Dr. Obaidur Rahman Nadwi siyasat.net
Both the police and media, print as well as electronic, can play an important role in maintaining peace and enforcing law and order in the society. It would be no exaggeration to say that in a large measure any country’s progress, prosperity and reputation rest on them. Hence, it is imperative that their role must be fair and unbiased. If they exhibit parochialism and take sides, their image is spoiled and efficacy undermined.
Presently in India both police and media have been badly affected by the vicious surroundings in which they work. Politicization of police and patronizing of media by political parties have deprived them of their independence and impartial functioning.
It goes without saying that before lockdown, Muslims, particularly women and students of various universities, colleges and Islamic seminaries demonstrated at an unprecedented level against the Citizenship Amendment Act( CAA) across the country.
The CAA is clear violation of Article 14 of the Indian constitution which specifically prohibits any kind of discrimination on the basis of religion. India by constituition is a secular democracy where people from all religions have equal rights and religious freedom.
Despite this fact Muslims are faced with a variety of issues and problems besides open discrimination. A large number of innocent Muslims are languishing in different jails of the country, based on fabricated cases. It is nothing but a travesty of justice, freedom and democracy.
Media, which is called the fourth pillar of a democratic country, has lost it’s trust and has become a pawn of the political parties. The recent media trial of Tablighi Jamat regarding the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a living example of media’s bias and prejudiced attitude.
To cover-up its incompetency in working out the incidents of crime, police more often catch hold of innocent people, torture them and force them to make false confessions. To gain cheap publicity they feed media with stories which suits their action.
Our national press and electronic channels blindly air concocted stories of the police, like a running commentary of the cricket matches. In a democratic country like India, such incidents should not take place.
Moreover, an atmosphere of apprehension and panic by spreading misinformation and misgivings about Islam has been falsely and intentionally created to give a bad name to this peaceful religion. It seems as if all Muslims are terrorists. No doubt main motive of such strategy is nothing but to subjugate Islam and thwart it from its rise and growth.
The Media instead of highlighting communal amity and tolerance besides respect for all communities, highlights religious frenzy, violence, chaos and dissension among different sections and communities. They must recall the statement of late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru: “In the multitude of crisis, political and economic, that face us, perhaps the greatest crisis of all is that of the human spirit. Till this crisis of the spirits is resolved it will be difficult to find a solution for other crisis that afflicts us. Even so, there is something else which is greater importance. And that is peace. Without peace, all our dreams vanish and are reduced to ashes.” (India’s Foreign Policy, Page No.182).
It would be worthwhile to mention here noted Islamic scholar Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s thought provoking statement, “If man loses the ability of sharing other’s sufferings, he will become bankrupt. Even if a nation is blessed with the wealth of America, administration of Russia and petrol wells of Saudi Arabia, even if rivers of gold and silver flow in it, and even if wealth showers over its land like rain, it will still be truly pauper if its stream of love is dried. The blessings of Allah will not descend on it. It is a matter of great satisfaction that man’s eyes can still shed tears and that his heart can still suffer with the pain of others. The heart which loses this quality is not a heart; it is just a piece of stone. Such a heart has no value in the sight of Allah, no matter whether it is the heart of a Muslim, or a Hindu, Or a Christian. The value of the human heart, in fact, lies in its quality to long, shiver, cry, and love. The human heart should be greener than the land, broader than the universe, more affluent than the waterfall, and more bountiful than the heavy clouds ready to stream down. The eye which does not become wet is not a human eye; it is the eye of a daffodil. The heart which does not feel pain of others is not a human heart; it is the heart of a lion. The forehead which does not become wet with the perspiration of penitence is not a human forehead; it is a piece of rock. The hand which does not move forward to serve humanity is virtually paralysed and lifeless. The claw of a lion is better than that hand of a person which cuts the throat of another human being.” (Islam an Introduction Page No. 153)
In fact, it is the moral and bona fide duty of the police and the media to create a climate of brotherhood and peace and avoid issues, which tend to add to the chaos in the country. The truth of the matter is that savageness begets savageness, and gentleness begets gentleness.
(www.siyasat.net is Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India based Website)
(The writer is faculty member of Darul uloom Nadwatul ulama, Lucknow,UP. india.views are personal)
