There is news. And then there is barely any news.
When headlines are dominated by what politicians say, by accusations and counter-accusations, it is virtually impossible to get a sense of what is really going on in this country. Is the Indo-US trade deal all that matters? Are the shenanigans in Parliament, entertaining as they are, making a difference to our lives?
At any time, and especially now, it’s worth spending time looking for news that is barely reported and joining the dots to understand what is happening in India. Not the headline news or the “breaking news” that inundates our timelines. But the developments that affect those not considered important enough to be a part of the news cycle.
Let’s start with the story of ‘Mohammed’ Deepak, the gym trainer in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar, who intervened to save an elderly Muslim shopkeeper being bullied to change the name of his shop by Bajrang Dal members. This happened on January 26 when India was celebrating Republic Day. Instead of charging the mob that threatened the shopkeeper, the local police filed a case against Deepak.
Yet, Deepak Kumar, a Hindu who, on the spur of the moment, added the prefix ‘Mohammed’ while confronting the mob, has survived because the video of his intervention went viral on social media, and people have stepped up to support him. For instance, after the incident was reported, many local people cancelled their gym memberships. But John Brittas, CPI(M) member of Parliament from Kerala, has taken the initiative to rope in Supreme Court lawyers who have bought annual membership for his gym to help him out, as reported in The Indian Express.
His troubles might not have ended yet, as another video on social media shows a Hindu Raksha Dal member offering a reward to anyone willing to kill Deepak. As this article by poet Kaushik Raj in The Wire explains, those invested in inflaming passions against Muslims are particularly afraid and angry with Hindus who speak up for their fellow Indians, irrespective of religion.
But Deepak’s story is an exception. Off the radar, Uttarakhand is one of those states where the attacks on Muslims are growing, encouraged by the lack of action by the police. In this BJP-ruled state, someone who intervenes like Deepak is charged rather than the men who attacked the shopkeeper.
And while this is happening across the state, all we read about Uttarakhand is in full-page advertisements in many national newspapers, with the faces of the state’s chief minister and the prime minister prominently displayed at the top, and the rest of the advertisement boasting of the state government’s achievements.
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here.
