Narratives prevail, facts do not. Propaganda spreads, truth doesn’t.
Direct Action Day is being repeated in West Bengal, wherein Hindus, irrespective of supporting any party ideology, were attacked and butchered. Their women were gang raped and their properties were destroyed in a revenge for not voting for TMC. Genocide of Hindus and their exodus in 2121, which is reminding genocide of Hindus in Kashmir in 1990, is fact and truth.
Back in 2015, one random killing of 52 years old Mohammad Akhlaq for stealing and slaughtering a calf—which was blown into campaign of “India is an intolerant country” and “secularism is in danger” from national daily to international platform—was a successful propaganda and narrative, which reached to the last man. Would the truth of bloodbath in West Bengal shake the national conscience the way propaganda of “India is intolerant” brought shame to India?
All India Trinamool Congress (popularly known as TMC) massively won Assembly Election 2121, nevertheless its goons took revenge from those who voted for BJP. Revenge created a frightening picture of blood, gore, death and destruction. The most barbaric visuals, which was deeply distressing, was of gang rape of BJP female workers. The whole nation was outraged, when disturbing pictures went viral. One would wonder why victorious TMC would create such bloodbath, when they should enjoy the power. But, TMC had to teach a lesson to those who dared to exercise its democratic rights to vote for BJP in the Assembly Election, to those voters particularly, Hindus, who were able to vote under heavy security. But, the moment the result was out, TMC goons went on rampage to target Hindus.
After rape, murder, bloodbath in Bengal, did any intellectual Bengali express his disgust, “this is not the Bengal I grew up? Did any intellectual return his award to protest against the killing of Hindus? Did any newspaper in Bengal cry, “democracy is in danger?” Did people of Bengal call “Mamata Banerjee a dictator or fascist”, although she is a ruthless one? Was Bengal called an intolerant state for Hindus, even if Hindus have no country to live?
The answer is NO. No intellectual is ashamed of being Bengali today, no award was returned, no one cried, “democracy is in danger” neither Mamata Banerjee was called dictator or fascist, nor Bengal was termed as an intolerant state for Hindus. But, why did a random killing of Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh UP in 2015 provoked the entire intelligentsia to run a campaign against the state of India as if all the institutions failed in the country?
The intelligentsia—who had been enjoying perks and favours from the previous government—are eco system under the cover of custodians of democracy, secularism and freedom of speech. It was a mutual benefit for both parties. For example, journalists used to be an integral part of previous Prime Minister’s foreign visits. They had powers to the extent of deciding portfolios in allocation of ministries. Then, there were actors and other intellectuals, who were part of the network with benefit. When the current government took office, it disassociated with such networks, and also disconnected the umbilical cord of mutual benefit. The action turned the network of intelligentsia against the present government.
When Mohammad Akhlaq was killed for stealing and killing a calf in UP in 2015, it came as a golden opportunity for the intelligentsia, who set the propaganda machine into motion creating narratives after narratives. They amplified every element in the killing of Akhlaq. They painted entire Muslim community as victims. They whitewashed Muslim community’s atrocities of thousand years. At the same time, they didn’t write about Hindu genocide in Kashmir. Thereafter, narratives from propaganda machines flew thick and high in the sky; India is intolerant towards minorities, secularism is in the danger zone in India, freedom of expression does not exist in the state etc.
But, the same propaganda machine is switched off and the eco system is enjoying the ghastly visuals in Bengal, in which hundreds of Hindus, particularly BJP grass root workers were forced to leave, more than a dozen of BJP workers were killed, female workers were gang raped and their properties were destroyed. Hence, democracy is safe and sound, secularism is robust. Mamta Banerjee is a warrior Chief Minister, and Bengal is a peaceful and prosperous state.
Those who control the media, control people’s minds. Media persons, intelligentsia, actors, self-proclaimed seculars and liberals build a network and ecosystem. MainStream Media and Social Media, the propaganda tools to create narratives, were driven day and night by the network and eco system to fly anti-establishment narrative thick and high, when Akhlaq was killed. Hence, Akhlaq’s kins were hugely compensated, Hindus were defamed. Bloodbath and exodus of Hindus in Bengal do not suit the narrative of the ecosystem, hence no narrative was built. Forget about compensation, Muslim perpetrators of TMC would not even be punished.
Unfortunately, narratives prevail, facts do not. Propaganda spreads, truth doesn’t. Bloodbath of Hindus didn’t prevail, as the narrative was not set.
