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Today I talked to someone who believed all the "news" circulating against the Tablighi Jamaat until I proved they were fake by citing official sources debunking them. And when I brought up transgression by temples, they wanted proof. (Which I did provide but wondered why they +
didn't look for proof before taking the other "news" as true.) What you choose to scrutinize minutely and what you choose to believe at face value tells you a lot about your own prejudices, especially in a volatile environment that is systemically hostile to one of the groups.
Boss, nobody is defending the TJ gathering. People are pointing out how this will be weaponised against an already at-risk community. They are pointing out how testing has been focused on this cluster yielding numbers that the media spins into various biased interpretations +
while other religious gatherings in February March have been left unexamined and unquestioned or the tracing limited to a small subset, thus offering NO CLEAR NUMBERS. For example, this on March 18: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tirumala-temple-closes-gates-after-one-covid-19-suspected-case-enters-premises-815560.html
All this fresh after government-backed wave of violence against Muslims in Delhi. All this in the middle of the centre not collaborating with the states, of the centre not being transparent with its updates, of the centre not communicating with the public as it should, of the +
centre locking down the entire country with very short notice without having planned to equip healthcare workers. Or our homeless populations or migrant workers, some of the most vulnerable people supposed to be in its care. Lakhs of them, not a few dozen. When this person said +
we were being unpatriotic in not participating in the token appreciations the PM announces every week like craft activity, I realised a lot of Modi's supporters think "as long as I'm ok and not inconvenienced, the government must be doing a good thing", which is a terrible view.
If you're reading this and you're one of them, maybe self-reflect. Is this how you want your children and your peers to see you? As a self-involved person trapped in prejudices who isn't aware enough to ask the correct questions?
Most of you both-siders are old enough to know what IRL consequences mean. You know how things work in context. You can say I condemn this BUT I want to make sure it doesn't end up in villification of an entire community. You know how to hold more than one thought in your head. +
Your hearts bleed for persecuted Hindu minorities in other countries (as they should). But also let them bleed for non-Hindu minorities in your own country. At least here you're in a direct position to do something about it, even if it's to just shut up and not add to the hate.
Religious fools (not calling everyone who's religious a fool, don't worry) are everywhere and will group like magnets and iron filings at the slightest drop of a hat. At least don't pretend that this has happened because the gathering was of a certain religion.
In conclusion, pls everyone use braincell. Thank you.
Adding some fact-check links: https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/fact-check-bjp-mp-s-claim-jamaat-attendees-spit-belagavi-hospital-staff-fake-122031
This contains a handy list of articles fact-checking fake news: https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/9/18554/Indians-Fight-Corona-With-Fake-News-Check-Your-Facts-Here
