If the Delhi Riots has shown us something, it is the left-liberal lobby’s capacity to build a narrative. From Bernie Sanders calling it an attack against the Muslim community in the country to India’s very own media houses calling it a state-sponsored ‘Pogrom’, the left has been able to put forward their narrative and most importantly, promote it. If it had not been for the youth going out on the streets and recording videos, the left would have been completely successful in terming it as a Hindu agitation against the minority.
The biggest example of this would be the Gujarat riots of 2002. A classic case where even today, people blame Hindus for killing the Muslims and the then CM Narendra Modi for giving it unofficial permission from the state. Not one article can be found in the prominent media houses where they talk about the burning of the train at Godhra station or the continuous attacks on Hindus in Godhra since ages. While I condemn the way the retaliation happened, I completely understand the agony and the pain with which it took place. Now, look at Gujarat. Do you find any news of communal riots from the state? It has become the epitome of development in the country.
So, why is it that the right-wing struggles to put forward their views but the left is continuously able to spread their propaganda. What are the things that the right needs to learn from the recent happenings?
Below are 5 points which I believe are the most important of the lot.
1. Lack of clarity.
While there is no denying that the Right-wing was the first in realizing the potential of social media, we have been unable to provide clarity with our message. There is a gap between the people and the commentators on social media. Taking the example of the Delhi riots, the right-wing completely failed in explaining the CAA to the common people. The BJP and the GoI should have stepped up and explained each and every points in the Bill to the general public. A lot of things could have been avoided if we would have been able to do so.
2. One bad apple spoils the entire bunch.
We may not admit it in public but deep inside we all know that there are a lot of unwanted elements in the wing which we openly endorse but doesn’t deserve the endorsement. Without taking any names, there are some people on this side of the spectrum that do more harm than good for the entire group. We need to accept the fact that we need to be more pragmatic and our statements should be supported by facts if we really want to counter the narrative. Propaganda should not be countered by another propaganda, but by facts.
3. Reach on different social media platforms.
We need to increase our reach on different social media platforms. While Twitter is one place we can be confident about countering the left narrative, our presence on Instagram and YouTube is negligible. The two mentioned platforms are now the primary source of the left narrative. If we really want our side of the story to reach to the masses, we need to have a presence on both the platforms, even TikTok, in order to counter the opposite propaganda. The sooner we do so, the better it is for each one of us. The left has realized that they cannot win the propaganda battle on Twitter and have very swiftly moved to different platforms.
4. Lack of a proper legal cell.
The right lacks a competent legal cell. There is no better way to put it forward. We do not have a set of lawyers that can put forward our story in the courts with full conviction. Student Unions like ABVP and the Sangh Parivaar needs to step up and build a good legal cell if we want to win cases on the court. This is a field in which we lag way behind the left.
5. Go out and vote.
Probably the most important point. At the end of all the propaganda politics, it is the elections that matter the most. It is the elections that decide which side of the narrative governs the nation. We have to go out and vote if we really want our voice to be heard by the world. If we don’t and the left wins the elections, the majority of this nation will continue being the silent sufferers like it has been for the majority of our history. Your vote will decide whether we will move towards a prosperous and a developed nation or we will go back in history to the same old socialist nation in which the majority suffers.
