It is high time for introspection to find out how come India is still unable to sideline those who thrive on hatred.
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: It is unfortunate that in the northern parts of India, ghosts of the subcontinent’s Partition never get laid to rest. A communal mindset does not take long to trigger a chain of events leading to rampant killings and destruction. A small incident in the Muzaffarnagar district, which could have been settled then and there, was exploited by every entity possible — political parties, political opportunists and the media — to their advantage but at the cost of more than 40 dead bodies, numerous injured and hundreds of homeless people.
Again the whole thing is being blamed on the BJP and its supporters who have been accused of inciting the violence by circulating a fake video on the internet, which went viral via mobile communication like a jungle fire. It is alleged that the said video was, in fact, a copy of another video showing the death of two boys in Pakistan in 2010 at the hands of a charged mob. Such an irresponsible act was sufficient to put the communal mindset to work overtime. As general elections in India are around the corner, one may link such violence as a prerequisite to win elections in north India. It is high time for introspection to find out how come 65-year-old secular India is still unable to sideline those who thrive on hatred and violence. Perhaps, one day, these political parties will learn to win elections without resorting to violence against disadvantaged sections of society.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2013.
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