What should have served as a wake up call to all, just faded into the background like nothing had happened. In the past few weeks, the barrage of hateful attacks on the minority communities in this country is something that we have never seen before. Yet the majority, largely chose to remain silent. When only a particular class speaks up on a specific social media platform, it does not really count.
Right from the shameful calls for genocide brazenly made at Haridwar’s ‘Dharam Sansad’ to the disruption of services during Christmas to the shocking New year’s Day revelation of an app auctioning off hundreds of Muslim women, the hate has been apparent and in the face. The silence has been deafening and hence, this conscious call by CJP to the majority in this country to speak up for their fellow Indians who follow other faiths.
Is it now about time that the silent complicity of the Hindu majority is addressed, directly challenged, and the community cajoled and even provoked if need be, to take a stand. At all levels of the social strata, state non state, action needs to be taken against the perpetrators of hate and violence. We all need to speak up – judges, lawyers, businessmen, doctors, teachers, artists, filmmakers, writers, activists of all hues, academics, journalists, farmers, workers, ALL OF US!
CJP is dedicated to finding and bringing to light instances of Hate Speech, so that the bigots propagating these venomous ideas can be unmasked and brought to justice. To learn more about our campaign against hate speech, please become a member. To support our initiatives, please donate now!
Why do we need to speak up?
Imagine not being able to attend Church during Christmas, not because of Covid restrictions, but due to the looming threat of disruption of services and violence by right-wing goons. Imagine the message it sends to minorities when a call for mass slaughter of all Muslims is given from one of Hinduism’s Holy Cities, Haridwar. Did one feel a sense of revulsion and shame, given how one’s religion was being misused to spread hate against minorities by vested interests?
The majority needs to speak up for the minority because it is the right thing to do! Minorities have after all coexisted peacefully with us for thousands of years and contributed to the rich tapestry of Indian culture. It is this India we need to defend and protect.
Whoever you are and wherever you are, a doctor, an artist, a nurse, a lawyer, industrialist, corporate leaders, most importantly those who wield influence like judges, actors, filmmakers, artists, writers, mediapersons – it’s time we make our collective outrage and protest felt. Now!
Is enough being done by the State?
The Mumbai Police have acted, arrested some offenders; the Haridwar police compelled by a measure of public revulsion have registered an FIR against Yati Narsinghanand. The question is that – for the majority community, is that enough? We need to ask this question to ourselves repeatedly, since there seems to be no end to his hateful diatribe that is transforming into real crimes and real people are constantly being affected by it.
Remember when #BlackLivesMatter protests broke out across the United States. It was the white majority, many of them in powerful positions, that spoke in unison demanding justice for their fellow black citizens. It is we the majority who need to speak up, protest in a million ways and make ourselves heard. It is the 60% of us in majority – excluding the Dalits and Adivasis – that has to make a fist and let it rise in revolution to call for a new India where everyone has equal opportunity and nobody has to fall victim to hatred.
Let there be outrage, a demand for action, a call for accountability.
Sign our Petition here
Related:
Hate Watch: Mapping Hate Crimes in India in 2021
Hate Hatao: How CJP fought hate in 2021
When will violence and discrimination against Dalits and Adivasis end?