-Mohammad Mansoor Alam
PMO spokesperson and Delhi Chief Minister along with ANI and right wing media outlets like Zee, Republic and others have been regularly mentioning Tableegi Jamaat Markaz relating it to spread of COVID19 in India as if instead of Vuhan in China, Nizamuddin Markaz was hiding this biological weapon to kill 1.1 billion Hindus of India and leaving 150 millions Muslims safe and healthy to rule India later when Corona would go.
After Tableegi Jamaat episode came out many videos went viral to show the Muslim community as a villain to the society. With the efforts of good Hindus and bona fide patriots of India, all malicious videos and news proved wrong though those had already damaged a lot.
Mosques started being monitored by the administration and right wing rioters both. However, not to say of mosques in India only, mosques in other Muslim countries especially Saudi Arabia where two most sacred mosques are situated were shut down far before India announced its lockdown and barred from gatherings.
It is surprising to note that whenever a positive case belongs to some Muslim, it is being published by name and address when no non Muslim name is so diligently published.
Is COVID19 afraid of Modi Bhakts and targeting only Muslims?
COVID19 knows no religion
On March 8 to 10, at Barsana, Vrindavan and other places in Mathura, Holi was observed with usual show and pomp with thousands of international tourists when there was no screening at international airports and even people from China were not banned where the epidemic was at its peak before that.
On Ramnavami, at several places, people defied lockdown and gathered at temples to worship. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das publicly appealed to Hindus to come Ayodhya and worship without any fear of Corona.
In Maharashtra, Wardha BJP MLA Dadarao Keche celebrated his birthday with more than 200 people who flaunted power breaking all rules and regulations. How many of them will be tested and quarantined?
Playback Singer Kanika Kapoor is a great example to ponder over. She was declared infected on March 20, 2020 after returning from London on March 09. Her father, Rajiv Kapoor, stated she attended three parties, which Kanika Kapoor denied. Upon Kapoor testing positive for COVID-19, and updating about it on Twitter; former chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje admitted in a tweet that herself, and her son had met Kapoor at a party.
Kapoor was attended by several prominent personalities, and bureaucrats including former chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje, her son – incumbent MP Dushyant Singh, and Uttar Pradesh’s state minister of medical, and health Jai Pratap Singh.
Dushyant Singh later attended Parliament of India and also met the President of India.
Chief medical officer lodged complaint against Kapoor. The FIR says:
[…]when the singer was screened at the Lucknow airport on March 14, “high viral load was detected”. She was advised home quarantine, but the advice was disregarded.
The complaint was filed under Sections 188, 269, and 270 of the Indian Penal Code.
When she was a doubtful case (as per the FIR) why was she not sent to a government run isolation ward then?
What happened to the result of FIR is unknown. Kanika went back home after getting discharged from the hospital. She is negative now.
When the virus was enjoying body of Kanika Kapoor, she was enjoying with the powerful and the rich in different parties and more surprising is that our officials did least quarantine of them who were with her and gave ‘No Objection Certificate’ without a delay. According to the regulations, those who have been with Kanika Kapoor in parties should have been put on quarantine when she was a declared positive carrier. And a close watch was required as in the case of TJ it is being done.
No Screening of Foreigners at International Airport
Lakhs of people came between February mad March before lock down in India from different corners of the world and roamed free, mingled each other, made love with their partners and flew back. How many of them infected others in India is clueless. Surprisingly no such data is available with either the Central Government or the State government. No follow up was made the way administration is chasing Tableegi people in every state now.
Tableegi Jamaat as a scapegoat
The moment news of Tableegi Jamaat people found Corona positive, all lights and cameras shifted their focus on them as if all were in search of a scapegoat.
Thanks God! This time Tableegi Jamaat saved Nehru from this blame game.
There is no point to defend Tableegi Jamaat. However, you can not agree more that Tableegi Jamaat issue has been exaggerated and Maulana Saad is being projected as a villain. Previously, Dr Zakir Naik, one of the most adorable Islamic scholars was targeted on a flimsy reason – one terror accused stated in Bangladesh that he was influenced by Dr Zakir. He had to take asylum out of India. I wonder if any agency investigated whether murderers of Pansare, Kulbergi and Gauri Lankesh were also influenced by somebody in India. I again wonder if Samjhuata Express and Makka Masjid accused were influenced by somebody.
Now it is turn of Maulana Saad. Not a single Muslim will be supporting Maulana Saad unlike people who supported rapists like Asaram and Sengar if he proves guilty in the court of law. Remember how the Uttar Pradesh government was saving Sengar and the Bihar government was protecting Manju Devi. Manju Devi is a free woman today.
The way Maulana Saad is being made a villain by the media and government agency it is instigating some sort of dissent in the community and will widen a gap between Hindus and Muslims which is already very wide since the rise of Hindutva politics.
Tableegi Jamaat is a peace loving group of Muslim community that emphasizes self purification. It is only apolitical group in the world that keeps distance from any power politics. The group believes in Life after Death and works on Muslims to get them to Mosque merely for five times prayer.
Focus on Solution
India has 4361 positive cases of COVID19 and 122 number of deceased so far. Last day alone, more than 50 positive cases were reported. Pandemic has spread in Asia’s largest slum where one million people live in 5 kilo meters area and seventy percent of them use public toilets.
India should focus on testing and treating people living in slums and Dalit Mohallas where even basic amenities of washing hands properly are lacking.
It is not appropriate to malign a particular group in the times of this disaster. Mark my words – your sins cannot be washed away. People are still waiting their fifteen lakhs after demonetisation. And do not rely on your gimmicks, Janta Ha Sab Janti Hai (Public knows everything).
People are just waiting and watching.
(The writer is a citizen journalist. His views are personal.)
