Communalism becoming news is not surprising but news becoming communal is. Not just surprising but also concerning in a democratic secular country like India.

With the spread of the Novel Coronavirus and the shortcomings of the Indian Government in taking effective measures to control the same, a scapegoat was in demand and who better than the Muslims who are always at the receiving end? So a lot of Muslim bashing both on Television channels and in real took place.

The satire that in India the coronavirus has converted to Islam is in vogue. And after lynching in the name of beef, lynching in the name of Coronavirus seems to have become the new norm of the Islamophobic anti- Muslim groups and individuals.

Muslim patients were turned away without being attended resulting in deaths, pregnant Muslim women were left to die, all because people believed that Muslims are spreading coronavirus.

Thanks to the Television channels that spewed venom for more than a month.  Can newspapers be behind?

Indian Express, while reporting about the COVID cases in Bengaluru used the feature picture of a man praying in a mosque, 3 days back.

Hindustan times showed a feature image of the Juma masjid being sanitized while reporting on COVID-19.

All India Radio News while reporting about the deaths in Jharkhand due to COVID -19 had the image of Muslim men in a mosque in white attire and skull caps.

Really? Is coronavirus synonymous with Muslims?  Is it necessary to demonise Muslims in order to report about COVIDWhen will the media house act responsibly? It is due to their deliberately irresponsible Islaophoic news that has done much damage to innocent Muslim citizens.

If it is not coronavirus, then it has to be something else with which Muslims can be targetted.

An example for is the recent death of the pregnant elephant in Palakkad. When initially it was mentioned the Elephant died in Mallapuram there were communal remarks that Muslims were behind the incident as Muslims are more in Mallapuram. Once again remarks of Muslims being terrorists surfaced.

But once it became known that the Elephant ate the pineapple filled with crackers in Palakkad. The narrative changed. Now it became an accidental death as the Elephant ate ( and was not fed) the pineapple.

Is this the new India where the  media has to constantly find newer ways to blame the Muslims, demonise them and incite crimes against them?

(Nikhat Fatima is Hyderabad based freelancer and also a Social activist)