The prime minister paid rich ‘tribute’ of our ‘forces’ and said that since independence they have been serving the nation. The Prime minister said, ‘ “What will you get by beating up poor auto and bus drivers? What will you get by injuring the policemen at whom you are throwing stones? Do not forget that more than 33 thousand policemen in the country have sacrificed for your peace and for your safety. When a crisis comes or there is a problem, then these policemen do not ask what your religion is.”

That apart, he also said that the proposed CAA has no issues with Indian citizen and that he is fulfilling the promises made by Gandhi ji to bring back those Hindus who have been persecuted in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The fact is Gandhi was not there during the time of Bangladesh and it remains a friendly nation even today. Constitutionally, Bangladesh is a ‘secular’ republic and the refugees from Bangladesh came mostly before 1971 because of the war between India and Pakistan. There is no such information at the moment which can suggest that Bangladesh Hindus are migrating to India. If that is the case then government of India must speak to that country and seek the protection of Hindus there. India can not afford to give assylum to all Hindus world over. It is neither pragmatic nor any honourable country would expect. The government must listen to what Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said recently about Indians in their country. He only said that we have embraced all people irrespective of their religion and nationality but if they start doing this then there will be chaos. India must not behave like Idi Amin otherwise, it will become thoroughly isolated in the world and the damage will only be done to Hindus living in liberal societies. They must stand up and speak up against this divisive bill.

Unfortunately, even when more than 21 protesters or onlookers died in these peaceful protests and 16 alone in Uttar Pradesh, there was not a single sentence by the Prime Minister to all those families who lost their near dear ones. Uttar Pradesh chief minister has already made his mind clear when he openly threatened people that his ‘police’ has ‘identified’ the ‘miscreants’ on CCTV. PM too said in a rally in Jharkhand that protesters can be identified by their clothes and one BJP spokesperson, Desh Ratna Azad, today said on NDTV that there was nothing wrong in PM’s statement as we can easily find ‘locations’ where the ‘mischief’ was played and riots happened. Uttar Pradesh police is confiscating properties of those who it blame were engaged in rioting but there are videos and news available where police personnel have been engaged in violence as well as damaging the public property. Will there be any action against the erring police officials?

The police high handedness is not coming suddenly. The PM’s rally was a clear message. He has no sympathy for those who were killed or who got beaten up by police or injured but he picked up a WhatsApp message that police were being beaten up. In his own state Gujarat, Muslim youths protected several policemen from getting lynched. In Delhi, protesters gave them red rose hence it is clear that the message of the prime minister is to the policemen to do their ‘duty’ and rest assured that nothing would happen to them. BJP would weave new narrative and police will then act in a partisan way as it has been acting. It is a clear indication that we won’t ask you question if you work in a partisan way. So police remain good and peaceful protesters become rioters and ‘dangai’.

The situation is grim but we hope the country will rise up again peacefully and if its democratic institutions, media, judiciary, administration and police work according to the spirit of the constitution then we will see a strong united India but if these institutions surrender their autonomy and values of secularism and upholding the law then we are for a long haul of chaos and unrest. I sincerely hope that would not happen and upright individuals in these institutions will take a stand and protect the law and our constitution.

Author – Vidya Bhushan Rawat