"Genocide is a process. The holocaust did not start with gas chambers. It started with hate speech"
The phrase sits heavily on the soul of India, plunged obscurely in the ocean of love, empathy and secularism.
But certainly what is then fueling the hatred in the veins of common people?
What brings the commotion of majoritarianism?
Is it the right-wing government?
Maybe. But there is a big image interlacing this hatred which even 26 years couldn't let forget. Something we might scroll up without reading because it didn't relate us. Maybe now it will.
"Rwanda Genocide"
The same fuel which today's Indian television media is inciting in the majority, once the radio broadcasting in Rwanda smoldered in the "Hutu" (Majority) against "Tutsi" (Minority). Not more than 30 years back, it led to a massive genocide. 800,000 Rwandan's were killed. But how did it relate with Indian media?
Watch the process.
In Rwanda, RTLM (Radio Television des milles collines), a radio-television started the hatred process with primarily impeaching the whole community with history. RTLM, discussing "Tutsi's" rich and abhorred past just like Indian television showcasing atrocities of Muslims on Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus. Both the context swims together in the same pool.
"Pelters above Kashmiri Pandits for India?"
This phrase from one of the Indian heated debate reminds of something Kantono Habimana (A radio presenter) at RTLM recorded,
"Killings become cyclic occurring in 1962, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1988, 1991, claiming 300,000 Hutus lives. About 1,000,000 went into exile. To the date, Tutsi's are still bloodthirsty"
Statements like this deteriorate the sense of trust within communities. There Tutsis began feeling sidelined from Hutus, here Muslims begin feeling sidelined from Hindus. It was the second step of this unrepentant holocaust.
Rwanda begins to furore this hate, openly calling Tutsi's as Inyenzis (Cockroaches) on national radio. No far Indian Media covered this calling,
"Anti-nationals"
"Pakistani supporters"
"Jihadi" for them, which means terrorism.
The communal difference began showering with their angry debates, pointing out religious contexts. Praising the idea of Nathuram Godse, an assassin of Mahatma Gandhi nurtured the idea of Hindu Rashtra in the eyes of the majority.
Garry Kasparov once wrote,
"You can get quite far in democracy if you can convince a majority that they are victims of a minority and that only you can protect them"
Rwanda saw something which no other country witnessed before. Radio channel begins addressing Tutsi's by their names and where they are hiding. Encouraging Hutus to kill them. I can't forget debates on beef on Indian national televisions. Mob lynching of Akhlaq feted the hatred physically for the first time. Since then India had begun grasping the hatred.
Broadcasting the Modi government in favour of Hindus looks similar to the assurance of Right Hutu paramilitary organization by RTLM. So far the abuse in power on a communal crime rise the era of distinguishing people on their religion. The debates which only stranded in heads rambles on every street openly when India media became sticklers.
The difference between nation and government, Indian media so successfully eliminated from even educated personnel that asking a question from government or criticizing them has been accounting as an anti-national activity. Government arresting those with the voice to ensure no negative campaigning of them could have taken place and media to defame the critics, relate them with a community.
Journalists, who still are protecting journalism and this country started receiving death threats. Recently many booked under UAPA (An advanced Rowlatt act) to showcase the truth. Again it's the hate-mongering media which adjusted the photojournalists from Kashmir, who won Pulitzer Prize in the hall of shame in front of the country. They have been targeted as infringers of national interest.
Showcasing and discussing Whatsapp forwards without any evidence in prime time shows is not just death to journalism but also fuel to incite the communal feelings of this nation. Indian media might know,
"Speak the lie louder before the truth reaches"
There are two statements enough to prove that we are trailing on the same path of Rwanda,
One from a radio presenter, Noel Hitimana in Rwanda on 6-8 April, 1994.
"I am talking to you! You people living in Rugung. Those living over there in Kunogo. Look carefully, see if there are no Inyenzis (Cockroaches) inside. Look carefully"
Few ones from Indian journalists are,
"Indian Muslims are supporting Tablighi Jamaats and hence they are enemy of this nation"
"Why crowd only gathers around masjid during the lockdown in India?"
"Muslim free India!"
"Janmbhoomi humari, Ram humare, Masjid wale kahan se padhaare"
Many liberals and intellectuals believe that to make India the next Rwanda just let the media uninterrupted running the shows. We are at the peak of collapsing. The only wall in between us and reviving Rwanda's genocide is still the droopy love towards each other. Something, the old tradition and humanity still peeped through hearts. Journalists like Ravish Kumar, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Zainab Sikandar, Nidhi Razdan, Rana Ayyub, Barkha Dutt and countless courageous deeds with a spike in digital media like the quint, the print, the wire, scroll let journalism and reality of this country still breathing.
But one should not forget that hate is such a vermin whom you don't need to grab. Just see and it will crawl to you. History doesn't want another dark page of Rwanda or Germany.
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