Show twists words and facts to increase the divide between Hindus and Muslims.
On June 7, Zee News host Sudhir Chaudhary broadcast a show about former President Pranab Mukherji’s speech before a gathering on Swayam Sevaks in Nagpur. Though Chaudhary’s show was cleverly worded, ultimately it served to widen the divide between Hindus and Muslims.
The host spoke about the RSS ideology and Mukherjee’s balancing act of speaking to RSS in their language while maintaining his Congress roots. The host praised Mukherjee for trying to create a bridge between two vastly different political ideologies and philosophies. The show used a section of his speech to further their agenda of inciting hate. Mukherjee spoke about Islamic invasion in India before the British. The show used his speech to recall all past Muslim rulers and the Hindus that died under their regime.
The entire show may be viewed here:
Sudhir Chaudhary said that since Islam has spread, Indian territory has become smaller, telling their 150 million viewers that the growth of Islam was directly proportional to land lost in India. He said that an Indian king ruled Afghanistan before he was killed by Muslim rulers.
He added that in the last 1300 years or so, India has lost its land and people to Islamic extremism. He recalled all past Muslim rulers, right from 13th century, and how they invaded, looted and killed local Hindu population. He spoke about many Muslim kings like Balban, Khilji, Tughlaq, Taimur, Akbar, Nadir Shah and more and showed how many Hindus they killed during their rule. He quoted an excerpt from BR Ambedkar’s book on partition of India and Pakistan and how he said that 1300 years ago, a Muslim ruler named Mohammed bin Qasim ousted a Hindu king, razed all the temples, converted the local ‘idol worshipping’ population to Islam and built mosques where temples first existed.
The host then quotes an Angus Maddison study that tells the viewers that India’s GDP took a sharp downturn after Muslim rule. He also talks about all Indians should keep division aside and work together to reach where Ancient India used to be.
By indirectly associating medieval Muslim kings to the current demographic, by legitimizing the RSS Mohan Bhagwat’s words that Muslims were originally Hindus and painting a diabolical picture for the viewers, the host succeeded to create animosity between two communities in the present.
The host carefully washes his hands off the divide by offering a small disclaimer about India being a democracy and having a heart big enough for all communities to thrive together. But the damage is done and it is too late for a re-education.
In an expert web series by Dr. Ram Puniyani, it is evident that India has progressed towards democracy over theocracy and autocracy. Judging people today because of the actions of kings 1300 years ago is ridiculous. The battles and deaths were a part and parcel of medieval India and not an ideological warfare on Hindu or Muslims. It was purely for power and a throne.
By continuously looking at the past to justify our hatred in the present, it paralyses the masses to be prepared for a future. With the world technology, ideology and education changing at a rapid pace in a matter of decades, preparing the contemporary Indian for a volatile future should gain importance over painting communities in a single colour over centuries old realities for political power now.
CJP acted against Zee News for airing hateful poetry on the issue of surgical strikes. It was possible because we followed guidelines of notifying the broadcaster within seven days of the airing of offending material. Since the broadcaster did not remove the said material even after a week of us writing to them, we will be taking our complaint to the National Broadcasting Association within 14 days of the notifying letter sent. Since our reader informed us about this show a month late, we could not take any action. We urge our readers to notify us within seven days of such broadcasts or prints.