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OPINION MARCH 12, 2021 | The Indian Eye 19

freedom rank, Bengal muslims and china

Views and opinions from the top commentators in Indian media

he global tech compa- oreover, post-August
nies that own, control, 5, 2019, events in J&K
Tand regulate (in a man- Mhave got Pakistan and
ner of speaking) social media China, already in a strategic
platforms now face pressure partnership, into a tighter em-
to cede ground to the govern- brace. Pakistan consults China
ment, with implications for in- on policy matters, and the two
dividual privacy. Subsequent have developed the kind of
revelations about the prepa- interoperability (i.e. the abil-
ratory work that went into in- ity to fight together against a
cluding the digital news media common enemy) which would
in the ambit of the new rules dwarf that between North At-
make clear the intent to “neu- lantic Treaty Organization
tralize” dissident voices. (NATO) allies.
Other areas of mass en- While China and Pakistan
gagement, like sports and en- have little intention of going to
tertainment, are also targets. war with India now, should war
The control acquired of crick- happen in the future, the PLA
eting bodies, and the virus of Mamata Banerjee’s poster depicting her new slogan, “Mai Huu Naa”, is and Pakistan military would be
communalism that seems to seen ahead of the assembly elections in Kolkata on Saturday. (ANI) in it together with defined mis-
be getting injected into the sions.
country’s most popular sport, large sections of the media sam (34.2%), Kerala (26.6%) The reality is that the In-
is one manifestation and of have become like vintage HMV and West Bengal (27%). In dian military’s two-front war
greater consequence than the record players of the ruling par- Kerala, the Muslim League has threat has been replaced by
renaming of a stadium. Mean- a one-front reinforced war
while, politically aligned divi- ty and the government? Can it been a partner of the Congress threat. The PLA, in a double
sions have been engineered in be denied that crimes against for long; in Assam, Badruddin tasking role, would fight in
the personality-driven world of women, Muslims, Christians, Ajmal’s AIDUF has teamed the eastern and central sec-
Dalits and Scheduled Tribes up with the Congress for
Hindi filmdom (regional-lan- are on the rise (NCRB data) the Assembly election; and tors (Sikkim and Arunachal
guage film worlds have been and that such crimes are be- in West Bengal, a new Mus- Pradesh), and support the
politicized for decades). ing committed with impunity? lim party is being legitimized Pakistan military with its awe-
The tentacles spread wid- some non-kinetic and kinet-
er. The capture of a dominant Can it be denied that Muslims by the Congress and Left. In ic capabilities in the western
share of political finance has are being scapegoated for ev- Muslim-dominated zones of sector of Ladakh.
been achieved through the fa- erything from terrorism to the Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, For the present, China has
spread of coronavirus? Can it Maharashtra and Bihar, Asa-
cilitation of corporate fund- be denied that the Central gov- duddin Owaisi’s AIMIM has more than achieved its objec-
ing via anonymous donations. ernment has become more au- bared its muscle. tives in Ladakh.
Meanwhile, civil society outfits thoritarian, criminal laws more Hitherto, Muslim politicians Not only does it now occu-
find their sources of funds be- py territory upto its 1959 claim
ing squeezed.” repressive, tax laws and tax had tried to make their mark line without fighting but it also
administration more intrusive, within parties that claimed to got the Indian government to
t n ninan, the police and investigating rise above religion. The new admit that India had repeated-
The Print agencies more oppressive, and trend suggests that with a ris-
economic policies more biased ing share of the population, the ly violated Chinese sovereign-
hile we keep our fin- towards the rich and potential thrust is towards putting the ty, by clinging to the 1993 line,
gers crossed on the which did not exist in the Chi-
Weconomic situation, monopolies?” Muslim religious identity in the nese narrative.”
there is bad news on another P Chidambaram, forefront, with both the Left
front. India’s rank has slid in The Indian Express and Congress also succumbing Pravin sawhney,
to the assertiveness of Abbas’
The Wire
the indices of freedom. show of Muslim strength. In
The particular rank or num- t would seem that Muslim Bengal, the entire basis of ‘sec-
ber is not important; what is politics in India is following ular’ politics is being rejigged. Every week, we look at what
important is the slide in percep-Ia definite trajectory. Apart the top commentators in the
tion and the impact on the lives from the erstwhile Jammu and The national implications are Indian media are talking about
of millions of people. Can it be Kashmir, there are three states ominous.” and bring to you a slice of their
denied that the media has been where Muslims comprise over a swapan dasgupta, opinions and comments
tamed into submission and that quarter of the population: As- The Times of India

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