Though vilification against the Muslims has intensified after the Modi government came to power, after the outbreak of coronavirus it has simply exploded. What is worse is the monster disease has acquired the character of a Muslim-engineered pandemic against India. Using corona has been the most devious design of the RSS-BJP to communalise the Indian society.

The Sangh leaders know that the liberal, secular and centrist political forces would not raise their voice against any move of the Modi government. In fact this has been happening. Even his ardent critics have been applauding his initiatives. Naturally this was the right time to give a shape to their ulterior designs. It is noticeable that Narendra Modi in his address to the nation on April 14 did not caution those elements which were trying to trigger communal clashes and hate campaign. It would be naive to construe that this current media campaign does not have his blessings.

It cannot be denied this was one more strong and determined step towards declaring India as Hindu Rashtra. It is also manifestation of the ultra-right-wing authoritarian forces being quite proactive to communalise the coronavirus and promote RSS’s agenda. The sycophants who have turned the media subservient to RSS and Modi are simply acting according to the script. Strong nationalism, xenophobia, 'us versus them' rhetoric are some common features of this play.

The character of the treatment being meted out to the minorities makes it apparent that India in a determined manner is being transformed into a fascist State, which has been the most important agenda of Sangh. The manner in which one after another the social, cultural and democratic institutions were being demolished is the candid proof.

No doubt the Maulana of Nizamuddin Markaz must be blamed and held responsible for his action to convene the huge gathering in the midst of corona onslaught, but coinciding it the Delhi police—precisely the Union home ministry who controls the Delhi police—Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal should be held guilty for the crime. Modi who was trying to project himself as a statesman should have condemned this development. But ironically he did not. His passive attitude at some level reinforces the belief that this tirade against the Muslims has got his consent. His condemnation would have prevented the communal elements from inciting communal divide and tension.

His censure of communal elements would have been appreciated by the countrymen and ushered into a healthy public discourse which would have in fact added to his image. Modi must realise that after the Delhi communal clashes in which nearly 55 persons were killed has put the Indian democracy under scrutiny. The world fraternity has started suspecting India’s claim of being biggest democracy. The recent Markaz incident has turned the entire world hostile to India. Probably the only exception is US president Donald Trump, who incidentally has been suffering with loss of credibility in his own home. Even people across the world do not at all take his words. His actions are cynical and only a day global fraternity pulled him up for stand on world health organisation. Thousands of Americans died due to his erratic handling of coronavirus.

It is not that the rulers have been playing the Hindu nationalist antics to divert public attention from their failure to put back the economy on track. In fact this is their defined agenda. They are least bothered of the miseries of the economy. If they were really concerned of the economic condition of the country they would have heeded to the advice of the economists. The economic condition of the country has been in tatters but Modi never paid any serious look at it. The question arises; WHY? Who prevented him?

Today huge population of farmers face agrarian and ecological distress, growing numbers of youth are not getting jobs, a significant portion of the non-farm economy remains stalled by the slump in private investment, but Modi is unfazed of these developments. His only obsession is ultra-nationalism and Pakistan. These unfortunately have many takers. Just recalled how during the 2019 election he asked the youths to dedicate their votes to the Balakot airstrike, which ironically mired in controversy.

It is really sad commentary that in the name of democracy, majoritarian Hindu nationalists are rampaging all around. Enjoying a massive mandate they would continue to perpetuate their politics and policies for another four years. It is worth recalling that in 1787, James Madison, a founding father of the American constitution, had made it clear that the central concern of democracy lies in protecting citizens against the tyranny of the majority. The one institution which was supposed to protect the democracy, the Indian judiciary, has also succumbed and the recent decisions and action simply underlines that it is not willing to strengthen the system of check and counter-check. Shockingly this has embolden the rulers to dissipate the system as a result the justice delivery system has considerably weekend. People are feeling frustrated and disillusioned at justice being denied.

Politicians rattle Gandhiji’s name. But satyagrahis of Shaheen Bag using his name and resorting to his concept of satyagrah has unnerved Modi and his government. It was for the first time in Independent India that a movement has been pursuing the non-violent Satyagrah evolved by Gandhiji.

It is most unfortunate that the coronavirus conspiracy theories were being used to target Muslims in India. In fact around 8 Muslim countries have expressed their concern at this development. After the Modi supporter media provided it with a denigrating character attacks and boycotts have escalated amid false claims that Muslim group to blame for epidemic

Mehboob Ali who had returned from the Markaz was Dragged to a field in the village of Harewali, on the fringes of north-west Delhi and brutally thrashed by the Hindus. The mob was certain he was part of a so-called Islamic conspiracy to spread coronavirus to Hindus nationwide. His attackers believed the devout 22-year-old must be punished before he carried out “corona jihad”. After thrashing Ali was then taken to a nearby Hindu temple and told to renounce Islam and convert to Hinduism before they would allow him to go to hospital.

Five days after the attack Ali’s family was still in fear of also being accused of spreading the virus. The attack on Ali is symptom of the growing demonization of India’s Muslim community. Hindus in most of the places have been giving the call for boycott of Muslim hawkers. Posters have appeared barring Muslims from entering certain neighbourhoods in states as far apart as Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh.

The hatred against the Muslims took an ugly character only after Arvind Kejriwal requested the Lt Governor to lodge FIR against the organisers. Interestingly in a statement this week, the Indian Scientists’ Response to Covid-19 group said “the available data does not support the speculation” that the blame for the coronavirus epidemic in India lies mainly with TablighiJamaat.

Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, said that while Tablighi Jamaat had been shortsighted in holding the convention, there were “dozens of examples of government, political parties and other religious groups who also flouted the coronavirus restrictions and gathered in large numbers”.

The attitude of Modi and his government makes it explicit that they do not treat Muslims as the citizens of India and secondly, they want to coerce them to such an extent that when the BJP comes out with the resolution to turn India into a Hindu Rashtra, the Muslims are not in the mental condition to muster courage to oppose their move. This move also makes it clear that the BJP is trying to send the message; Muslims step back from the political arena altogether. Undeniably these are bad times to be a Muslim. (IPA Service)