Earlier in the year, a Professor (whose name I will withhold) at McGill University, explained the phenomena to me. His contention is that from the early 2000’s there is a new model for the communalisation of communities, which begins with any stray incidence such as the morphed photos in Pune, leading to intense but short lived communal violence, leaving a large number of people displaced, and their properties abandoned. In the case of Muzzaffarnagar, the violence began with a rumour that some boys misbehaved with a woman of the dominant community. After which a video was circulated which ignited mob frenzy leading to killings that are yet to be fully acknowledged leave alone addressed. Nearly 50,000 people were displaced in that one instance and their properties were taken over by the dominant community. These people who should technically be seen as victims of a worst kind of violence, are actually now nomads who have no place to go to and no government to call their own. Are we not witnessing something similar in Pune? A morphed photograph is circulated which makes some people extremely angry and they go on a rampage killing a 24-year-old boy lovingly named ‘Techie’ by the media. The mob vandalised many mosques and dargahs on their way to some more public punishment. From the headlines on the small pieces that appeared in mainstream media, it may seem that the ‘Techie’ had something to do with the photograph but in actuality he didn’t. Mind you, I am aware of the need for a public execution if a person is found guilty of morphing some really important photographs. But the Techie was just a regular guy, going back to work after his namaz. His only crime was that he was wearing a skullcap. Just heard that friend’s book is being ‘Set aside’ by a prominent publisher because it deals with violence against women in communal riots in Ahmedabad. More and more people are being arrested for Facebook posts or Whatsapp comments leaving most of us feeling wary and distrustful. The message is loud and clear, an era of self-censorship has begun. And the ‘democratic institutions’ along with their ‘guarantees’, are yet to notice it. caravandaily/portal/muslim-homes-mosques-madrassas-vandalized-in-pune-by-hindu-radicals/
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 04:43:59 +0000
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