By IndScribe
A protest turned violent in Malda leading to arson and injuries to some persons including policemen. However, it has been blows up as a security challenge for the nation.
Fortunately, there was not a single death. Any sane person would condemn the violence.
But in a country where people taking to streets and resorting to violence is a such a common practice, it was clear that rage was being manufactured on social media, as well as on the ground.
It was not a Hindu-Muslim issue. In fact, media kept reporting that there were 2.5 lakh protesters. Hyperbole, lies and exaggeration. Who counted and how could lakhs gather in this town for such a protest?
Lies, exaggerations, misinformation campaigns
Malda city has barely 20,000 odd Muslim males and even if all of them came to protest, just imagine the extreme exaggeration, how they floated a figure of 2.5 lakh.
Malda is a Muslim majority district but the city has Hindu majority, with nearly 1.5 lakh population and around 45,000 being Muslims–half of them males. Assuming all males, except kids, reached, it would barely make 20,000. The number of people who were part of the protest was barely a few thousand.
Editorials were written, TV channels were discussing Malda in prime time and BJP sent its delegation there. The scale of violence was nothing at all, compared to recent Patel agitation in Gujarat, where property worth hundreds of crores was burnt.
Remember, scale of violence in Patel agitation in Gujarat
In Gujarat, nearly six persons died, and there was lawlessness in entire state. Gurjar agitation is not something of distant past. In fact, it is unfortunate but people setting up vehicles and even police stations afire, is not uncommon in this country.
After Malda, right-wing groups organised ‘Shaurya Diwas’ in Madhya Pradesh, and there was arson, attacks, burning of shops, but THERE IS NO RAGE now. Why? There are reasons why there won’t be rage in any other such incident.
Aim is to defame Mamata government!
For almost two years, there is a systematic attempt to DEFAME Mamata government, to paint Bangladesh as a land where ‘Jihadis’ [read Muslims] are flexing muscles, to somehow create communal tension–ahead of elections.
The manner in which Malda was made the single most important issue in the country, shows how the right-wing lobby is targeting TMC [Mamata Bannerji-ruled WB]. It is not very difficult in this era, when channels are crazy and going to any extent for TRPs, even turning a few thousands into LAKHS.
How rage is manufactured, cyber army is in place
How rage is manufactured! It needs organised people to run campaigns. There is a huge machinery in place doing it. Tens of thousands of ideologically like-minded people on Twitter and Facebook, began talking about Malda.
You tag the journalists, make Malda ‘trend’ on Twitter, and force everyone to take notice. Then, there are ‘bigwigs’ in media–planted for the purpose, ‘the bhakts’ who can go to any extent to push up such stories that lead to hysteria. [Don’t you know the names!]
This huge cyber army is now capable of making any non-issue into an issue. Not just the ‘paid cyber army’ but also the right-wing supporters, who number in thousands (may be even more), are suddenly in action, when there is any such incident.
Remember Burdwan case!
And, who bothers about facts and figures, when there is hysteria. This is exactly how Burdwan case was blown up for months, it was made the single most important issue in India. Remember, NSA’s visit to Burdwan, and how it was used to tarnish Mamta Banerji government!
Of course, once BJP fails to win the election, Project Bengal will be over. There won’t be focus on incidents in Bengal. The next state would be targeted. Perhaps, UP or some other state. That’s the harsh reality.
Burdwan: Media & National Security LINK HERE
IndScribe is an India-based journalist. He blogs at www.anindianmuslim.com