Undoubtedly, coronavirus originated from Wuhan of China but more dangerous than this virus is communal virus that originated from human’s thought. The first virus has no permanent medicine to eradicate though scientists and virologist are trying their level best to invent medicines for Covid-19. But no scientists and virologists are capable of inventing a permanent medicine for communal virus.
The coronavirus is a recent phenomenon, but communal virus is decades-old and habitual nurtured by politics of hate and prejudice. This furious virus corona has so far taken more than 1,300 lives in India. But regrettably, communal hatred has killed thousands over the years.
The coronavirus has spread communal sentiment. Several Christian priests in Kerala tried to organise masses putting the faithful at harm's way. If an educated English speaking bishop can dismiss the elementary fact that people's gathering shoulder to shoulder and sharing the bread and wine from the same utensils can transmit the virus around, that is pretty serious.
As per the narratives of television channels, the Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque in Delhi, the venue of a Tablighi Jamat meeting in March, is solely responsible for the spread of corona infections all over India. Not only this but also a Shiriti Iraqi Islamic scholar Hadi Al- Modarresi, who had declared that the virus was an “act of Allah” and divine punishment against the Chinese for their treatment of Muslims, soon contracted it. Such comments of Muslim scholars spread the communal virus all over India. A Muslim mother and daughter have been abused by a grocery store owner. Muslim vegetables vendors in UP complained that people called them Tablighis and refused to buy from them.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in India has presented yet another instance to launch attack on the Muslim community. Physical, verbal and psychological warfare is being waged against Muslims pushing further their ostracisation in Indian society.
Violent attack on Muslims, perceived to be carriers of the virus, have been reported from the different parts of the country. The Jammat was blamed for organising this event in the middle of March, ignoring the threat to spread of the virus. So, Muslims’ movement is the main culprit. Since it is difficult for many to differentiate between Tablighis and other Muslims, all Muslims are now seen as potential carriers of this virus and are, therefore, shunned and hated.
Similarly, social media has been abuzz with posts about what many consider to be a Muslim conspiracy. A tweet which had about 2,000 re-tweets before it was removed for violating twitter’s rule, featured a cartoon of a caricatured Muslim man labelled “Corona jihad” trying to push a Hindu off a cliff. These sentiments have been fuelled by official channels as well.
Officers from the Border Security Forces have claimed that there is a plot for people from a particular community (read Muslims) to infiltrate the porous borders of India through Nepal with the aim of spreading the infection here. The excitement and enthusiasm with which this anti-Muslim campaign has been undertaken is a deeply-worrying phenomenon.
It adds to the already-existing conspiracy theories about Muslims waiting in the wings reproducing at a frantic pace to outnumber Hindus and pollute the Hindu land; and since the community was already seen as plotting to inflict damage in Mother India, it was easy to establish that Muslims would seek to infect Hindus with coronavirus to destroy them.
The campaign has not only fed existing anti-Muslim sentiments but has also slowed down the momentum gained by a protest movement, which has been demonstrating against the increasingly precarious situation of the community. The largest working population of Muslims is in the informal sector. This campaign is pushing to make them “untouchable” for non-Muslims which would certainly push them out of a variety of economic activities.
Social distancing in India predates corona virus with many cities marked by religious segregation and ghettos. For month before the outbreak, Muslims and their allies across India had been protesting against the new citizenship law and other executive experiences like the NRC and NPR, which were seen as discriminatory against the community. The communal virus is more dangerous, more infectious and more harmful for the nation than the coronavirus. It is already symptomatic.
The cure and prevention to both is not social distancing but complete solidarity. The only way of its cure is that we should find the humanity within and treat all human beings as equals. The true religion is: do your duty perfectly and as per law.
(The writer is a columnist. Phone: 6370675562)