many more like them. They do not come from right wing bigots or from far-right shills. They come from King’s moderates, from liberals, from those who do and should know better but do not have the courage to take a side.
In every conflict, these voices get the most traction from the media and public spaces and cause the most damage. Because they influence public opinion, they enforce stereotypes and they sustain the status quo of injustice and discrimination.
Ranjona Banerji is a senior journalist and commentator. She writes on MxMIndia on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her views here are personal.