The same people who were at the forefront of “Award Vapasi” and protesting attacks on Churches are now running their sponsored vulgar show #NotInMyName. The same old people are recycled to be used in this campaign. This is the same brigade that took to streets on very flimsy matters and selected incidents. Otherwise, what was the reason that held them from protesting the death of Dr Pankaj Narang in the National Capital? But the same brigade is angry over the killing of Junaid.
Once again the ‘Intolerance Brigade’ in India has become active in view of the growing incidents of mob killing incidents. They are returning their awards too and rallies and demonstrations protesting such intolerance are being organised. Shabnam Hashmi who is associated with Safdar Hasmi Smriti Trust, Sahmat and Anahad relaunched the Award Vapasi movement this time. She returned her National Minority Rights Award.
Two years ago a number of ‘awardees’ had returned their awards protesting the mob killing of one Mohamamd Akhlakh in Uttar Pradesh over the beef issue. They demonstrated at Jantar-Mantar drawing the map of India and showing the places of such attacks.
It was another thing that the map did not mention the Jamia Mosque of Srinagar where the angry mob lynched Police officer Mohammad Ayub Pandit. Neither the map showed places in Kerala and West Bengal where Communist goons mercilessly killed the innocent RSS-BJP workers.
They created the hashtag for their protests #NotInMyName on the social media following the killing of a Muslim youth Junaid Khan in Haryana who was killed in a running train.
The social media handles twitter, facebook, and instagram were busy with comments trending in favour of #NotInMyName in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. India had witnessed such incidents of mob killings before 2014. For example, some women were done to death under suspicion of being witches. But post 2014, most mob killing incidents were projected on social media inspired by some ill-feeling.
It is now almost certain that those who were at the forefront of the earlier ‘Award Vapsi’ and protesting bogus attacks on churches are now running this show #NotInMyName. Otherwise why differentiate between the incidents of killing and the murderers? Those who termed Dr Narang’s murder as not communal, are now shedding tears and beating breasts over Junaid’s killing. A doctor was killed in the open and all these so-called self-styled intellectuals remain mum. Not even a single secular voice was heard then. It is logical that the killers of Junaid be brought to books and given a stern punishment under the law of the land.
But when such incidents are looked from the religion angle it pains. If killings and murders are differentiated in the name of religion it pinches. They are the same people who stand in support of Junaid either at Jantar-Mantar or Gateway of India in Mumbai, those who brand Afzal as a martyr and at the same time appeal to people not to see the religion of Dr Narang’s killers. Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police Dipendra Pathak had accepted that Dr Narang’s killing was not a case of Road Rage but a clear cut case of planned murder.
This so-called secular brigade believes that India is slowly marching towards becoming a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. Recall the killing of Mohd Akhalak. He was killed in the state of UP where a secular icon Akhilesh Yadav was ruling with full majority. But the brigade raised a hue and cry on social media outside not targeting the state government. That law and order is the state responsibility was deliberately ignored by this brigade. But the way it became active again on the social media in Junaid’s case the needle of suspicion is raising doubts about their real intention. Why did not they feel it necessary to raise their voice in case of Dr Narang or police officer Ayub Pandit? Why they remain silent on the inhuman killings of RSS workers in Kerala or violent attacks on Hindus in West Bengal?
They will have to answer these unpalatable questions? Will they?
By R L Francis
Courtesy: NewsBharati
