vinit goenka

The Media Weeps for Rohingya Muslims but Ignores the Cries of Kashmiri Pandits

https://satyavijayi.com/media-weeps-rohingya-muslims-ignores-cries-kashmiri-pandits/

During the last few weeks, the biggest news story that has been dominating chatter on social media and primetime discussions in the confinements of news studios has been the Rohingya crisis.The apparent plight of Myanmar’sRoingya Muslims, many of whom are looking for refuge in foreign countries, has sparked a lot of discussion and debate. While liberal news anchors and social justice warriors on Twitter remind us to “find our humanity” and save these refugees from persecution in a foreign country, I can’t help but ask an important and necessary question that needs to be asked – What about the plights of our own Kashmiri Pandits?

For those who conveniently choose to feign ignorance about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, please allow me to refresh your memories. Kashmiri Pandits are the Hindus of Kashmir Valley, a large majority of whom were forced to leave the valley due to terrorism and separatist elements. According to official figures, as many as 165,000 Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave their homes and take refuge in other parts of the country, and currently only fewer than 3000 of them still reside in the Valley. What is happening to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar has already happened to Kashmiri Pandits in India, which is why I find it incredibly perplexing and hypocritical to see our liberal media create so much noise for the plight of the former, while simultaneously being deafeningly silent to the cries of the latter.

This is a trend that the left and liberal media has decided to adopt recently. Show vigilant activism and be absolutely vocal when minorities are targeted, but completely look the other way when it’s Hindus who get persecuted. Their ‘secularism’ is incredibly selective in its nature, andcompletely exposes their political agenda. After all, it’s no co-incidence that while the murder of Journalist Gauri Lankesh and the Rohingya crisis are being given primetime coverage on newschannels and op-ed think pieces in newspapers, the killings of RSS workers in Kerala and the absolute violation of Hindu rights in West Bengal by its state government barely garners any coverage or attention.

I also find it incredibly offensive to see comparisons being made between the plight of Rohingya Muslims (which, for sure, is tragic and undeniable) with that of our Kashmiri Pandits (who were massacred, persecuted and driven away from their own home in their OWN country). For starters, as I’ve mentioned above, the attention that the media has given to the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits has been a miniscule fraction of what the Rohingya crisis is being given right now. Secondly, while it’s been almost 30 years since Kashmiri Pandits were persecuted and driven away, they’re still awaiting for some justice to be done. In comparison, the Rohingya crisis has only been going on for a couple of years. Finally, certain sections of Rohingya’s Muslims have decided to resort to terrorism and insurgency, something which Kashmiri Pandits have never even thought about.

And then there’s the matter of logistics itself. India is currently the second most populated country in the world, and the rate at which its population is increasing, is about to overtake China to become the most populous country within the next few years. In an overpopulated country like India,one where resources are already stressed, is it really that sensible of an idea to allow refuge to thousands and thousands of Rohingya Muslims? Especially when many Rohingya militants will use that as an opportunity to sneak into our country and radicalize Indian Muslims? Logistically speaking, it just doesn’t make much sense for India to open its borders to refugees from Myanmar.

n the end, it’s also importantfor all of us to understand that, for many in the opposition, the Rohingya Muslims only end up serving as a political prop. India is already home to 40000 Rohingya Muslims as we speak, so this sudden riling up of the issue by the mainstream media and members of the opposition reeks of a political agenda. And I really hope that the average Indian citizen is able to see right through that and in the process, doesn’t forget thinking about the continuous agony of Kashmiri Pandits that’s been going on for the last 30 years.

सदयंहृदयंयस्यभाषितंसत्यभूषितम्।
कायःपरहितेयस्यकलिस्तस्यकरोतिकिम्॥
(What harm can Kalipurusa do to him whose heart is full of kindness, whose speech is adorned with truth and whose body is for the good of others.)