The tragic blasphemous posts, rioting, and the subsequent deaths that followed in Bangalore unravel a lot more than what meets the eye.
Despite the obscene nature and gravity of the blasphemous posts, by no means can rioting, arson and damage to public property be justified.
What really transpired that night is for the police and agencies to carry out an unbiased investigation.
Regardless of what happened that night, one thing is certainly clear – the blasphemous post was done on purpose to provoke the sentiment of the Muslims and trigger a violent reaction. Mischief meticulously planned with a calculated political implication – thwart Dalit-Muslim unity, come hell or high water!
The culprit, Naveen, who happens to be the nephew of the Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. Interestingly, the accused is a Dalit with a history of controversial social media posts.
Realising he had stirred up a hornet’s nest with his malicious post, he was quick to distance himself claiming his account was hacked, but a quick skim-through of his Facebook profile speaks otherwise and reveals a different personality. Of late he was notorious for making a barrage of obnoxious social media posts. He has now admitted to having created the post himself.
So, what makes this Dalit in question hostile towards Muslims while being ignorant of his own community’s enslavement and those responsible for it for centuries? Fascist groups are infamous for producing malicious anti-Muslim content by virtue of their DNA. It is quite obvious that Naveen’s ignorance is being exploited and content being fueled by the same fascist groups to create a discord between the Dalits and Muslims.
All educated Dalits are working towards liberating their community from the shackles of Brahminical hegemony, acknowledging the contribution of Muslims in helping them secure their interests in the constitution. Unfortunately, Dalits like Naveen fall prey to the evil designs of the fascist forces and end up acting as foot soldiers hurting their own community’s chances of liberation.
Using Dalits as cannon fodder is a modus operandi mastered by the fascists. This pattern is replicated all over the country. Ironically, these oppressed lots were coaxed into being the foot soldiers of the Ram Janmbhooomi movement. A monument where there is no place or dignity for a Dalit as a priest or a devotee – what good did their involvement do to the Dalits?
Subconsciously, ignorant Dalits end up serving the interest of those that oppressed them for thousands of years. The Muslims were responsible for Dr. Ambedkar’s political victory, rather than acknowledging this and cooperating with the Muslims, some Dalits are at logger heads with the Muslims.
Dalit inclusion, fake sympathy and appropriation by Hindutva groups is a political strategy to suppress Dalit emancipation and any discussion on the embarrassing caste system.
Consequently, fascists devised a strategy to fan Islamophobia to keep the public mind occupied by building a scarecrow in the form of Muslims.
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s entire life was devoted towards combating Hinduism’s oppressive and feudal social order. Nobody was more staunch or produced more anti-Hinduism literature than Babasaheb- yet, why do Hindutva zealots embrace Ambedkar and Dalits superficially? How can vanguards of Hindu dharma appropriate and praise the most anti-Hindu man? Political strategy breeding on Dalit ignorance!
Distancing Dalits and Ambedkar was a healthy environment for fascism to thrive. This was realised by the founding fathers of the Hindutva movement; adopting this sly ploy, BJP was catapulted to the peak of its political prowess. An upper caste success built on the blood of Dalits and Muslims rendering both communities socially, politically and economically destitute.
Dalits and Muslims bore the brunt of Hindutva conspiracies for decades, if both communities still don’t realise this and exercise restraint, we are treading into a bleak valley of uncertainty.
The author, Sameer Abdul Majeed is an analyst on historical and current affairs.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Cognate, and The Cognate does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
Related
Sameer Abdul Majeed is an analyst on historical and current affairs.
