Communalism

The time is long overdue for Hindus around the world to break our collective silence and speak out against this hate that violates the deepest teachings of our tradition - Hindus Against Hate 19th April 2022

Hate speech is violent in itself and must be called out  S Y Quraishi April 15, 2022 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/hate-speech-constitutional-democracy-7869837/ 
 Hate speech, in itself, must be understood and treated as a violent act and urgently so, for it has become an indispensable resource for the ruling powers. No wonder, during the elections, it becomes louder. 

Is the state powerless? Not at all. There are a whole bunch of laws meant to curb hate speech. The Indian Penal Code, as per Sections 153A, 295A and 298, criminalises the promotion of enmity between different groups of people on grounds of religion and language, alongside acts that are prejudicial to maintaining communal harmony. Section 125 of the Representation of People Act deems that any person, in connection with the election, promoting feelings of enmity and hatred on grounds of religion and caste is punishable with imprisonment up to three years and fine or both. Section 505 criminalises multiple kinds of speech, including statements made with the intention of inducing, or which are likely to induce, fear or alarm to the public, instigating them towards public disorder; statements made with the intention of inciting, or which are likely to incite, class or community violence; and discriminatory statements that have the effect or the intention of promoting inter-community hatred. It covers incitement of violence against the state or another community, as well as promotion of class hatred.

any recommendation for more laws is a red herring and provides an excuse for inaction. It’s the lack of political will, blatant inefficiency and bias of the administration and shocking apathy of the judiciary that is killing the secular spirit of the Constitution.

Arbab Ali @arbabali_jmi

I had gone to cover the Hindu Mahapanchayat at Burari Ground in Delhi today. The event was called by Save India Foundation. Yati Narsinghanand, Pinky Choudhary, Sushil Tiwari, Suresh Chahvanke and Preet Singh were there. 
They were spewing venom and making communal speeches.
and I were taking interviews of people. Suddenly, a group of right-wingers came to us and snatched our cameras and phones. They asked us our names. When Meer and I told them our name, they called us jihadi. 
They then asked for our media cards, IDs and made us delete the videos and photos in our phones. They made us sit at a separate stop, more than 50 police personnel were there but they didn’t budge. They then attacked Meer on the head and pushed me around. 
The mob started saying that “we should be beaten for this” as if covering the event was a crime and being Muslim is a crime. 
We showed them our IDs but they still threatened us. Two policemen came to take us but the mob didn’t allow them. Both of us were again manhandled. Two female police officers and two male policemen in plain clothes came to us and forcefully took us away to a secluded place. 
The police men were pushing both of us. We had no idea who they were. We thought they were also part of the Hindu mob and would soon attack us. We both were followed by around a mob of 150 right-wingers. They were calling us and saying that we’ll be beaten
The police men pushed both of us in the police van and the mob surrounded the van and were trying to push their way into the van. @MeghnadBose93
came inside the van and asked the police to take us away. Suddenly, the van door was opened and a right winger came inside and punched the policeman sitting next to us. An injured @mdmeharban03 and another journalist came inside the police van. The police took us away to Mukherjee PS. I heard one of the mobster say “Inka peeche karo”.
We waiting in the PS for an hour and later were given two police escort cars to escort us home. We left with the escorts for home but have been called back as the matter has reached the SP. 
We are barely holding ourselves. On the first day on Ramadan, something like this has happened. 

Yati Narsinghanand ने अब Delhi के Burari में दिया भड़काऊ भाषण, पत्रकारों से बदसलूकी का आरोप https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJyqJnlwdbs Apr 3, 2022 
पिछले साल हरिद्वार में हुई धर्म संसद में भड़काऊ भाषण को लेकर चर्चा में रहे यति नरसिंहानंद (Yati Narsinghanand) ने एक बार फिर ऐसा ही भाषण दिया है. इस बार यह भाषण दिल्ली में दिया गया है. उन्होंने बुराड़ी में हिंदू महापंचायत में यह भाषण दिया.

Hate speech case: If said with smile, no criminality, says Delhi HC  Sofi Ahsan March 26, 2022 https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/hate-speech-case-if-said-with-smile-no-criminality-says-hc-7836774/
The court was hearing CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat’s petition against a lower court order in which the prayer for registration of FIR against Union Minister Anurag Thakur and MP Parvesh Verma for their alleged hate speech was declined.

“Were they election speeches? Was that an election speech or speech in ordinary time? If any speech is given during election time, then it’s a different thing. If you’re giving a speech in the ordinary course, then it is instigating something. In the election speech, so many things are said by politicians to politicians… that is also a wrong but I have to see the criminality of the act,” said the court... It added that otherwise thousands of FIRs may be lodged against all politicians during elections: “If you’re saying something with a smile then there is no criminality, if you’re saying something offensively then criminality. You have to check and balance. Otherwise, I think 1,000 FIRs may be lodged against all politicians during elections.”

“Because we are also in democratic … you also have the right to speech and all these things.