There is a lot of debate about bursting firecrackers on Diwali with regards to damage to the environment. Some defenders of firecrackers have made claims that firecracker ban on Diwali is anti-Hindu. So it might surprise some people to learn that the tradition actually has it roots in how Mughal emperors celebrated Diwali.

It was Muhammad bin Tughlaq, who ruled Delhi from 1324 to 1351, who became the first emperor to celebrate a Hindu festival inside his court. It was celebrated modestly with bonhomie and good food, organized by Tughlaq’s Hindu wives.

This tradition continued down generations till Akbar took the Mughal throne and insisted that Diwali become a grand festival in the Mughal court. The Rang Mahal in Red Fort was the designated centre for the royal celebrations of Jashn-e-Chiraghan (festival of lights) as Diwali was called then, and the festivities were carried out under the Mughal king himself.

Akbar also began the tradition of giving sweets as Diwali greetings.Chefs from across kingdoms cooked delicacies in the Mughal court for the occasion. The ghevar, petha, kheer, peda, jalebi, phirni and shahitukda became part of the celebratory thali that welcomed guests to the palace for Diwali celebrations. On Diwali in Akbar’s court, the Ramayana was read, followed by a play depicting Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya. This tradition strengthened Akbar’s empire, (noted by his biographer Abu’lFazl in Ain-i-Akbari), as it helped the king bond better with his Hindu subjects, and encouraged many Muslim merchants to take part in the festivities.

Shah Jahan took the celebrations a step further by incorporating Muslim new year festival “Navroz” into Diwali, making it a joint biggest festival of the empire. He invited chefs from all over India and imported ingredients from Persia, for the chefs to prepare the most decadent sweets for ChhappanThal (consisting of sweets from 56 kingdoms) which became a Diwali tradition. Aurangzeb also followed the tradition of sending sweets to noblemen on Diwali.

Another ritual that marked Diwali during the Mughal empirewas the traditional lighting of the Surajkrant, the empire’s permanent source of fire and light.According to historian R Nath, the process began at noon. When the sun entered the 19th degree of Aries, the royal servants exposed a round shining stone called the Surajkant to the sun’s rays. A piece of cotton was held near the stone, which would then catch fire from the heat. This celestial fire was preserved in a vessel called Agingir (fire-pot) and later used to light up “Akash Diya” (sky lamp) which was a giant lamp on top of a 40 yard high pole, supported by sixteen ropes.

Shah Jahanapparently began the Akash Diya tradition as an ode to religious harmony when he set up the city of Shahjahanabad.The tradition of fireworks during Diwaliis also attributed to Shah Jahan who put up an elaborate fireworks display on the banks of the Yamuna every Diwali.

Even the last of the Mughal emperors, Bahadur Shah Zafar organised plays to be performed around the theme of Diwali at the Red Fort, along with Laxmi Puja, which was opento public. Fireworks would also be set off near Jama Masjid, Delhi, for the occasion. William Dalrymple’s book, ‘The Last Mughal: The Fall of Delhi, 1857’, says, “Zafar would weigh himself against seven kinds of grain, gold, coral, etc and directed their distribution among the poor.” The Hindu officers were presented gifts on the special occasion.

In contemporary India, we see these traditions live on in the form of syncretic celebrations of Diwali by Muslims. From the lighting up of Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai to decorations and diyas adorning the HazratNizammudinDargah in Delhi, Muslims are very much a part of Diwali celebrations of this nation. The dargah of Baba HazratMaqbool Hussein Madani near Shanivar Wada, Pune, has been decorated with diyas on every Diwali since twenty years, when a Hindu family in the area had requested to light a diya at the Dargah. Gradually, other people started following the practice and now every year, residents of Shanivar Wada collect money to buy diyas and decorations to light up this Dargah which was constructed in the 13^th century.

Kammruddin Shah’s Dargah in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, has a similar story. Hindus and Muslims celebrate Diwali at this Dargah together to honour a 250 year old story of friendship between Sufi saint Kammruddin Shah and Hindu saint Chanchalnathji who used to meet in a cave that connected the Dargah and Chanchalnathji’sAashram. The residents believe it is their moral duty to continue the tradition of Hindu-Muslim unity by lighting diyas and fireworks together at the Dargah.

While the debate about fireworks rages on, people need to keep in mind that this is not a communal issue but an environmental one. Hindus and Muslims of India do not need to be mired in another divisive issue which has no roots in logic. We have celebrated and honoured Diwali together for centuries, and we need to follow the examples of friendship and harmony to unite for causes that matter. We are all building our next generation’s future right now, wouldn’t we want them to grow up in a nurturing, harmonious, and healthy environment?

This Diwali, if you choose to celebrate, read about environmental consciousness, air and noise pollution; and celebrate Diwali with your friends and neighbours irrespective of caste and religion. May the light from the diyas penetrate all our lives with warmth and love, Happy Diwali!

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5. Piety and Noise Pollution, The Face Off – India 2005

The post Diwali has been celebrated by Muslims for centuries appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Any structure that exists with a clear mandate of placing absolute power in the hands of a few, will inevitably undermine the spirit of democracy at some juncture. From beating up of helpless migrant workers simply trying to go home, assaulting doctors and essential workers, to beating children, the police have shown us time and again they are not our friends (unless we are Members of Parliament whose children get birthday cakes from them).

?This child alleges that he was beaten up by UP’s Bareilly Police

?He sells fruits. He says, cops abused him & hit him with STICKS when his father was away for a bath

?I know so many cops whose children are studying abroad. And CM Adityanath, this is what a poor’s kid gets? pic.twitter.com/ZcGn9tIDsg

— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) May 16, 2020

In December 2019, while analyzing the Jamia violence perpetrated by Delhi Police, I had asked the following question in a Hindi article: “जामिया के छात्रों से क्रूरता क्यों?” (“Who is the target of the Police’s Lathi? This is something we should think about”). Therapist and researcher- Sadaf Vidha answers, “The brutality of the police is meted out towards those most oppressed in the society. In this, it follows the same pattern of discrimination that the larger society follows. In India, we see disproportionate police brutality towards the poor, the migrants, the caste minorities, women, and the tribal population. In a bizarre incident, a lawyer in Madhya Pradesh was beaten brutally and told later, with an apology, ‘We thought you had a beard, so you were a Muslim’. When they have to make split-second decisions in the absence of proper training, with violence as the only method available, the decision is made on the bases of these implicit biases that they learned growing up and were later reinforced at various stages in their lives.” (extracts from researcher’s essay on thechakkar.com)

The indiscriminate and unjustified violence meted out by the police in Jamia Milia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University students, as well as the violent measures taken to curb Anti-CAA protests may have fallen out of the news cycle, but they will never be forgotten.

6 months ago, today, police forcefully barged into the campus of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. They shot at us, fired expired tear gas shells, brutalised students, used religion specific slurs, dragged kids out of hostels and beat them up.

— Shivangi ?️‍? (@shivangayy) June 15, 2020

Any citizen of India should be very concerned if, in the end, the police are not held accountable for their actions. An extremely biased report is already doing the job of whitewashing over the facts of Delhi Pogrom 2020. Similar gaslighting can be expected in the cases of police brutality. Whether they enter our places of education to perpetrate violence or overturn vegetable carts on the street, the police’s abuse of power with impunity needs to be questioned.

The Delhi Police, in particular, has also been perpetrating another form of structural violence by making a series of arrests targeting students, activists, and peaceful protestors including Safoora Zargar who has been denied bail yet again. The Judiciary is supposed to step up and protect the interests of the citizens. Instead, the Delhi High Court has repeatedly adjourned petitions seeking police accountability for indiscriminate arrests.

The Bengaluru police targeting veteran journalist Aakar Patel for posting about a peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protest is the latest in a long string of nationwide crackdowns on journalists and their freedom of speech. If we look at the big picture, the very people we rely on to keep us safe, are the source of fear. The Judiciary and the Government are complicit even in being passive. From the protests that helped us achieve our freedom from the hands of the British, to the online protests that we participate in now from our smartphones during the lockdown, it is our right, as citizens, to voice our criticisms of the law and order system in our country. Our ancestors put this free, independent nation in our hands, and we must nurture this freedom, we must build on it, we must never give it up in any manner. Jai Hind!

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The post Six months since Jamia violence, police brutalities not forgotten appeared first on SabrangIndia.

If one word could describe the healthcare system in India at present, it would be “chaos”. The CoronaVirus peak is yet elusive, while the number of cases climb even as lockdown restrictions are being eased in most parts of the country. A huge number of people thronged to Marine Drive, Mumbai, on June 6, 2020 as restrictions on outdoor activities are being eased in Maharashtra.This, while there are 25,940 active cases in the city as of June 7, 2020.

Every day, there are stories and frantic appeals on social media from patients and their kin about non-availability of hospitals in different parts of the country. The Delhi State Government even launched an app (called Delhi Corona) to help people access the nearest hospital with available beds, but public testimonialson several media platforms including DNA, Livemint and Scroll, about the accuracy of the app are not positive. A citizen-led website called charitybeds.com is now tracking the availability from crowdsourced information.

In Mumbai, netizens are reporting the existence of empty hospitals which are lying shut when they could have been used, like the enormousESIC Hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, among others. While Chennai private hospitals have almost run out of beds, in Delhi, the ones with availability are demanding upwards of Rs. 4 Lakh in deposit before admission.

This is the huge, empty ESIC hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai, A great tribute to what the Bharata Sarkar thinks about labour and health. (there is one more such white elephant on Akurli Road in Kandivali). pic.twitter.com/GtYnb7KcW2

— Mumbai | | Paused (@SloganMurugan) June 7, 2020

The Delhi State Government has complicated things further by issuing a notice on June 7, 2020, whereby only the bona-fide residents of Delhi will be able to access medical care from Delhi hospitals.

This is the Delhi government’s order on the different kinds of proof/docs a person needs to qualify as a Delhi resident in order to receive Covid treatment at hospitals.

I do not have any of the documents required as stated in this: pic.twitter.com/6U4pFYMtTd

— Vijayta Lalwani (@VijaytaL) June 7, 2020

In the midst of all this, ad campaigns starring the usual Bollywood stars are encouraging people to step out without fear and conveying that if one happens to contract COVID-19 despite precautions, the Government healthcare services would take care of you. I have only one question for these campaigns- “Where are the Hospital beds?”

Pregnant women are dying while being shuttled from one hospital to the other for hours in search of availability of beds, while people who need to visit hospitals for chemotherapy are being denied COVID tests which puts them at mortal risk as chemotherapy can be lethal in a COVID positive patient (reported in the Times of India). People suffering from immunocompromising illnesses like Lupus, or those who need any kind of urgent hospitalization are in a Catch-22 situation as going to a hospital could mean possibly contracting COVID-19 which would affect them disproportionately, or not go to a hospital, worse- be denied admission due to lack of beds and put their health in a dire or even lethal position.

As a former Public Health professional- the cruel gatekeeping, disconnected bureaucracy, and utter mismanagement does not come as a shock. India’s infrastructure and governance has never been geared towards efficiency, or accessibility. In the end, it all boils down to money. If you are poor, or do not have a source of income during the lockdown, or are unable to afford medical expenses, you cannot afford to contract COVID. On the flip side, since you cannot possibly survive without an income, you will have to step out eventually to earn a living and cannot afford to continue a self-imposed lockdown- hence putting yourself at risk for COVID. Everybody who is not “rich”, is being set up for immense risk.

The lockdown (with its multiple extensions) was supposed to give the healthcare infrastructure time for preparedness. After 2.5 months, certainly no one was expecting a miracle, but we were hoping it would not be a debacle, which the current state of chaos seems to suggest. We need, urgently, to strengthen communication systems, demand accountability, utilize every single resource we have including empty hospitals, demand for COVID-19 testing, demand free treatment in hospitals, and save lives. We have lost too many people to this crisis, and we are far from flattening any sort of curve even as authorities continue to be in denial about the extent of community transmission. If you can afford to, stay home, because someone out there can’t afford to, their life is on the line- and their life is as important as yours.

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The post Where are the Hospital Beds? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The line outside the local grocery store is marked out in neat circles 5-6 feet apart, separating the diverse crowd of delivery app executives, hassled middle-aged men and women, and tired senior citizens. There is a heavy silence before spontaneous comments about the impending rain in Mumbai, give way to a full-blown conversation among strangers. There is palpable concern about the extension of the lockdown, unpaid salaries, and apprehension about the condition of migrant workers who are in transit or waiting to go home.

More than 80 people (including children) have lost their lives while travelling in Shramik trains- some due to lack of food and water on the trains, and some due to co-morbidities. While civilian volunteers and NGOs have stepped up to distribute food and water on the trains, the situation begs the question- why has the Ministry of Railways not done its job? Why are the state governments passing the buck to each other?

The humanitarian crisis created by a poorly executed lockdown has seen a surge of volunteerism by common people in trying to provide food to those in need. From celebrities to local volunteer organizations and religious institutions- everyone making an effort to make food available to those in need, is speaking the only love language we can fathom in a time that demands social distancing, making the act of service our primary expression of empathy. The story of author Nazia Erum’s children drawing colourful pictures on food packets meant for children of stranded migrant workers, is one such example.

As much as this phenomenon is a statement of humanity, it also political. We all saw the heart-warming images from Vaishno Devi shrine where food for Sehri and Iftari was prepared for 500 quarantined Muslims observing Ramzan, and we also witnessed the backlash this act received from individuals and organizations like Bajrang Dal. On the other hand, a handful of stories also emerged about quarantined Upper-Caste Hindus wrefusing to eat meals prepared by Dalit cooks. Food, even as a gesture of empathy, comes with added emotional and political connotations, as well as intersections of social inequalities.

With loss of livelihood and homes, hunger is the primary concern of an increasing number of citizens- citizens who in all probability will not receive benefits from the still unravelling economic package, or receive the courtesy of being treated like dignified human beings with the escalating efforts underway to poke holes in labour laws. When the added burden of caste and class discrimination falls on the dynamics of resource distribution in the aftermath of this crisis, the vulnerable will be left hungry. The imminent danger, then, is not a virus, but an empty stomach.

A lot of situations that have come into the spotlight during this lockdown have been dubbed as “wake-up calls” for seeing the truths of economic and caste privilege, rampant inequalities, failures of administration, gender-based violence, and mental health. For the ones who are bearing the brunt of this crisis, this has been their lived reality and the “wake-up calls” for the privileged are too little, too late. The way forward, then, counts on the actions of those who have the privilege to act.

For once, the differences of religion, caste, gender, class, will have to be demolished to make way for the shared goal of service. The authorities will need to be held accountable, and the existing system will need to be hauled up for its shortcomings. Until the day we build an actual system of democracy where citizen volunteerism is not the primary pillar supporting those in need, we cannot say that we have built a successful nation. When common people have to don the roles of heroes, know that the “system” has failed to do its job. Till we achieve this, all we do, is keep each other alive and serve food to anyone who needs it.

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The post Food, hunger, and the love language of service appeared first on SabrangIndia.

My 90-year-old grandmother passed away a few days ago, 1700 kilometres away in Punjab. I do not know who shouldered her body on her last journey. Maybe some neighbours stepped in, maybe it was complete strangers sharing the burden with my father in silent communion. I did not get a chance to ask, afraid somehow, that I could be asking the same question again as my grandfather also battles for his life in intensive care. Death, funerals, and grieving rituals are elaborate and defined in most religions. Perhaps the distinct methodology of grieving, lets us operate and navigate our sadness with the support of our families and community. Our new reality in a national lockdown has thrown this process out of the window.

The haunting image of Rampukar Pandit has become the face of our unprocessed grief. His infant son died in Begusarai, 1200 kilometres away, while he was helplessly trying to reach home from Delhi. The distraught 38-year-old told reporters from PTI, “I pleaded to the police to let me go home but no one helped. One policeman even said, ‘Will your son become alive if you go back home? This is lockdown, you can’t move’. Will a father not want to go home and even mourn the death of his son with his family?”

If the inhumanity and injustice of being held apart from your loved ones could be articulated, I would write about the many migrant workers grieving, mourning, painfully walking hundreds of kilometres, and I would exhaust all the words in the world- yet fail to capture even a fraction of their stories. The lockdown which was to serve us in saving lives, is destroying everything about those lives we held dear- be it social interactions, celebrations, collective grief, or employment. How do we continue to justify the need to create a humanitarian crisis in order to avert a medical one? Would our broken systems and broken governance only care about its people if there were an election around the corner?

While one simple Google search yields stories of Muslim neighbours helping in the funeral processions of Hindus from Mumbai, Bhopal, Indore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and more, at the other end, Hindu families arrange Iftar meals for stranded Kashmiri Muslims in West Bengal. Though the COVID-19 crisis has been relentlessly communalized by various media outlets as well as political authorities, grief and isolation are tying people together despite propaganda- connecting them in primal, human ways.

As we ferry Indians from abroad back to India with the Vande Bharat Mission, people like Rampukar Pandit will never reach their homes in time. Some will die before they reach their destination, and no COVID-tracker will count their deaths as our ministers will continue to deny the crisis, much like Union Minister Piyush Goyal claiming that no one has died of starvation during the lockdown.

Informal tallies suggest number of deaths of migrant workers walking on the roads to be 134 as on May 17, 2020. The actual figures may be much higher and may continue climbing as the lockdown extends further. We may never see the actual statistics, and even if we do, we haven’t learnt to mourn statistics, we have no concept of grieving faceless deaths, and hence, to the delight of political powers, we will forget.

We depend on sorting our grief into neat boxes of goodbyes, and funeral rituals. Now that we cannot rely on reaching our loved ones in time for the last few moments of interaction, or witnessing the last journey of their mortal remains, we need to find a new world order of grieving to encompass those we cannot be with physically. I have not asked my father who helped him carry my grandmother’s arthi. Maybe, I will never be able to ask, secure only in knowing that these were human beings who stepped forward to help in a world that seems so disconnected and disjointed- that strangers standing by our side as we grieve, is enough humanity, for now.

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The post Strangers as pallbearers: Death and grief in lockdown appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“Stay safe, stay home” has become the international mantra in a matter of weeks. As we adjust to this new reality of our world, the realisation that “home” is not necessarily “safe” for many of us, women and LGBTQIA persons in particular. Being trapped in a house with people who can and do perpetuate physical, mental, or emotional abuse is not just damaging, but dangerous. The UNFPA predicts that six more months of theCoronavirus crisis could result in 7 million unplanned pregnancies and 31 million gender-based violence cases. 47 million women worldwide stand to lose access to contraception in the next 6 months.In India, feminist activists and celebrities like Javed Akhtar have also raised concerns about the availability of liquor during lockdown and how it might exacerbate instances of domestic violence. Most of the people raising concerns about the increasing reports of domestic violence across the country, including the National Commission for Women, are facing backlash from Men’s Rights Activists despite clear data indicating that women and children are the most at-risk groups for domestic violence in times of crisis- be it war or a natural disaster. The helplines are overwhelmed, the police and courts are in a state of limbo while responding to reports of domestic violence, and leaving the house during a lockdown, is not an option. Even getting access to therapy or mental health services is extremely difficult as there may be no privacy or access to internet/phone without monitoring by the abuser.

In terms of financial independence as well, women face a larger challenge. According to Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, UNFPA’s deputy executive director, “Women are the first to lose their jobs during these crises, they’re the first to stand up for the family, they take most of the brunt economically.”

An extremely distasteful article from Times of India made its way to our timelines as people started tweeting pictures of it.

Casual, easy sexism.
They deserve it. pic.twitter.com/y45nAfZduI

— Samar Halarnkar (@samar11) May 3, 2020

There are many layers of what is wrong with this article even if it was meant as satire (to which TOI is yet to offer an explanation). First, the sexism. The convenience with which men can find a way to blame women despite the women shouldering the entire burden of household work, is not a new phenomenon in the pandemic. This is hundreds of years of patriarchy at play. Far be it for such entitled men to actually divide household chores equally even in a global crisis- the demands of food, snacks, and general housework can increase as they spend more time at home. Second, the classism. Is it time to introspect if the only thing keeping a middle- or upper-class family in harmony is the reliance on another woman? Is the reason of empowerment and emancipation of middle- and upper-class women, not that they have supportive partners, but rather that the domestic responsibilities are outsourced to another woman? Third, insensitivity. Most households who employed domestic helpers prior to lockdown have not been paying their salaries since the lockdown started. Many of the women who work as domestic helpers are the only breadwinners for their families. Stories abound on social media about out of work women who have been denied salaries and now cannot afford to keep their families fed in this crisis.

As a chronically ill person, I rely on the people around me for many household chores. Domestic helpers are a valued part of our lives as disabled or chronically ill people. Many of us are not privileged enough to afford their services. Some of us do not have caregivers or helpers living with us during the lockdown.Even the acts necessary for staying alive: cooking, cleaning, buying and stocking essentials, etc., can become burdensomeif the person is living aloneand no time or energy can be dedicated to the pursuit of livelihood. I wonder how many of us will lose our sources of income during this lockdown because staying alive is the only priority and the only thing we are able to do at this point. In the case of chronically ill women and women with invisible disabilities who need to take care of their children and the men of the house in the absence of domestic helpers, I can only shudder to think of the various ways their minds and bodies are undergoing invisible abuse in terms of pressure from their families to shoulder domestic duties.

Women’s labour has long been taken for granted in households, their testimonies against their abusers have long been silenced or disbelieved by society and their own families; their struggles have been compounded by their gender expression, sexuality, caste, and class. Transwomen relying on begging and sex work for earning have been hit hard by the lockdown in terms of loss of livelihoods. Anindiya Hajra from Pratyay Gender Trust puts it succinctly, “They do not have the social privilege of operating within a distant ‘online’ world when their lives are precariously balanced on the thread of social interaction and functions”.

As a new day unfolds in this extended lockdown, another scandal hits our timelines- this timeteenage school boys from Delhi who have regular Instagram chats about underage girls, share their private pictures and comment vulgarities, and plan gangrapes under the garb of locker room talk. The internet, which is the great connector of these times, is also a battleground for safety. Violence is throbbing just under the apparent calm of this lockdown as we marvel at the empty roads and cities. Safety is a multi-layered privilege that seems just out of reach and the only thought I had upon seeing the circles drawn outside a grocery shop in the interest of social distancing- was the first ever assuredness in my entire lifetime, of knowing no one would grope me in a queue today.

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The post Lockdown through the gender lens appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On any other day when I was feeling low, I would probably have bought into the popular “influencer-peddled self-care quick-fixes” like going to a movie, a walk outside, visit the beach, or simply order some ice cream from a nearby restaurant. The tables have turned now. The COVID-19 crisis and the ensuing lockdown has revealed painfully, and glaringly, that all of the things that are marketed to us to make us “feel better” are just an illusion. Such “self-care” is also a matter of how privileged one is. Advertising moguls have created this aspirational privilege bubble around us, making us believe that capitalism is the saviour of our mental health and not the cause of mounting stress that may cause and exacerbate mental illness in the first place.

While experts argue that the next public health crisis we face will be in the domain of mental health, the lockdown has caused many existing conditions to worsen. The increased cases of domestic violence and child abuse are testament to the escalating catastrophe. In these trying times, triggers abound, sometimes perpetuated by our own families, and at other times by the people we interact with virtually on social media.

The rampant Islamophobia peddled by our News Channels has exploded its way onto our social media feeds and in family WhatsApp groups. While some of us choose to call out the bigotry, others have no option but to stay silent for their own safety- physical and emotional.For Mumbai based activist Karishma Khemlani, this is a time of disillusionment, “So many of us are facing ostracism for speaking out against Islamophobia- be it from families, friends, acquaintances, or colleagues. I think we’ve always been surrounded by Islamophobic people, but we’re seeing them be more vocal now that they know that their Islamophobia is state-sanctioned. I’m privileged enough to voice my objections to so called ‘jokes’ and misinformation without facing severe outcomes, but I know of people who are physically abused in their homes for speaking up”.

On the one hand, while calling out Islamophobia becomes the prerogative of informed people from all communities, facing Islamophobia as a Muslim is another battle altogether. Sidrah Patel introduces herself as a professional working for a non-Profit, and as a conscientious Muslim Indian. Talking about her identity, Sidrah told me, “Each time I introduce myself I realize I have become very conscious and protective about my Muslim identity over the past year which is also a consequence of the Islamophobia that is being peddled. I call out Islamophobia on public platforms on a daily basis. There is an increasing awareness about Indian media that has been dedicating a lot of air time and energy into projecting the Muslim as the ‘other’. This is a very perilous discourse which considers Muslims guilty even before any facts are established. The Muslim identity is constantly targeted, criminalized and vilified.”

Her words ring especially true in the context of the fake news tsunami that was launched against the Tablighi Jamat. Even though the news items that debated and ranted for hours of airtime over fake videos that claimed the CoronaVirus positive patients from Tablighi Jamat were desecrating the hospitals, the retractions or apologies never happened after all these allegations were disproved. Be it the abominable “Jihad Charts” or the vilification of Shaheen Bagh protestors which preceded the CoronaVirus outbreak, media organizations have made a business of propagating conspiracy theories and fake allegations with impunity.

Sidrah suggests that as a citizen it becomes our duty to call out fake news and Islamophobia by stating facts, “The media has very successfully de-humanized people. All that is left, is a projection of a collective identity of either Hindu or Muslim. It is time for people to reject these notions that any religion is a monolith. We should connect and listen to each other as humans. There is also a need to showcase the stories of love when the propaganda churning machine is relentlessly serving information focussed on hate, most of which is untrue. We can’t let the media run amok with no one calling them out because a lot of people believe the News Channels and portals thinking that these are reputed organizations and thus can do no wrong”.

Calling out or confronting hate is equally challenging online and in real life. For many of us, the battle starts at home. Yet, it is not easy on anyone’s own mental health to go head to head with their families and friends. Rashi Vidyasagar, Director of The Alternative Story which provides affordable online therapy services, asks everyone to ‘pick your battles’. She suggests a gentle approach when dealing with people who are close to you and can hence affect your mental health,“You need to figure out how much you can push back against something. I avoid heated discussions or confrontational fights with family. What can work, is to casually bring up these topics when the mood is otherwise relaxed. You may bring up some verified facts or good examples to counter Islamophobia. Most times these beliefs are very deep seated, and hence, you will need to chip away at them slowly. You might be the only person who can affect this positive change in your near and dear ones. The important thing to remember is to preserve your own mental health first”.

As the lockdown continues and the disparities around us become ever more glaring- be it caste, class, gender, sexuality, or disability- we can feel helpless and overwhelmed. One needs to remember that picking our battles and drawing boundaries is also a form of self-care. We must do what we can, when we can. Islamophobia has become a loud cacophony even as the streets are silent.UAPA is being used to silence more and more journalists and activists even during lockdown. Poverty and starvation are looming threats hanging over the majority of our population.Many more battles wait in the wings as a changed world may greet us after the lockdown ends, whenever that will be. To fight, we must remain strong and take care of ourselves too. We have to find those pockets of time for ourselves. As they say on airplanes, “Put your own oxygen mask on first, before assisting others”, and maybe that is what we need to do as well, to live to fight another day.

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The 101-year-old Jallianwala Bagh tragedy is familiar to every Indian. To some, it is just a page in our History books, to other, it is a deep scar remaining not just in the physical form of bullet holes on the Bagh’s walls, but also as an emotionally charged memory. The story of Jallianwala Bagh is also about fighting for democracy and the right to protest. In many ways, it was the precursor to the inclusion of rights of dissent and protest ensconced in the Indian Constitution. 

During World War I (1914–18) the Britishers implemented a series of repressive emergency powers to keep Indians in check while they focused on their military efforts in the war. This led to widespread discontent among the populace. Funds were collected from unwilling Indians for the war. There were forced recruitments to the British Army with Punjab contributing over 3,55,000 combatants, who were sent back to India after the Armistice of November 11, 1918 which ended World War I in Europe.

The soldiers upon returning were plunged into unemployment and instead of easing the war time restrictions, the British intended to extend the repressive measures in the form of the Rowlatt Acts in early 1919, even though the British Parliament had recommended implementing limited local self-Government in India in 1918.The discontent among the people of Punjab was further complicated by a crop failure that year which led to food shortages and spike in prices of essential goods.

India’s freedom fighters called for nationwide protests against the Rowlatt Act which would continue the practice of trying Political cases in court without juries and detaining of suspects without trial. Mahatma Gandhi called for a national strike, which led to a complete Hartal (general strike) in Punjab on March 30, 1919 and then again on April 6, 1919. The Hindu-Muslim-Sikh solidarity stunned the British administration as people came out in large numbers on the occasion of Ram Navmi on April 9, 1919.

The British were rattled. Brigadier General Reginald Dyer was sent to Amritsarand asked to take a tough stand. He banned public gatheringsand assembly of more than 4 people. According to British Historian Kim Wagner, “…as the British were panicking and feeling overrun. He (General Dyer) was not a crazy guy who did things on his own. There was concern about unrest. Indian nationalists were protesting British policies and were seen as seditious, so two leaders were arrested.”The two leaders in question were Saifuddin Kitchlew and SatyaPal, who were arrested on April 10, 1919. Mahatma Gandhi was banned from entering Punjab.

A large number of people (estimated5000-20000) gathered at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, on the day of Baisakhi, April 13, 1919 answering the call for protest against the Rowlatt Act and against the arrest of Kitchlew and SatyaPal. Many people had also arrived in Amritsar from surrounding villages for the festival of Baisakhi and were unaware of the ban on public gatherings. There was only one narrow route to enter and exit the Bagh. As the Jallianwala Bagh meeting was in progress, the exit of the Bagh was blocked by General Dyer and his 50 soldiers armed with rifles, knives and khukris. Without warning, his team fired 1,650 rounds in about 10 minutes, stopping only when they ran out of ammunition. He made no effort to provide medical aid to the wounded, saying it was not his duty and left the scene of devastation.

While the official British documents reported the number of lives lost as 1,526, the actual figures were much higher. There were heart-breaking reports of over 2000 people dead and 1000-11000 injured (by various estimates), including the ones who jumped into the solitary well at the centre of the Bagh to avoid being shot.

The initial praise that Dyer received from House of Lords in Britain angered many Indians including Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who denounced his Knighthood, writing a scathing letter to the British Viceroy, “The accounts of insults and sufferings undergone by our brothers in the Punjab have trickled through the gagged silence, reaching every corner of India and the universal agony of indignation roused in the hearts of our people has been ignored by our rulers,-possibly congratulating themselves for what they imagine as salutary lessons….the very least that I can do for my country is to take all consequences upon myself in giving voice to the protest of the millions of my countrymen, surprised into a dumb anguish of terror. The time has come when the badges of honour make our shame glaring in their incongruous context of humiliation, and I for my part wish to stand shorn of all special distinctions, by the side of those of my countrymen, who, for their so called insignificance, are liable to suffer a degradation not fit for human beings….”.

The widespread anger from the Jallianwala Bagh massacre prompted Mahatma Gandhi to launch his Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920-22. The Jallianwala Bagh incident and its aftermath became a turning point in India’s fight for independence. It is said that a 12 year old Bhagat Singh entered Jallianwala Bagh, mere hours after the massacre, and vowed to avenge the bloodshed. This was the catalyst to his journey of becoming one of the most revered freedom fighters of India- “Shaheed Bhagat Singh”.

On the 100th anniversary of the massacre in 2019, while addressing the British Parliament, British Prime Minister Theresa May said, “We deeply regret what happened and the suffering caused”, even as the opposition leaders insisted on a better “full, clear and unequivocal apology”. The apology never came, and may never come.

There are numerous parallels that can be drawn between the events that are conspiring in contemporary India and the story of Jallianwala Bagh. British historians’ records anointed Mahatma Gandhi, Saifuddin Kitchlew, and SatyaPal, and other freedom fighters as seditious elements, while we know them as our greatest patriots. Yet, we retain the same draconian law that was utilized to arrest these leaders, passed down to us from our colonisers in the form of the Sedition Law (IPC Section 124A). Dissent and protest are valuable rights our freedom fighters have sacrificed their lives to earn. This freedom, this democracy, can never be taken for granted.

Today, we fight an unprecedented battle with a virus that renders all our weapons and missiles futile, a virus that makes us realize that all the worries about climate change are real and that our health systems need to be our biggest priority. All protests on ground against CAA/NRC have had to be suspended in the interest of public health. Edward Snowden is warning the world that, “Governments may use Coronavirus to build ‘The Architecture of Oppression’.” We are grappling with a physical as well as mental health emergency while economically disadvantaged citizens are bearing the brunt of the double whammy of poverty and risk of illness.

Dissent, and questioning the powers that be, can never be locked down. We have worked too hard and sacrificed too much to ensure these rights as Indians. We have earned the right to protest peacefully without the fear of lathis, bullets, and tear gas, of lynching and unlawful arrest. These rights have been infringed upon countless times in the last 6 months. When we emerge from the siege of COVID-19 pandemic, the battle for our rights will rage on. Meanwhile, we pay tribute to those martyred on the day of Baisakhi April 13, 1919 in Jallianwala Bagh, while practicing social distancing. We pray from home, we protest from home, we keep hope and freedom alive from home. Jai Hind.

Related articles:

Bloodbath on Baisakhi: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, April 13, 1919
Memories of Colonial Brutality: Irfan Habib on the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Why do we protest? Mumbai citizens speak on the lockdown in Kashmir, Article 370
Shaheen Bagh: You can’t evict an idea

The post 101 years since Jallianwala Bagh: Hard earned Democracy appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Description: Migrant workers line up at Anand Vihar Bus Terminal awaiting transport to take them back to their villages.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the recent weeks we have seen too many pictures that can shake us to the very core. The numerous heartbreaking images of migrant workers walking hundreds of kilometres to their villages should make any country hang their heads in shame. However, the events unfolding in present day India are leading many to realize that caste and class privileged India has no shame. Be it certain hate spinning media who cannot get their heads out of the gutters of communal hatred generation machines that their news channels have become, or the rich and famous showing complete apathy to the plight of India’s economically disadvantaged population, or those who actively used their privilege to avoid quarantines while migrant workers were sprayed with disinfectant as they were made to crouch on the streets in an appalling show of dehumanization.

India has lost its façade of dignity and pride as the worst caste, class, and religious prejudices have been laid bare. Painful pictures are now coming forward from the aftermath of the “disinfectant” spraying which has been proved to be the very harmful chemical- bleach, and was supposed to be used for disinfecting buses. This powerful painting made by Rakesh Sarkar sums it up:

Painting by Rakesh Sarkar depicts the difference in treatment of people who land at an airport vs the migrant workers.

There is also a caste undertone to this incident. Dalits being treated in inhuman and demeaning ways by administrations and governments even in 2020 during a Pandemic is exactly why their lack of representation in decision making positions is still an issue. This is why caste is still an issue, and affirmative action and sensitization is needed in an even greater degree.

The biases of cis-Brahminical-Patriarchy are quite evident in all the measures that are being taken to fight the CoronaVirus Pandemic. Transpersons who were already suffering because of the discriminatory and atrocious Transgender Persons’ (Protection of Rights) Act and NRC/CAA which would throw their gender identity and citizenship in crisis, are now struggling to make ends meet during the hastily implemented lockdown as their main source of earning has been begging- whichwas not just because many of them have not received opportunities to skill themselves for jobs, but also because even the skilled transpersons cannot find paid work in any field due to discrimination and bias. Now that the lockdown is in effect, many are left without their daily income. It seems as if leaders only address a certain section of people while they talk endlessly about “work from home”. Not everyone has that luxury. It seems as if the powers that be are blind to the homeless, the sanitation workers, the daily wagers, the doctors working without PPE, the disabled, the chronically ill, the elderly, the destitute, the sex workers, or pretty much anyone who is not the typical middle-class household with a “balcony” to stand in.

A section of Brahmins on social media have also been making light of the practice of “Untouchability”, waxing eloquent about the advantages of the age-old practice when social distancing has become the way of this new world. This is a disgusting and dangerous precedent to set. Untouchability and caste discrimination are cruel and hateful practices that can have no place in society. Caste atrocities, even verbal, even “memes” and “jokes”, are still atrocities.

While complete mayhem rages on social media, caste erasure and appropriation are also alive and thriving. The example of Badshah vs Ratan Kahar is disturbing and hurtful. Badshah recently released the visibly misogynistic and objectifying video for the song Genda Phool, with Bengali lyrics thrown in from a Bengali folk song that was originally written by Ratan Kahar in the 1970s. When the world is relying on art to carry their mental health through this extremely difficult time, Caste privileged artists like Badshah are still busy appropriating Dalit art and then blatantly denying and even demeaning Dalit art. The plagiarism argument is ongoing, but the issue is also about the misuse of the context of the lyrics. “Boroloker biti lo…” is a song that talks about a single mother telling her daughter that she has a rich (upper caste) father who has apparently abandoned/failed to acknowledge them and that the daughter looks like her father. Then she sings about wanting to adorn her daughter’s long hair with a red Genda flower. The historical and cultural context of Dalit women exploited/abandoned by upper caste/wealthy men has been completely erased and misappropriated as a sexually objectifying song by Badshah and the fact that this is happening during a Pandemic, precluding any legal recourse for the wronged artist, is the cherry on top.

While all of this unfolds, some are shocked, some have thrown themselves into relief efforts to meet the gaps of Government aid, and some simply do not care, others are busy spinning superstitious fake messages on WhatsApp. Whether it is calculating the meaning of 9PM and 9 minutes designated for the April 5, 2020 Diya/candle lighting, or claiming that Prince Charles was cured because of Ayurveda (claimed by Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik, no less)- all of which has been debunked– the WhatsApp University is in overdrive to mislead and distract people. We have already seen the devastating results of misinformation when people came out in large crowds on the day of Junta Curfew (March 22, 2020) and made a mockery of social distancing, leading to possible large-scale transmission of CoronaVirus, which is slowly becoming evident in the rising number of cases. The danger of fighting a battle with COVID-19 while fighting the battles of caste, class, and superstition, is becoming double jeopardy for India. With media fanning the flames of communal tension, and rampant misinformation creating panic and retaliation against doctors, the informed citizen wonders which fire to put out first.

Reader, I do not have the correct answer, and there is no single answer to this issue. All we can do is call out these harmful acts and practices wherever and however possible, and show our support in whatever way we can. Empathy can build a better India. We just need more people to practice it. We need more people to come forward and fight these ever-raging micro battles so we can fight the bigger threat of COVID-19 as a country.

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The post Caste, class, and a Pandemic: India 2020 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On March 25, 2020, while the world was figuring out ways to battle COVID-19, suicide bombers and assailants armed with guns attacked Gurudwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul, Afghanistan resulting in 26 lives lost and leaving many injured. The terrorists are believed to be affiliates of IS.

Sikhs have stepped up to help the world in various crisis situations time and again. As a child, I learnt the importance of Sewa and universal love from Guru Granth Saheb, and like me, most Sikhs live by these principles no matter the situation. It was therefore, disheartening and devastating when I heard about the terror attack. However, what followed is even more distressing. As the hashtag #AntiCAA_ProCorona started trending on Twitter, no doubt the work of IT cells with the agenda of spreading communal hatred, I saw more and more tweets directing hate towards the Muslim community using the Kabul attack as a weapon.

According to these tweets (which I refuse to share here as I do not want them to have even more visibility), the Muslims from India opposed CAA so that minorities like Sikhs in Afghanistan could not come to India and then they have targeted these Sikhs in a planned manner. The fact that one of the terrorist’s identity has been confirmed as a Muslim man hailing from Kerala, is added to these arguments. Further, multiple tweets with this exact same message are being posted, “Even in your distant dreams, don’t ever think that Sikhs are different to Hindus.  They are a part of greater Hindu identity. We share our Gurus, we share our centuries old customs and traditions, we share the same blood. #AntiCAA_ProCorona”.

First, let me clear up the logical fallacies in the above statements and arguments.

1. Not only Muslims, but members of all communities have opposed CAA and NRC which would adversely affect anyone who does not have documents to prove where their parents were born or may not have their own documents- which includes anyone who does not have these documents due to poverty, illiteracy, home births in rural areas; transgender and queer people who have had to leave their homes; Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi people who might not have access to such documentation, and many others.

2. The basis of opposing CAA is that it is inherently unconstitutional and coupled with NRC, it can harm citizens as we have seen in the case of Assam NRC where hundreds of people are still in detention camps or battling to prove their citizenship with limited resources. Opposition to CAA is NOT to prevent minorities from other countries from seeking asylum in India. Asylum must in fact be extended to all those in need irrespective of religion, without excluding any religion/caste/race.

3. The conspiracy theory that Indian Muslims have conspired to attack Sikhs in Kabul is baseless. Terrorists are terrorists. Due to the actions of a few, an entire community cannot be branded as terrorists. It is 2020 and I cannot believe we still need to clarify this!

4. As for the argument that Sikhs are a part of Hinduism- solidarity is appreciated, but erasure of our identity is not. Sikhs are entirely different from Hindus. We are not a part of the Hindu identity. Sikhism rejects caste, customs, and Hindu traditions like fasting, janeu (holy thread worn by Brahmins), and worship of idols. We do not share Gurus. Hindus are our brothers, yes, but our identity is separate and we do not want to be used for Anti-Muslim propaganda.

The concerted efforts to promote communal hate by the propaganda producing machinery needs to be brought to its knees, and if anyone can do it, we can. All over India, Muslims have been sending messages of love to Sikhs and have condemned the terror attack on the Gurudwara in Kabul.

We, the women of #ShaheenBaghs all over India, strongly condemn the brutal terrorist attack on the Gurudwara in Kabul. We stand in strong solidarity with our #Sikh sisters and brothers who have been a shining beacon of hope in hard times across country, race, caste and creed. pic.twitter.com/LJxvayFAWJ

— Shaheen Bagh Official (@Shaheenbaghoff1) March 27, 2020

I urge Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus alike, to be the voices of reason that need to be heard at this juncture. The world is teetering on the threshold of permanent change. Once we emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, these battles to preserve love and harmony will become even more important. I refuse to let communal hate poison the new world we are desperately trying to build. Sikhs will oppose and refuse, always, to have anything to do with spreading hate.

We are gearing up to protect ourselves from a country-wide health crisis that is affecting the poor and disenfranchised with disproportionate severity. As we buckle up for the implications of the nationwide lockdown, I call upon my fellow Sikhs to continue their irreplaceable service and spread the message of harmony even as we grieve the attack in Kabul. This is the time for solidarity and service. This is the time for the Sewa sentiment of the Sikhs to be adopted by all. This is no time for spreading hate, and there will never be a time for it in the future either. We will make sure of it.

Related articles:

1. 26 killed in ISIS terror attack on Gurudwara in Kabul

2. Sikh-Muslim friendships started with Guru Nanak Dev Ji

3. CAA-NPR-NRC protests cut across all religious and communal divides

4. ‘Seva’, the Sikh langar, from Bhai Kanhaiya to Delhi Violence, 2020

5. Draped in yellow, Malerkotla rises against the CAA-NPR-NRC

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