Too much has happened since the 30th of May, 2019 – the second swearing in of Modi. India has perhaps never more keenly watched developments as when they unfolded over the next 16 months since.
A courageous step for correcting a historical injustice to the religious minorities in our neighbouring countries was taken after 70 long years. Where every Indian should have embraced it with open arms, mobs assaulted the heart of India. Roads were blocked, trains were burnt, religious bigotry was brazenly brandished, sections of intellectuals, media, Bollywood and politicians egged on these mobs. The willingness to burn down cities if the persecutors were not accepted into India along with the persecuted was on shameless display!
India watched.
With infinite patience, even the father figure of India’s civilisation, Sri Rama, became a petitioner in the courts of law. After 500 years of wait, even then celebrations were curtailed.
India watched.
Hundreds, perhaps thousand strong mob lynched and killed two Hindu sadhus and their driver. A police official was seen handing over a 70 year old innocent Sadhu to a bloodthirsty mob in a video. The disturbing video enraged every sane Indian. But, the case was subdued. The Maharashtra government and police displayed very questionable conduct. The young lawyer representing the lynched Sadhus then died in a car accident.
India watched.
Delhi minorities commission chairman Zafarul Islam’s statements dangerously reminded India of the time when Shah Waliullah Dehlawi invited Ahmad Shah Abdali to invade India or when Mohammad Ali allegedly sent a telegram to the Emir of Afghanistan, inviting him to invade India.
India watched.
In the month of May this year, YSRCP MP Raghu Ramakrishna Raju sent shivers down the nation’s spine when he admitted rampant proselytisation in Andhra Pradesh and across the country and openly admitted foreign funds flowing to the missionaries for conversions in India.
India watched.
Two young people died in Bollywood. And the state government and police behaved in abnormal, suspicious ways. Sections of the media, intellectuals, and the Bollywood itself behaved disturbingly, almost as if they wanted to perpetuate the abnormalities of conduct and not allow the truth to come out.
India watched.
The case revealed an ugly drugs angle. In the past, people had spoken of Bollywood, Drugs, Terrorism, Underworld – all in the same breath. But, the extent of rot as it started unfolding scared us. Some even put up a “it is only 1gram of weed” defence! While Bollywood cried to not paint the whole industry in poor light because of a few bad apples, they created film after film, series after series that portrayed the entirety of Indian civilisation disgracefully.
India watched.
A very legitimate claim to freedom of expression to create awareness of suspected global conspiracies to undermine the very sovereignty of India by Sudarshan TV was denied. The Supreme Court made observations and exercised authority in ways that may be seen as a transgression of demarcation of powers. And, that too, very selectively.
India is watching.
Every institution in the country, however powerful, derives its justification from the people. The reawakening in the civilisation is visible. The cause of the yearning is not because Modi is in power. Modi is in power because of the awakening. The expression has just begun.
The very welcome news of OpIndia, Indic Collective and Upword filing an intervention application in the Sudarshan TV case brings heart. Irrespective of the outcome, our wishes to all of you. You have shown courage to take a truthful and consequently politically incorrect stand.
For the rest: #IndiaIsWatching
