Sr journos urge constitutional authorities to act against 'attacks' on religious minorities

New Delhi: A group of senior journalists from all over India issued a collective appeal to constitutional institutions on Wednesday to step in and discharge their mandate in the wake of "attacks" on India's religious minorities, especially Muslims.

In the appeal, 28 senior journalists and media persons expressed concern over "hysteria" being built up nationwide that "Hinduism is in danger" and portrayal of Muslims as a "threat".

The appeal referred to the recent attempts to incite anti-Muslim sentiment at the screening of the film "The Kashmir Files"; the controversy over the hijab in Karnataka, targeting of Muslim women on social media platforms including the Bulli Bai app and other incidents and called for intervention of the president, judges of the Supreme Court and various high courts, the Election Commission of India and other constitutionally provisioned and statutory bodies.

"When all these events are taken together, it is clear that a dangerous hysteria is being built up countrywide to push the idea that 'Hinduism is in danger' and to portray Muslim Indians as a threat to Hindu Indians and to India itself. Only prompt and effective action by our constitutional, statutory, and democratic institutions can challenge, contain, and stop this disturbing trend.

"As journalists and media persons from all over India, we make this appeal to all Indian institutions to step in and uphold their constitutional mandate in the wake of open calls from various quarters for attacks on India's religious minorities, especially Muslims," the appeal said.

Signatories of the appeal include N Ram, former editor-in-chief of The Hindu and director of The Hindu Publishing Group; Mrinal Pande; editor of The Telegraph R Rajagopal; founder editor of The Wire Siddharth Vardarajan; and executive editor of Caravan Vinod Jose.

"It is both urgent and crucial that India's constitutional institutions, and especially the President, the higher judiciary, and the Election Commission, discharge their mandate under our Constitution and that the media perform their responsibility to the people of India by asserting their independence and speaking truth to power," they said.

The appeal said that since December 2021, well-synchronised calls for the annihilation of Muslims have been made, beginning with a religious meet in Haridwar that month.

"Muslim women and girls have been systematically targeted in 2021 and 2022 through social media platforms, including the pernicious Bulli Bai app. The ugly controversy over the hijab in Karnataka has resulted in Muslim women in different parts

of India being harassed and humiliated.