A biased protest called Award Wapsi

Recently the country has witnessed writers and film personalities returning awards in protest over the rising intolerance and government’s inaction to contain it. This led to a wide scale debate in the country spread across various platforms like media and  social media whether the protest is justified or not

How did it start? It all started with a lynching incident in a village called Dadri , Uttar Pradesh where a man named Mohammad Akhlaq Saifi was killed by a mob over the allegation that he killed a cow . This incident has sparked the whole nation with leaders across various parties taking advantage of the incident and “communal politics” entered the scene. Famous writer Nayantara Sahagal who happens to be the niece of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru started this “Award returning” campaign by returning her Sahitya Akademi Award in protest over the  Dadri incident. Then many writers followed suit returning their awards later joined by film personalities and even scientists.  Every citizen of this country must condemn the Dadri incident which is a disgrace to the diversity and secular fabric of this country.

At one point the act of these award returnees seem to be justified but a deeper analysis will reveal how this act is a “biased protest”. Let us get back into time during the days of congress led UPA regime; major communal riots broke out in Muzzafarnagar (Uttar Pradesh), Kokrajhar (Assam), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Deganga (West Bengal), Dhule and Aligarh. None of them who returned their awards came forward to condemn these incidents. During the kokrajhar riots SMSes made round in major cities of India threatening the NE indian people living in these cities to leave however these intellectuals remained silent. Let us go further back into time during the anti Sikh riots which erupted following the assassination of Indira Gandhi, a genocide of sikhs was conducted and the award returning brigade was a silent spectator of this incident. None of the members of the award returning brigade ever condemned the genocide of Kashmir pandits . These examples expose the biased nature of award returning gang.

We all know media and press is the fourth estate of democracy instead of being free from bias the Indian media carried out a vicious campaign that intolerance has risen to an uncontrollable level and as if fundamental right of the citizen is dead. But thanks to the social media this Goebbels propaganda got a well deserved rebuttal.

Secularism is in the DNA of Indians, this country has seen worst riots but people have always lived in harmony. The secularism that these people talk about is pseudo secularism their outrage is selective, their voices are biased. Will people buy their propaganda?? Never, people are more vigilant ever before sane voices have already risen to call the bluff of Award wapsi gang.

"The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is" - Winston Churchill