The infamous slogan heard during the Jantar Mantar Rally on 8th August “Hindustan mein rehna hoga toh ‘Jai Shree Ram’ kehna hoga” breaks down the very principle upon which our dear country was established.
The bigoted slogan was heard in one of the videos, purportedly of the event. The fanatic slogan is not the end of the story as the videos from the events clearly threatened the Muslim population of the country, “Muslims will be slaughtered, they will shout ‘Jai Shree Ram”.
These anti-Muslim slogans does not only threatened the Muslim community but the very core of the country. India was established as a secular country, keeping in view the overwhelming communities that do not adhere to the Hindu philosophy necessarily but shares a deep connection to the land and with the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution which was enacted in 1976, the Preamble assures the citizens of India to subscribe to any religious beliefs that suits one.
More on protest at Jantar Mantar
The protest at the Jantar Mantar was organised by Bharat Jodo Aandolan and according to a media-in-charge of Bharat Jodo Aandolan, it was under the leadership of Supreme court lawyer and former Delhi BJP Spokesperson, Ashwani Upadhyay.
The interesting fact about this protest beside its anti-Muslim agenda, is that the people gathered at Jantar Mantar near the parliament, had no permission for the gathering, let alone for a fanatic purpose, due to the pandemic situation.
The initial purpose of the gathering was to protest to try to repel 222 colonial laws and make way for uniform laws programme. Priest Narsinghanand Saraswati was also present among the protestors and he is very famous for his communal speeches that leaves no stones unturned in spreading hate.
National Dastak reporter Anmol Pritam shared his first-hand account who was present at the scene,“An attempt was made to scare me and force me into ‘Jai Shri Ram.’ When I refused, they pushed me around”. He was ultimately termed a ‘Jihadi’.
Pritam made a shocking revelation that the police personnel present at the spot did not bother to stand up for him while he was being man-handled and forced to chant the political, rather than a religious, slogan “Jai Shree Ram”.
The chant clearly reflects the hatred towards the Muslim community rather than a devotion for the Deity Ram.
The police only sprang to action when the purported videos of the event started to make its round on the internet and Upadhyay and 5 other people were identified from the video and arrested.
However, Upadhyay was released on bail on the grounds that he do not share the same bigoted sentiments as the participants. Upadhyay, in a statement claimed that the rally had been organised by Save India Foundation and he “was a guest”.
It is difficult to understand the depth of his words and to what extent his claims are true. The person who orchestrated the whole communal Jantar Mantar protest roams freely without being held accountable for the covid protocols the members of his gathering flouted and the anti-Muslim agenda they manifested.
It is a sad plight in a country like India that claims to house democracy, where you can get arrested for a facebook post stating obvious facts like ‘Cow Dung and cow urine don’t cure covid’ as in the case of Manipur’s journalist Kishorechandra, but can be bailed out easily without being accountable for an anti-Muslim or anti-peace, to be more precise, rally that was held under your leadership.
Instances of activists and journalists being locked in India because of speaking sense is not uncommon. Activist Umar Khalid, former Jawaharlal Nehru University student, is spending time in prison for his involvement in the anti-CAA protest and keep waiting for his covid-delayed trail and justice seems out of sight.
In another ironical situation, journalist Siddique Kappan, along with three others who accompanied him, were arrested while they were on their way cover the Hathras’ gang-rape case. Accused on the basis of “conspiracy to defame the state government”, Siddique and the 3 others still wait for the verdict on their case.
‘Rule of Law’ and ‘Secularism’ in the constitution have only become decorative notions with the leaders and authority openly preaching communal hate and atrocities inflicted on the weaker or on one section of the population are ignored.
Also, if tried to bring the injustice to light, they are often nipped in the bud. In a nation where the ‘banging of thalis’ is given more priority and heavily militated by the Prime Minister in an announcement that is scheduled. But, riots, rapes, discrimination and corruption, sadly, do not find their place in the PM’s to-do list.
It is a very grave situation and a horrific time for India, where activists and journalists are kept behind bars for speaking out and communal riots take the shape of a India that was on the verge of partition.
The mob while uprooting innocent lives, chants ‘Jai Shree Ram’ that points towards the paradoxical country India is: a land of Gods or a land of Rakshasas?
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