Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com
Hate against Muslims, fueled by a right-wing media, has grown into mass ostracisation of the community amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. After the media and extreme right wingers held members of the Tablighi Jamaat solely responsible for the spike in coronavirus cases of the country, several instances of innocent members of the Muslim community being targeted and punished have come to light.
And while the spread of communal hatred in Uttar Pradesh is common knowledge, Madhya Pradesh too, has been making news for its anti-Muslim rhetoric.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, a poster prohibiting the entry of Muslim traders had been put up, reported The Indian Express.
The banner reportedly signed on behalf of residents of Pemalpur village in Depalpur tehsil and put up on Saturday, May 2, read, “Muslim vyapariyon ka gaon mein pravesh nishedh hai (Muslim traders are not allowed in the village).”
क्या यह कृत्य प्रधान मंत्री मोदी जी की अपील के विरुद्ध नहीं है? क्या यह कृत्य हमारे क़ानून में दण्डनीय अपराध नहीं है? मेरे ये प्रश्न मुख्य मंत्री शिवराज चौहान जा व मप्र पुलिस से हैं। समाज में इस प्रकार का विभाजन-बिखराव देश हित में नहीं है। https://t.co/rGV1qD2UXh
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) May 3, 2020
The banner was reportedly removed from the village on Sunday, May 3. DIG (Indore) Harinarayanchari Mishra told The Indian Express that the poster was removed as soon as the police learnt about it. He said a case against unknown persons was registered since it was immediately not known who put the poster.
Prior to this, in April, the picture of a banner with the message saying, “entry of Muslims for business is not allowed” in Madhya Pradesh’s Borud village went viral on social media. Media reports cited that the message read, “Vyapar ke liye is gaon me Musalmano ka aana pratibandhit hai” (the entry of Muslims for business purpose is not allowed in this village).” The name of the village was written under this message and the banner was put up on the board. The police said it was an old case and the banner had been put up before the lockdown was announced.
टूटता समाज.. pic.twitter.com/oJxw0ebd0v
— Deepika Singh Rajawat (@DeepikaSRajawat) April 9, 2020
Most recently, two videos of two BJP MLAs from Uttar Pradesh had surfaced, showing the right-wing’s hatred towards Muslims. While one MLA asked people not to buy fares from Muslim vendors, the other MLA threatened a Muslim vendor of dire consequences if he came to sell vegetables in his locality.
This trope of ‘Corona Jihad’ spread by right-wingers and a section of the media has put many lives and livelihoods at risk. Not only are vendors suffering due to the lockdown, but Muslim vendors are suffering more. This intensifying Islamophobia in India, on social media and in real life is yet another chapter in the ongoing persecution of Muslims in India.
Related:
UP BJP MLA asks people not to buy vegetables from Muslim vendors
Another UP BJP MLA targets Muslim vendors