Kerala Police has registered FIR against Indian anchor, Sudhir Chaudhry’s, inflammatory comments on the concept of Muslim Jihad. The anchorperson alleged Muslims are waging Jihad in India in various ways. He used a flowchart to explain different types of Jihad. Muslims (with 14-15% of population) constitute the largest minority in India which has a secular constitution.
Founders of modern Indian Republic, in 1947, conceived the new state to be a liberal democracy. And despite serious challenges in a multi-religious society – Indian political elite has struggled to maintain liberal constitutionalism to this day. Since 1980’s India – with the rise of RSS in the form of BJP and allied political groups – has moved India away from its founding ideals. However despite this proliferation of Hindutva discourse country still has a powerful liberal constituency in the form of media, writers, academics, historians and liberal intelligentsia. It has been argued, even by staunch critics of Indian democracy, that outside North America and Western Europe, India has the most sophisticated liberal intelligentsia.
“The highlight of the show aired on 11 March was the ‘jihad chart’,” the FIR stated. “The accused presented a program that is offending the Muslim religion,” read the FIR.
Muslim extremists and the contractors of Islam can’t tolerate any voice of dissent. What is worse is that some governments becoming willing accomplices in their plot to divide the country. This dangerous practice needs to be stopped. Right now. https://t.co/nZG561lbHw
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) May 7, 2020
How did Sudhir Chaudhry explain Jihad?
In his prime time program on Wednesday, he presented a flow chart in his program to define the types of Jihad. Anchor claimed that there are two types of jihad: hard and soft jihad.
The anchor said, “The first category of Jihad i.e. ‘Hard Jihad’ is comprised of ‘population jihad’, ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’. Meanwhile, ‘Soft jihad’ included ‘economic jihad’, ‘history jihad’ and ‘media jihad’.”
He talked at lengths about the ‘land jihad’ in his show. He claimed that “Some people are playing the trick of capturing the government’s land to change the population’s religion.”
This is the price for daring to speak against #ZameenJihad in Jammu,#LoveJihad in Kerala,
PFI funding of CAA protests,
and for daring to enter Shaheen Bagh.
I have all the respect for the law but these tactics won’t stop me. Bring it on! https://t.co/4xoLhIgDSi— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) May 7, 2020
In a bizarre statement, he said Islamists want to change the religion of land, jungles, and rivers. Sudhir Chaudhry blasted the Kerala Police for registering an FIR against him. He said his honest reporting has irked secular-liberal media but despite an FIR, he will continue to report the fact, said the anchor.
Read more: Coronavirus misinformation causes hostility against Indian Muslims
In a tweet, he took a dig at Pulitzer prize. “Here’s my Pulitzer Prize for reporting the truth,” Chaudhary said in a tweet, attaching a copy of the FIR. “A clear message for media. If you don’t toe the decades-old pseudo-secular line you’ll be behind bars.” It is obvious that Sudhir Chaudhary is not merely targeting Muslims but he is taking shots at India’s liberal intelligentsia – though its India’s liberal intelligentsia that has earned India the status it has enjoyed in the minds of global community from London to Brussels to New York.
Social media reaction
Meanwhile, the critics said Sudhir Chaudhry is a BJP apologist. He is a propagandist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime who is known for communal rants. The way Indian anchor explained Jihad triggered Muslims.
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) May 7, 2020
Soon after his program, #JihadVsZee and #ISupportSudhirChoudhary started trending on Indian Twitter. Under which Hindutva supporters and Islamophobes spewed against Muslims. Also, they appreciated Sudhir Chaudhry for an allegedly honest reporting on evil agents of Muslims in India. This controversy now clearly shows – if a proof was needed – of the deep polarisation in Indian society.
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) May 7, 2020
Sudhir Chaudhry’s hour-long program on Zee News was widely viewed in India. The FIR accuses him of stoking Islamophobia. Many Indians – perhaps a majority of commentators – have protested against his show on Jihad. These protestors said his explosive remarks will further stoke anti-Muslim sentiments in India; critics – both Muslims and liberal Hindus – accused him of spreading misinformation on Jihad; but many Indians, on right of Indian politics and society, have liked his program.
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The FIR says Sudhir Chaudhry attempted to slander Muslims through disinformation. Hence, his program classifies hate speech and smear campaign to demonize Muslims.
Also, earlier Mumbai Police registered FIR against another firebrand anchor Arnab Goswami for remarks inciting communal tensions on April 14th migrant workers protest. Goswami is often considered the most popular Anchor of India’s English language media. This is in sharp contrast to Pakistan – where the relatively small English speaking community is far less affected by right wing ideas. In Pakistan, most extreme positions are expressed mainly by Urdu speaking commentators and country’s English writers are often much restrained in their commentaries – though extreme comments against India or Hindus are getting common even in English on social media.
Irfan Abubakar Shaikh, a welfare worker, quoted a report aired on Republic TV. The FIR said Goswami targetted a mosque in Bandra that had no connection with the protests. Shaikh accused channels and Arnab Goswami of inflaming anti-Muslims sentiments. He added that Goswami deliberately targetted the mosque.
While it is unclear if Sudhir Chaudhry will challenge the FIR against him, Arnab Goswami has challenged the FIR in the Indian court. Efforts of civil society activists – like Irfan Abubkar Shaikh – can rely upon India’s liberal legal and constitutional structure to highlight and fight back against the right wing politics. However the real test of India’s liberal democracy is if the powerful TV channels like Zee and Republic will put Sudhir Chaudhry and Arnab Goswami off air for disciplinary reasons. Given their increasing popularity it is a difficult test for TV Channels and decision makers.