The myth of intolerant India, hysteria and creation of false narratives

“Fascism is already there. Democratic structures collapse. Parliament is no longer working. I haven’t been able to speak for two years; as soon as I speak they take my microphone off. The balance of powers is off. Justice is not independent. Centralism is absolute. The press is no longer free,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in an interview with an Italian news organisation recently said.

Separately, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told The Hindu earlier this year that since a large section of the media blacked out the Bharat Jodo Yatra because of its impact, the grand old party had to focus more on social media.

Reports are abuzz that the Congress party will become more aggressive on social media as the general elections approach. One of the main grudges that the party has is this: the mainstream media is batting only for the ruling party and that there is no space for other political voices. This narrative has not only gained traction within the country but also overseas.

While there is no problem with the Congress seeking to use social media more aggressively to expand its voter base and get heard but in in claiming that the media has lost independence, the party is playing an active role in tarnishing the country’s image on the global platform.

Gandhi also during his address to the Cambridge University said that the Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack.

He added that the institutional framework which is required for a democracy- Parliament, free press, the judiciary among other things were under threat.

The western media, unsurprisingly, has upped its ante against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government.

“The media stands as one of the last remaining institutions capable of preventing India’s descent into authoritarianism. But if Mr. Modi succeeds in introducing the Kashmir model of information control to the rest of the country, it won’t be just press freedom that is at risk, but Indian democracy itself,” executive editor of The Kashmir Times Anuradha Bhasin wrote for The New York Times in February.

The Guardian wrote, “Since Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP party came to power in 2014, he has pursued a relentless campaign to curb the independence of India’s media. It said ‘Criticise us and we’ll come after you,’ is the banner under which the government operates.

Are media organisations in India biased

But a closer scrutiny of the media houses in the Capital and their “leanings” show that prominent newspapers– The Hindu and The Indian Express which enjoy enormous credibility have remained immensely critical of the ruling BJP at the Centre. The other two newspapers- The Times of India and Hindustan Times like many others at the state level are at most more balanced but certainly not favouring one party, as has been touted for years.

A host of news websites that have sprung up in the last few years—The Wire, News Click, Newslaundry, Scroll to name a few have been fiercely critical of the BJP.

“In the name of democracy, a dangerous trend in India is emerging. Intolerance is on the rise but this is something which applies even to the so called educated liberal class. if a media organisation is right leaning, it is isolated and its credibility is immediately in question,” political analyst Sajjan Kumar tells India Narrative.

He also adds that on the social media space that include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even WhatsApp, anti-Modi voices are as vociferous as any other but one needs to be unbiased in the analysis. “In trying to be fearless and unbiased somewhere the media is losing its impartiality and the ability to see things the way they are and that is the prime reason why most of their on ground analysis is going wrong,” he says.

A host of prominent local media organisations are equally brutal in attacking the Modi government. The ABP affiliated Kolkata based The Telegraph has been raising its pitch in criticising Modi and his actions. Bengaluru based The Deccan Herald is also no friend of Modi and his party.

Amid the unfolding of the Adani-Hindenburg row, most news organisations have come up staunchly against the billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.

“The situation today is like if you tow my line you are in favour of democracy but if do not then you are authoritarian,” Kumar points out.

The narrative that democracy is under threat, docks perfectly with previous  attempts by globalists abroad like George Soros to bring about  “regime change” by using soft power for mobilising young people to topple governments that can obstruct the formation of “world government” .

The Wire-Meta controversy

Last year, The Wire published a damning piece claiming that Amit Malviya, Chief of BJP’s Information Technology cell enjoys special privileges which allowed him to influence and interfere with the content of the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram after the latter took down a satirical image of a man seen to be worshipping Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. While the post had to be taken off due to technical issues, The Wire claimed that Malviya had a role to play.

Even after a clarification from Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook denying such an act and that the report was fabricated, the Siddharth Varadarajan promoted website remained unfazed and went on to defend its move. Eventually, the website had to remove the article but called out “deception” by a staff member which led to the fiasco.

The Wire later put out a note admitting lapses in its editorial oversight and promised to put in place “failsafe protocols” to ensure the accuracy of all source-based reporting.

Despite this The Wire is still alive and kicking without having to change its world view. If the claim that Modi’s India gives no space to alternative thoughts, the website would have had to wind up by now.

Are agencies more active now

In 2012, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government arrested Ambikesh Mahapatra, a Chemistry professor at Jadavpur University in Kolkata for forwarding an email containing a cartoon of the chief minister. In 2020, the Congress removed its then spokesperson Sanjay Jha after he wrote a critical piece. Political analyst and senior journalist Kanchan Gupta was removed from the Pioneer in the mid 1990s for writing an article titled ‘The Indian voter will choose Ram Rajya over Rome Rajya.’

One of the grudges that opposition members have is the proactive measures taken by the central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate. For instance, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram was arrested in 2019 in connection to the INX Media case and its foreign funds. But the CBI had arrested Home Minister Amit Shah as well when Chidambaram was handling the Home Ministry. Shah was arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case.

“These incidents have always been happening in India but to project that India is turning into a dictatorship is something unfortunate and based on a figment of imagination,” Kumar tells India Narrative.

Few instances of violence and intolerance affecting people of the minority communities as well as majority community have also marred the country.

Even if such instances occur, these are few and far between. The keepers of this country – of all political hues need to maintain and upkeep the Constitutional facets. These are exceptions that happened even before the BJP came into power. Exceptions certainty don’t make the rule.

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