Lieutenant General B.S. Raju heads the 15th Corps of the Indian Army this formation is responsible for security along the Line of Control (LOC and operations inside) Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In the interview with BBC Hindi on April 15, Raju said that the Indian Army had “received intelligence inputs that Pakistan is pushing a lot of coronavirus cases into Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir”. Raju alleged Pakistan was underplaying the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Prominent Indian author and former army officer Prawin Sawhney questioned how the interview was aired as serious journalism. He went on to say that he was baffled by how the high-ranking general made the accusation bereft of any evidence. “Jawans do such talks in langar (eating halls),” he tweeted. The interview was indeed a manifestation of the “deep-seated incompetence and Pakistan phobia within the ranks of the Indian Army.” Covid affects the respiratory system which means that terrorists won’t be physically fit to run. Another account, associated with a terrorism expert, had an unexpected yet, for many, a plausible explanation. One explanation for the bizarre claim could be that the Indian general was a fan of Bollywood thrillers, known for outlandish plots and story lines that often have no semblance to reality.
Raju’s interview evoked a response from the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). In a series of tweets, the Pakistan Army declared, “Indian insinuations about infiltration and CFVs (ceasefire violations) by Pakistan are not only baseless but are also patently designed to divert global and domestic attention from the unending fiasco post 5 Aug 2019,” referring to the abrogation of Article 370 last year. The ISPR further stated, “No less delusional are the allegations about Pakistan infiltrating COVID-affected individuals into IOJK. Pakistan has always extended unhindered UNMOGIP [United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan] access to CFV sites. We will continue to do that most transparently.” New Delhi should focus on resolving their internal issues arising out of COVID-19 lockdown.
India has a peculiar DNA, it must blame Pakistan and or China for everything that has or could go wrong in India and as a side dish it must as well castigate its Muslim population. Indian blame game with regard to Pandemic Covid-19 has re-affirmed this flaw in Indian national psyche. In India any decision that has been made thus far regarding this unprecedented epidemic has been binary diverting attention from India’s medical system and blaming Pakistan, China and Muslims for the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the speed of Covid-19 is slow in India as testing kits and other medical supplies arrived late from China! How could this joker lag behind his American guru Donald Trump in castigating China.
And while the collective world focus is on tackling COVID-19, India is busy in implementing its nefarious strategy to bring about drastic demographic change in IOJ&K. Indeed, India is busy evolving a new normal under the hangover of COVID-19. Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesi is “appalled over segregation of virus patients in India”. Professor Ashok Swain of Uppsala University stated, “Even test kits are allocated on the basis of religion.”
Pakistan has strongly condemned and rejected the latest Indian action aimed at illegally changing the demographic structure of the Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K). The so-called “Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Order 2020”is another illegal step by India to settle non-Kashmiris in IOJ&K by changing the domicile laws. The latest Indian action, at this moment of global health crisis, is particularly reprehensible as it seeks to take advantage of the international community’s focus on the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and further advance BJP’s sinister, “Hindutva” agenda. This is a clear violation of international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.
This Indian action, a continuation of its illegal and unilateral steps since August 05 2019, also constitutes violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions, international law, bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan and humanitarian norms. The Kashmiris in IOJ&K have out rightly rejected the new law as “unacceptable.” Indeed, the Kashmiris will never accept such blatant usurpation of their fundamental rights and attempts to change their demography and distinct uniqueness.
To mitigate the COVID-19 effects, global leadership is trying to facilitate the people. Geostrategic conflicts have slowed down, at least for the time being. All states are trying their best to protect and facilitate their citizens. UN Secretary General and Pope Francis have appealed for global ceasefire. However, Indian troops continue with cease fire violations across the Line of Control (LOC) as well as committing brutalities on the people of occupied Kashmir. While the entire world is fighting the menace of COVID-19, Indian attempts to provoke war in the region are condemnable.
In a recent report, Amnesty International-India (AII) Director AII Avinash Kumar urged the Indian government “to abandon random use of force in Occupied Kashmir and create an environment which is helpful for the Kashmiri people to combat COVID-19”. He has referred to some reports indicating that COVID-19 testing facility is not available in IOJ&K. He called upon the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take notice of situation.
COVID-19 related lockdown all over the World is voluntary and facilitative, lockdown in IOJ&K is brutal, inhuman and suppressive. Much before the advent of COVID-19 the situation in IOJ&K was perilous due to severity of lockdown’s imposition each household has an armed solider to ensure implementation. Earlier the option was to die of hunger or bullet now corona virus has become another choice. Shortage of ration and restrictions on access to medical facilities in IOJ&K are the glaring highlights on Indian lockdown. Around half of the planet’s population is under some form of lockdown as governments struggle to halt the spread of a disease. Medical facilities all over the world are being overwhelmed. Even with the extended capacity, doctors say they are still having to make painful choices. “If you get a surge of patients coming in, and you only have a limited number of ventilators, you can’t necessarily ventilate [all deserving] patients” “And then you have to start picking and choosing.” Shamit Patel of the Beth Israel hospital said.
Pakistan has approached the European Union to take into consideration the prevailing humanitarian and human rights situation in IOJ&K, where over 8 million Kashmiris are being deprived of critical information, household items and essential medical supplies due to on-going restrictions on communication and movement. This has further underscored the danger to the health and safety of hundreds of Kashmiri leaders, youth and civil society members incarcerated by India in crowded prisons. In this context, the Foreign Minister called on the EU to uphold the human rights principles and call upon India to lift all restrictions, allow unfettered supply of goods and medicine, and release all prisoners.
Covid-19 challenge has exposed the Indian medical industry’s larger than life projections. These testing times has brought to fore its structural and operational weaknesses. Non-COVID-19 patients suffered as Mumbai ran out of beds in Intensive care Units. To cover-up these administrative and professional shortfalls, the Indian media has come to its rescue and is waging a holy war against Muslims. Channels from Zee News, Aaj Tak to Network18 add ‘jihad’ to everything to target individual Muslims or Muslim associated institutions. Indian medical system has so far been hiding behind the facade of ‘Shining India’.
Purely a project of neo-capitalism, Indian medical industrial complex got larger than life projection in the region through a fake narrative of providing affordable quality health services. During the Coronavirus crisis, shallowness of Indian health system has come to fore as poor and marginalised Indians have been left at the mercy of doctors and hospitals who charge exorbitant fees for basic treatment.
India’s Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba has flagged “a gap between the number of international passengers who came from January 18 to March 23 and needed to be monitored by the States/Union Territories and the actual number of passengers being monitored”. Mr. Gauba wrote a letter to States’ Chief Secretaries that the list of such passengers as compiled by the Bureau of Immigration had been shared with all the States and Union Territories. “It is important that all international passengers are put under close surveillance to prevent the spread of the epidemic”, the letter stated.
Nonetheless as per BJP’s calculus Muslims must bear the responsibility for spread of Coronavirus. Thus a Tablighi Jamaat leader has been booked for culpable homicide after attendees of Tablighi congregation died of COVID-19.
According to Business Standard, India, on April 12, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for a ban on the Tablighi Jamaat and its Nizamuddin Markaz on April 12 which has emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot in the country. “The whole of India is in serious crisis today due to the countrywide criminal misdeeds of the Tablighi Jamaat and its Nizamuddin Markaz”. Party’s Central Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain said the Tablighi Jamaat is endangering the lives of all Indians, its financial resources should be found out and their bank accounts, offices and activities stopped at once. “After the hard work and achievements of the 8-day pan-India lockdown, the whole country was taking a sigh of relief. The growth rate of corona victims was just 2.8 per cent. Just then, on March 30, a terrible corona explosion took place in the Nizamuddin Markaz,” he said. Jain added that the entire country is “stunned and disgusted with this inhuman behaviour of the Tablighis” and the radicals indoctrinated by them.
Zainab Sikander, while writing for “The Print” contested the VHP point of view But were they [Tablighi Jamaat] the only religious groups who did this? No. The Tablighi Jamaat congregated between 13 and 15 March, but temples like Siddhivinayak and Mahakaleshwar were not closed until 16 March. Shirdi Saibaba Mandir and Shani Shingnapur Temple were closed only on 17 March, Vaishno Devi on 18 March, and the Kashi Viswanathan Temple was operating until 20 March a day after Prime Minister Modi had addressed the nation and called for ‘social distancing’. Some news channels pointed these anomalies out but for the most part, the narrative to demonise and blame the entire Muslim community and not only the Tablighi organisers played on a loop. Handling of The Tablighi Jamaat fiasco by Indian media is a good example “Like a herd of cattle that cannot think on its own, the 1500-odd men who were stuck at Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz continued to stay there while their spiritual shepherd didn’t think it necessary to empty the premises despite the fear of the coronavirus”.
What did it lead to? Muslims began to be targeted, assaulted, beaten up, abused on streets by nameless goons and the police without any action against anyone. The same media that helped propagate it conveniently ignored all the attacks on Muslims”.
Since the Tablighi Jamaat became the scapegoat, fake news has been used rather assiduously in India to create a sense of unity within the majority Hindu community. A feeling of unity to hate a common enemy Muslims and defeat that enemy by voting a Hindu nationalist political party that will safeguard their rights. According to Zainab “the ‘us vs them’ elixir has always worked. Why isn’t anyone talking about the gaumutra and gobar [cow urine and dung] parties thrown by superstitious Hindus to fight the coronavirus? Why aren’t these unscientific and unhygienic practices being called out? Why isn’t anyone outraged by pilgrims stuck in gurdwaras and temples? Because no one is bothered by “non-Muslim” folks doing anything wrong”.
Zainab adds, “Activist Kavita Krishnan’s video tirade against India Today channel’s news editor Rahul Kanwal for his coronavirus show titled ‘Madrasa Hotspots’ is spot on”. She says, “The one thing the Indian media is not doing is journalism. In fact, very few people are doing journalism today. Channels from Zee News, Aaj Tak to Network18 like to add the word ‘jihad’ to everything. Corona jihad or zameen jihad, love jihad, arthik jihad, and what not. But if anyone is waging a holy war today, it is Indian media’s jihad against Indian Muslims and Islam”.
With the rise of Narendra Modi to the prime minister ship in 2014, the Indian media “metamorphosed from a pigeon a messenger of truth and facts to a hyena, one that serves its own interest fuelled by an insatiable greed that drives it to devour its prey alive, sometimes ripping it apart, while it sniggers. Today’s news media, especially the prime time debates, is brutal, almost barbaric, with little to no regard for ethics and morality”. She adds “Journalism is now endangered and what’s masquerading in its name is business with open display of bigotry and hate against Muslims and other minorities”. Alongside, there is the narrative that that the “protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) were being funded by foreign entities”. From the looks of it, the Indian media is winning the war being waged against Muslims and Islam.
The world is gripped in the pandemic of Corona Virus while global efforts are on to combat this threat to human society. Coronavirus cases are not specific to any community, however, the extremist government of BJP in India is especially targeting Muslims to fulfill their evil designs. Coronavirus was another test of India’s secular nationalism but the Indian government and media are in a mad race to fail India’s well-meaning people. Such a threat to global human society was neither seen for a long time nor was it predicted by the great Astrologers. One hopes that the joint global efforts will soon overcome the threat which Corona poses to human society. Maybe it makes us more rational in our approach to matters of religion, scientific policy and social affairs. COVID-19 has presented us with an unprecedented global crisis that continues to evolve daily, even hourly. Like its predecessors, Covid-19 is likely to stay in the global society for quite some time. The full impact of the virus on the world is not yet known, but it is certain that magnitude of change would be unprecedented and let us hope it be a positive change.
