The birth and death of the novel coronavirus will be never ending folklores and probably we all get to know now or we must all be habitat to walk parallel with this epidemic disease in India and of course globally too. But how the one particular community is at stake? Why is that one particular community labelled and targeted? When required or in the need of hours, the term secularism becomes doubtful or helpless for this one particular community!
“A total of 4,291 COVID-19 cases or 30% of the 14,378 coronavirus infection linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation,” but the contemporary strikes 188,989 coronavirus cases, number of deaths 5,358 and 90,056 are recovered; hence the hub has contributed less than 1% of the coronavirus cases and it is such a shameful to the whole of human race instead making more efforts to combat the epidemic disease and as soon as possible must meet the discovery of the vaccine to conquer it; alas, it strengthen their motive more in division of the communities. The aftermath of the Covid-19 didn’t only upsloped the infectious cases but also shook the nation with more increase of hate, disbelief, agonies and miseries in the lives of the people.
“The spread of Lie is more dangerous than the spread of Virus”; one can control or prevent the transmission of infection but the eruption of volcanic traumatic communalism is neither cured nor there any vaccine against this vehemence. It will only flare-up between the communities of the human race and rise in erosion of humanity more from the lives. We will be more self-centred and alien to other’s notions and affections. This world will be converted into evil robots of one kind rather than natural living beings of variation in communities, races, castes, creeds, colours, languages and religions.
The buzz- “the role of Tablighi Jamaat members in the spread of coronavirus” that spread 10 times faster than the spread of the corona virus into lives furiously. The Tablighi Jamaat members were miserably treated at the sake of raised of more and more Covid-19 cases in the nation and how the entire Muslim community is criticized and only responsible for this pandemic surge. However, as of 8 May, 3,013 members of the Tablighi Jamaat were still waiting for their release, despite being under the long quarantine period and testing negative. How to deny the generosity and kindness of the Tablighi Jamaat members, who survived Covid-19 and were recovered and came forward and with their willingness to donate their blood plasma for the treatment of others in an organised way in Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Delhi; urged by Maulana Saad when a letter issued on 19 April. However, the Union Health Ministry has stated that there is no concrete evidence yet to support the theory that plasma therapy can be used for the treatment or not. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in response to the Union Health Ministry, stated that the Delhi government would not stop plasma therapy trials since the “initial results have been promising”. Despites in such a disappointing catastrophe the intention and willingness of the Tablighi Jamaat members did not dampened. They also overcame their religious ethical sentiments and prioritised themselves in the act of humanity and fulfilled their duties more owing to India than only being Muslim by breaking their fast during the plasma donation in the daytime as it was in the month of Ramadan on 1 May 2020. Not only male members but without a bias notion of gender basis, female members also donated their plasma. Over 300 recovered attendees plasma was extracted.
In early March 2020 at Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque, Delhi a Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation- a coronavirus super-spreader event that took place; it shook the entire Muslim community and raised a question of doubt in the eye of law and humanity. How one particular community or one particular religion can be slaughtered on basis of an anti-secular ethics and that too for the power of few tyrants at higher level or governing body who are just the Bhakts of Non-Muslim and very sadly they have lack of knowledge on ‘what real politics is about’ and ‘who are called as true political leaders’ and ‘how a country must govern with diminish of favouritism and more priories to secularism’. Across the country, on basis of gossip target meets, only the Muslim peers are blamed and targeted. On 5 April, when the clock struck 9 PM owing to the lockdown celebration, the nation’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a 9-minute lights out echoed and shook the whole country igniting the bias arouse between the Hindu class and the Muslim class people of this nation. The chanting slogan of Jai Shri Ram, the roars of conch and prayer bells from the temple where loudspeakers played devotional songs, all coloured firecrackers and the distinctive sounds of .315 calibre country-made pistols being fired. The majority of the Hindu people were on the street match paying homage to the crackling lockdown festival of the nation breaking the quarantine restricted regulations; whereas all Muslim people were endangered and denned in their respective abodes honouring the quarantine rules and mostly in fear of the novel coronavirus and communal riots. Yet thankful to few fellow Muslims who also devoted to the nation by accompanying the light of gratitude on this day reflecting India’s union without biasing themselves as Hindu and Muslim classes. The nation witnessed pure secularism in terms of shutting down the doors of all mosques, temples, churches or any sacred holy places and restricted their devotion offered by all the deeply pious beings but in dealing with the entire human race vehemence and their religious sentiments this secularism just vanished like a smoke leaving the tint of smell of burning tobacco ‘the communal riot’ in midst of air to breathe. Was the street match on 5 April in huge gathering of the masses was not an anti-quarantine deed and should it being appreciated? What about the Muslim members when they offered their Salat namaz (the obligatory daily five times prayers), Salat al Jumuah (the Friday prayer or Congregational prayer), Taraweeh namaz (the special prayer offered during the month of Ramzan) and ‘Salat al Eid’ (the Eid prayer) in their respective abodes obliged to the lockdown restricted regulations- mandatorily not violating physical-distancing, keeping sanitizing and hygiene. They also contributed in their possible ways in the lifting up the budgetary slippage of the country through Zakats and maintained the restriction without getting themselves in their loads of Eid purchases to avoid the gathering in the markets as per the government restricted regulation. The festival Eid al-Fitr 2020 celebrated by the Muslim in a mute day and remembering in their prayers seeking mercy from Allah, the benefit and prospers for the entity mankind and soon conquering the covid-19. The Muslims in their prayers did not framed only for one particular community but for the whole human race in face of every criticism and the nasty responsibility held on their shoulders was labelled to them.
The spread of the fake news on the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation is entirely demonising the Muslim community and deeply impacted theirs more than the impact of the novel coronavirus. This insanity act also reflected how terribly they rotted the secular infrastructure of the country mentioned in the Constitution of India. The fake hailstorm that washed off the integrity and dormancy of the entire Muslim body by portraying the doctored of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi of Tablighi Jamaat not to follow physical distancing norms amidst the pandemic affair and how falsifies writing up the story about the Muslims who boycotted government restricted regulations; unacquainted old video clip showing a Muslim fruit vendor spitting his saliva to spread the virus claiming all Muslim community for such nuisance act; and some brought up with the story that Tablighi Jamaat members demanded for non-vegan foods and defecated in open. The plea was file in the Supreme Court of India by the Tablighi Jamaat members for facing harassment against them and the entire Muslim community was discriminated and make dirty with grime on the thought and fake news that was broadcasted as virus carrier; shattered them in the basis of bigotry notions; boycotted them from other communities; and labelled them as ‘super-spreader’ of virus. The diseases do not rest in human body seeing or visualising whether it is a Hindu or a Muslim neither a bacteria nor a virus have a particular religion to pursue. But the society does draw margins on the terms relating to religion, community, class, caste, creed, colour, language and gender. Why then only the Muslim or a the particular province- the north eastern states is discriminated or slaughtered in the terms of spreading this epidemic disease but it was the country China from where this deadly virus spread to the other parts of the world.
Namaste Trump festival in India 24th and 25th February 2020; where massive gathering of over 100,000 people in the Motera Stadium officially named as the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat took place just a four weeks before the Mother Earth was to be diagnosed and tested positive+. Why the herd of masses who celebrated the Trump festive not sieved and quarantined or alleged for any such transmission of virus in India in face of the blame put upon to the Muslims.
“Why is the government silent,” the senior advocate Dushyant Dave submitted and he urged the apex court to take action against the media organizations while he representing the Muslim clerics body, contended before the bench that fake news damage the secular fabric of the nation and broadcast of such news make outs offences under the law.
“The demonisation is also an infringement of the right to live with dignity which is also covered under Article 21 of the Constitution”, the pleas, filed through advocate Ejaz Maqbool.
“We can’t gag the media,” said the Supreme Court on Monday on a plea to stop “fake” news being disseminated by some TV channels after Nizamuddin Markaz incident related to Tablighi Jamaat. “We want to make solid long term measures about the news item, once we take cognisance, people will understand. We won’t pass any interim order,” the bench said. The apex court bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy; and the Chief Justice S.A. Bobde told advocate Ejaz Maqbool, appearing for ‘Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind’, to make the Press Council of India (PCI) as a party to its petition in the case. The bench asked to take action against the media organizations, the Press Council of India (PCI) what action it has taken and told the Centre’s counsel that do not let people instigate, as these things later become law and order issues and the bench issued notice to the Centre and the Press Council of India (PCI) asking the authorities concerned to respond on the matter within two weeks. The bench also sought specific reply on the alleged violation of the Cable Television (Regulation) Act by the news channels and also directed that the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) be made a party to the pleas alleging a section of media was demonising the Muslim community in connection with the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz Nizamuddin incident in Delhi. The next hearing on the matter is scheduled on June 15, 2020.
The year 2020 is not less than a World War III; where the entire Muslim body is battling for their basic sustaining rights; liberty and secular environment. It is an unfortunate to be Muslim in India and now the aftermath of the Covid-19 has over flooded the agonies and miseries more in the entire Muslim body. The constantly broadcast of media talking about Tablighi Jamaat members of Nizamuddin Markaz incident spreading coronavirus in the country; enormously helped spreading bigotry and communal hatred in the minds of every people. The actions of the media pose a serious threat to the life and liberty of Muslims across the country; rising demonising and communalising the issue. The Muslims are now the most endangered species and is it their future at the verge of extinct? The entire human race is responsible for the blame in the entire Muslim community where media only played a small role of pawn in this game. The globe and especially the India have pigeonholed the human race into different communities; and the day by day upsloping the difference between them. Now the sounds of echoes are higher than their prayers; how the particular community is anchored down in the ocean of communal hate, bias and negligence. They are knotted in rushes and trashes destined. Who is the tyrant to pigeonhole herds of people into communal difference? Is it the secular government or the high speed media? Or we all fools who had faith blindly on buzz more than humanity? When BJP MLA asked to boycott all Muslim vendors and in some localities people refused to purchase from the grocery stores owned by Muslim owner; water is free source of mother nature and it is a blessed essence to every creatures on the earth can quenched their thirst but in the North 24 Parganas Barasat, West Bengal a girl was cordon off as she is a Muslim; hence in Rajasthan a pregnant woman bears an unfortunate death of her yet to be newborn baby for the refusal of the doctor’s treatment to a Muslim woman and in Varanasi, the land of divine opposed Muslims to work in any work farms; various parts of the country developed into split-wards in hospitals such Hindu-ward and Muslim-ward (the Hindu-ward patients were privileged enough to get adequate treatments whereas the patients in the Muslim-ward faced droughtiness of treatment); and why so a man was lynched in Bawana, Delhi because of the tale rumour he is the spreader of the novel corona virus but the truth was he is Mehboob Ali, inhabitant in Harewali village in Bawana, Delhi who is an obliged Muslim man. This wounded nation is terribly demising from the recovery of the communal riot molestation against the Muslims and it is a greatest tragic how we witness the bleeding of the entire Muslim body and soon it will be shroud for burial. It is venom given to one part of the society whereas the rest part of the society indulges them in one kind of elixir. The variation is a shade of lives; if one community is perish due to lack of humanity among ourselves then it is also a danger sign for the other communities to question about their future survival. The communal breast or the ferocious virus won’t sacrifice his greed and sooner or later it will devour the whole human race or so called the “community”. Save the community; save the mankind!
Shahnaz Islam is advocate of Gauhati High Court and writer on social and political issues]
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