Culture of hate

The hijab controversy in Karnataka’s educational institutions and the attack last week on Asaduddin Owaisi during electioneering in Uttar Pradesh cannot be wished away as incidents without any link. Both represent the outcome of patronage to rabid communal messaging that appears to celebrate bigotry, while making a boisterous jump from subtleties to brazenness. If the political class still chooses to be blind to the consequences of normalisation of a culture of hate and otherisation, the country will have to bear the brunt, and at a terrible cost. A narrative of manufactured insecurities that wants the conversation to be centred around ‘us’ versus ‘them’ is being allowed to seep its way into the delicate social fabric. The free run for the militant mutation of prejudices poses a grave threat.

All-round condemnation of violence and vitriol in any form can be construed as tokenism at best in the absence of any substantial and visible action that shows the intent to clamp down on radicalisation. Owaisi’s speech in the Lok Sabha, a day after he escaped unhurt when his car came under attack in Hapur, is a reminder of how minds are being polluted, with no counter-efforts forthcoming. The four-time MP’s rejection of the Z-category security cover can be seen as political positioning, but offering a posse of security personnel ignores the larger issue. The talk of two Indias, one based on love and the other being created on hatred, is no more some fictional construct.

Polarisation has not raised its ugly head for the first time in UP elections, but the efforts at crass communalisation of the campaign call for urgent attention of the Election Commission. How and why all sorts of boundaries have been crossed is acutely disturbing and needs answers. Not acting is not an option. At stake is not only the credibility of the institution, but all that the Constitution stands for.

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