By: Parmanand Pandey, Advocate, Supreme Court (Secretary General IPC)
‘Democracy dies in darkness’ is the motto of the Washington Post. But it believes more in misinformation than disseminating objective information. That is why it is considered to be one of the most notorious newspapers in the world. It is more of an opinion paper with lengthy reports than a newspaper. The main intent of this newspaper and the New York Times, which is still available in print has the logo of ‘All the News that is Fit to Print’, is to create an atmosphere of destabilisation across the world by inserting the cock and bull stories. NYT is nicknamed as the ‘Gray Lady’ like our Times of India, which is nicknamed as the ‘Old Lady of Boribunder’.
What is, however, very intriguing is that Washington, i.e. the US government, gives more importance and reliance to NYT and WaPo (this is how the Washington Post is generally known) than to its own sources and governmental paraphernalia. It is now no secret that the US government is doing what it can do to fight the world-wide menace of Muslim religious terrorism, notwithstanding the fact that the US newspapers like NYT and WoPo show their duplicity over this issue in the name of highlighting the human rights of Chinese Uigar Muslims. There are many kinds of duplicity in this world: one is of such newspapers towards the problem of Uighur Muslims and terrorism thriving there; another is of the attitude of Islamic countries towards these Uighur Muslims and their treatment by the Chinese government.
These newspapers take exception to the Chinese efforts to educate adult radical Uigar Muslims and to provide a safe upbringing of their young children solely aimed at curbing and curing this disease of religious terrorism – albeit in its peculiar Chinese fashion (of a dictatorial regime). The Uighar Muslims with a radical bent of mind are not killed by the Chinese government for their wayward criminal mentality but are only subjected to a secular program of re-education. There are only two ways to get rid this world of the religious terrorism menace: either to punish them by confining them in prison for life or re-educating them. China is following the better course of re-education.
On the issue of Uighur Muslims, the reports of these newspapers and the BBC have been dismissed with contempt by the Chinese government. Hardly a month back the WaPo created an atmosphere of hatred and calumny against India’s democratic setup by publishing many fake stories like asserting that minorities are not safe in India. The fact, on the other hand, is that nowhere in the world minorities are safer as they are in India. Even in highly liberal societies like those of the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Germany and France etc, minorities find themselves highly vulnerable. In these countries, there is only one civil law which has to be followed by all regardless of his or her belonging to any community. Contrast it with India and one finds that there are separate laws meant for minorities in the country which often create a big hurdle in the assimilation of minorities with the majority community.
There is one country China which is impervious to the criticism of highly biased NYT, WaPo or grotesque reports of the BBC. These days these newspapers appear to take up the cudgel on behalf of the Uighur Muslims of China. They live in Xinjiang province, which is close to Turkmenistan. Lakhs of Muslim young boys and girls have been removed and separated from their families to be trained to the modern education of science, technology, dance and music so that they can earn their livelihood with self-respect and become an integral part of China. They have so far been denied of being educated in modern subjects of civilized life; they simply have been educated in the most obscurantist manner in radical Madarsas. Now the Chinese government is snatching Koran from their hands so that they are saved from a poisonous teaching of waging Jihadi violence, live a peaceful civilized life and learn about computer and other gadgets. What conceivable objections could these NYT and WaPo etc. have against these Chinese efforts to cure the ill of religious violence and terrorism? None. Do such so-called newspapers (in reality, opinion makers) have any better way or plan to cure this terrorist menace? None.
It may not be out of place to mention here that China does not allow the Uighur Muslims to offer Namaz for five times a day. These Muslims cannot construct the Mosques in the form and style and architecture of the Mosques of the other countries of the world. This highhandedness, of the Chinese Government against the Uighur Muslims may not be liked by the people of the world but it is certainly in the interests of the Uighur Muslims that they are trained in factories and other establishments, which can make them stand -up on their own feet.
Why no Muslim Country of the world including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan has made even a murmur of protest, against the steps taken by the Chinese Government for assimilation of Uighur Muslims with the mainstream of China? This is the height of duplicity of Islamic countries. Imagine if it had happened in India, what would have been the consequences? The liberal lobby in India, which unabashedly behaves like ‘fifth columnists’ would have created hell of the problems for the Indian government. There are at least a few lady journalists of India, who write regularly for the Washington Post, but have also not spoken a word against the human rights violations in China. Again, even if a fragment of it had happened in India, there would have been candle marches in different places of the country. But shockingly, today their mouths are shut because they can shout only against India and not against China. Pakistan is heavily dependent on China for military weapons, trade and commerce and for the generous monetary aid and assistance.
Pakistan has, although, been claiming to be the champion of the Islamic cause but when it comes to China, it puts its tails between its proverbial legs to run away from reality. The Talibani Afghans and Syrians of Muslim Brotherhood brand, who are the breeders of terrorism with the funds received from Saudi Arabia shiver in their pants while speaking anything against China. All Muslim countries are cool as a cucumber because Islam is not in danger for them if they are beaten mercilessly by China. On the other hand, more than seven to eight crore Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas have crossed over to India and they have been settling down in places as far as Kerala and Kashmir with the active patronage of the administration. If anybody talks about the extradition of these illegal migrants to the countries of their citizenship he or she is immediately branded as insensitive and inhuman.
If Bhartiya Janata Party’s government headed by Narendra Modi does not take effective measures to push the illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas to their own countries, then it should have no objection in being called a timid and coward. This government has come to power on the assurance to the people that in the interest of the nation it will not bat even an eyelid in throwing the illegal foreigners from its own land. Here on this issue, the Indian government can take a cue from China, which has set an example in dealing with the problems of national interests.
India can also learn from her (China) for the rapid industrialisation, population control and assimilation of the population with the mainstream. Our government should not be touchy and sensitive to the prejudiced, devious and obnoxious viewpoints of the newspapers like New York Times, Washington Post and the BBC, which vie with each other in creating public opinion across the world for fomenting instability in India.
The most shocking and surprising is that Washington Post and New York Times and the BBC do not make hullabaloo in favour of Dalai Lama and his government in exile, which Tibetans have been fighting against their oppression for more than sixty years. Lakhs of Tibetans are living in different parts of the world, most of them are in India. but they have been condemned to live as the most neglected human beings by the so-called savours of democracy. This is the height of the duplicity of the western countries.