Pahalgam Tragedy: Indian Delegations Abroad

The Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, has left a deep imprint on the people of India. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulged in bravado of words, the ‘godi media’ followed suit and claimed that India had intruded into Pakistan territory. Pakistan, in turn, claimed bombing down many Indian planes. US President Donald Trump was the first one to claim that he had ‘brokered’ a ceasefire.

While Modi took credit for the same and the Army spokesperson elaborated that there was a request from Pakistan authorities for cessation of hostilities and India responded in the affirmative to bring a halt to the potential bloodbath of more Army personnel and civilians on both sides.

The government decided to tell the Indian side of the story by sending various all-party delegations abroad. Many MPs from Opposition parties were included. One such was the delegation to the US headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. What type of brief these delegations were given becomes clear from the statement of Tharoor in the US.

Tharoor, a former diplomat, stated in the US that, “while the intent behind the Pahalgam terror attack was to divide people, it brought people together in India, irrespective of their religion or any other divide...There was an extraordinary amount of togetherness cutting across religious and other divides that people have tried to provoke. The message is very clear that there was a malignant intent... ".

Have all the delegations been given a brief like this? This narrative clearly has lots of truth in it, as all Indians, including Hindus and Muslims, came together to condemn the dastardly act in Pahalgam. Kashmir.

However, still lurking under all this is the continued hate being spread against Muslims. Even before the Pahalgam tragedy, the hate directed against Muslims was rising. After this tragedy, this hate manufactured against Muslims is peaking further. In an article last week, I did give a partial list of hate actions against this hapless community. These events have been chronicled by the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai.

Another article comments that “Even as India mourned lives lost in the terrorist attack, a coordinated campaign unfolded, offline and online, with one message: that Muslims were a threat to Hindus, that a similar fate awaited all Hindus, and that Muslims needed to be punished through violence and boycotts.

The most disturbing of these was the arrest of Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad, who heads the political science department there. In a very pertinent post he stated,” "I am very happy to see so many right wing commentators applauding Colonel Sofiya Qureshi," adding that "they should also demand that the victims of mob lynching, arbitrary demolitions [of houses], others who are victims of the BJP's hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens". Several rights groups have pointed out that there has been a rise in violence and hate speech against Muslims in India in the past decade.”

Following this there were complaints against the Professor by the Haryana State Women’s Commission “that Mr Mahmudabad's social media posts had "disparaged" the two women defence officers and "undermined their role" in the armed forces.”  It is beyond one’s comprehension as to how this post disparaged the women defence officers or undermined their role in the Indian Army?

The other complaint was filed by a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth activist. Ali Khan was arrested based on these complaints and approached the Supreme Court, granting him provisional bail. The apex also gave a judgment that asked him not to write on this matter and to deposit his passport.

The SC judgment stated that Ali Khan’s post is "dog whistling" and that it may transmit contentious messages subtly. We know "dog-whistling" is the most used label for coded speech that carries contentious meaning indirectly. The judge doubted the time and motivation behind the posts though granting interim bail was very gratifying.

Even Vijay Shah, a BJP leader and minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, who commented that Sofiya Qureshi is the “sister of terrorists” was heavily reprimanded by the court. This remark by a BJP leader was the most hateful comment possible against the outstanding Army officer. As such, this was clear ‘dog whistling’ by Shah. While the court rejected his apology, his arrest has been put on hold.

What is a dog whistle? Prof Ali Khan’s post is not a dog whistle to be sure. It is an expression of the anguish of the minority community. On the contrary, it is Shah whose dog whistle borders on open articulation of hate. Prof Ali Khan, in a sensitive manner, has shown us the mirror as to how the nation is treating its minorities. Shah has shown openly as to how every occasion is used to sow hatred against the minorities.

A Professor from a minority community should not be taken to task for talking about bulldozers and lynching which has become part of India’s ‘new normal’ and, despite the court’s disapproval of bulldozers, state governments many a times have resorted to its use.

Also, two satirists, Neha Singh Rathore and Madri Kakoti, the former a singer and the latter known as Dr Medusa online, were booked for their social media posts critical of the Modi government in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack. 

In a way, what Vijay Shah has done is largely condoned by his party, no suspension, no expulsion and no arrest. The open hate against minorities from the top BJP leadership to down below is not only quietly accepted, it also acts as a stepping stone for their political career.

Just to recall in the prelude to the 2019 Delhi communal violence, those calling for peace and harmony, such as Umar Khalid, Sharjil Imam and others are rotting in jail for over five years, their cases not even coming up for hearing, while a Union minister of state, Anurag Thakur, got promoted to full Cabinet rank after he made the people shout ‘Goli Maro…’ slogans’.

The norms of our civility and the Constitution are being slowly eroded by politics that wears the clothes of religion. What democracy needs is the likes of Ali Khan, Umar Khalid, Neha Singh Rathore and Himanshi Narwal, who, in a truthful manner, are calling for peace and also showing a mirror to our society.

The writer is a human rights activist, who taught at IIT Bombay. The views are personal.