A narrative was created that terrorists had asked about religion of the victims before killing them in Pahalgam… An entire community was portrayed as terrorists or as their sympathisers
Neha Singh Rathore
NEW DELHI — In Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district, a man from the Yadav community was publicly humiliated and his head was shaved as punishment for the “crime” of narrating a religious story (katha).
Those who punished him considered the act of storytelling such a serious offence that they even sprinkled a woman’s urine on him. This heinous act was carried out by those who believe they hold a monopoly over religious narration.
The second incident is from Odisha, where in Ganjam district, two Dalit youths were brutally assaulted on the mere suspicion of cattle smuggling. Their heads were half-shaved. They were forced to crawl on their knees, eat grass, and drink drain water.
Uttar Pradesh and Odisha — both states are ruled by the BJP, and in Delhi, their own “Sindoorlal ji” (a sarcastic reference to Prime Minister Modi) is at the helm.
So now the moot question is: Who is truly responsible for such incidents?
Is it the BJP’s anti-Dalit and anti-backward mindset, or is it the poor law and order in these states? Because this is not the first time… the list of such incidents is very long.
For example, not long ago in Madhya Pradesh — again a BJP-ruled state — a BJP leader urinated on the head of a tribal man. When I spoke out against this incident, an FIR was filed against me.
Anyways I want to know — why do such incidents happen so frequently in BJP-ruled states?
I want to know — is it a crime if a person from a backward community narrates a religious story? If it is a crime, then what provision exists in the Indian legal system for it?
What is the likelihood that those responsible for the humiliation of the storyteller will get punished?
The tragedy in Pahalgam was not the first terror attack in the country. India has been fighting terrorism for a long time — and we have lost thousands of citizens in such attacks.
Every time, these attacks were seen as those on the entire country — and the victims were seen as citizens of the nation. But for the first time, thanks to the BJP government, the nation began segregating the dead into Hindu and Muslim names.
A narrative was created that terrorists had asked about religion of the victims before killing them… An entire community was portrayed as terrorists or as their sympathisers.
While the truth is — the government has not only failed to arrest the attackers, but hasn’t even properly identified them yet. And now reports are emerging that the government had released incorrect sketches of those believed to be behind the Pahalgam attack.
So, the question is — who will take responsibility for the false narrative that insulted a large section of the population? And how will the damage caused by this narrative be undone?
One of the most important questions is: Who exactly is the BJP a party for? Who are the people running this government?
These people insult Dalits, humiliate backward communities, disrespect women, persecute minorities, and cast aspersions on their loyalty to the country.
Who are these people? What gives them the right to act this way? And whose party is this really?
Is it wrong to say that the Bharatiya Janata Party is, in reality, a party dominated by upper-caste Hindus?
The truth is — the so-called representatives of other communities within the BJP are not actual representatives, but mere puppets who pretend to serve their communities while misleading them.
And if that’s not true, then why haven’t these puppets within the BJP launched any major protest against such incidents?
What is the BJP’s minority wing doing for minorities?
The truth is — casteism is more dangerous than terrorism, because many people are involved in propagating it, and they enjoy the silent support of the government.
Another crucial question:
Will the kind of lynching done across the country in the name of the cow promote cow protection — or discourage it?
Earlier, Muslims were targeted in the name of the cow. Now, even Dalits are being targeted.
Believe me — those who consider themselves safe today and remain indifferent to such incidents are not really safe either. Don’t believe me? Just wait a few more days.
Today, India needs to fight not only terrorism but also casteism. And for that, we must first strike at its root.
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Neha Singh Rathore is a folk singer and political satirist who sings and composes songs in the Bhojpuri language. She is known for songs with a focus on political and social issues. She is a strong critic of BJP and its government’s policies towards backward classes and minorities. The story is translated from her Facebook post in Hindi by Behzad Parvez.
