On May 24 a Muslim couple along with a colleague was beaten blue and black by RSS’s Gau Rakshaks in Sivni in MP even as PM re-elect Modi was delivering his sermon to the newly elected MPs of NDA. MP police under Congress Govt. duly arrested the victims of this vigilante attack. The culprits of this attack were arrested by the police a day later only after explicit video of the barbarous attack went viral. That it was no accidental incident, next day i.e. on May 25 a Muslims youth, Barkat Alam, who wanted to work as a tailor and had come from Begusarai in Bihar to his brother in Gurugram in Haryana looking for job, was thrown to the ground and soundly thrashed when he came out of a mosque after praying in a mosque and forced to shout ‘Jai Sriram’ besides being told to go to Pakistan. A day later on May 26 in Begusarai in Bihar a Muslim youth, Mohd. Qasim, was shot at after he told his name and the assailants asked him to go to Pakistan. As usual, despite an FIR, the assailants have not been arrested.
These incidents are and were meant to be a clear warning to all that Modi’s statement adding “sabka vishwas” to his earlier slogan of “sabka sath, sabka vikas” which had come back after election sabbatical, should not be taken seriously. These are not meant for domestic consumption and particularly not for “law enforcement agencies” lest they misunderstand and act against RSS vigilante groups. This message was primarily meant for foreign media which has been harsh on Modi unlike the responsible Indian media which neither sees, nor hears and definitely not speak ill about the evil rule of RSS pracharaks in power. Not for nothing India occupies one of the lowest ranks in press freedom index almost similar to that of our neighbour Pakistan and much lower than Nepal, Srilanka and Bhutan. It is only on Indian media that we get to hear that in India press is free.
The ruling establishment was addressing this “sabka vishwas” message to the western press which in their opinion has not got their act right. Time magazine had put Modi on cover splashing “Divider in Chief” across. On the day of election results i.e. on May 23, Guardian of Britain had made scathing editorial comments on what Modi victory portends for India. The same day a major US daily, New York Times, ran a lengthy piece what Modi’s victory meant for India and its people. Indian media on the other hand was over the top in celebrating the victory of Modi and RSS-BJP disregarding the most divisive and virulent campaign run by Modi led RSS-BJP and most fraudulent and non-transparent elections conducted in India with misuse of election machinery by the ruling party setting new record.
Adverse coverage in western media obviously makes a difference to the rulers as they are dependent on western imperialist powers in a number of ways. One can only remember the role of US Admn. in enabling Modi in pulling off Balakote. US president Trump had tweeted both about the impending strike and de-escalation before these happened. US Admn. obviously needs India not only for its vast markets, but also in escalating conflict with Iran and rivalry with China.
These three incidents in three days are a grim reminder of the real situation in the country. And these incidents are happening with open connivance and help from police and administrative machinery in which communal and casteist sway has been further strengthened under RSS-BJP rule. Without the involvement of state machinery these vigilante groups dare not make a single attack. Modi Govt. expects foreign media to relay his speeches and publish only the Govt. press handouts and not make fact check about their claims.
One can believe Modi and RSS talk of taking all along only on one’s own peril. Their coming back to power heralds new challenges which should make every patriot and democrat, peace loving and well meaning person not to take their advent to power as some form of aberration but as a new normal which Indian people have to fight against.
