Hit Job: Using COVID-19 to Deepen Anti-Muslim Bias and Weaken
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HIT JOB Using COVID-19 to HITDeepen Anti-Muslim JOB Bias and Weaken Muslim Voice In Association With Using COVID-19 to Deepen Anti-Muslim Bias and Weaken Muslim Voice JUSTICE & EQUALITY FORUM Hit Job, - Page: 1 Citizens Against Hate (CAH) is a collective of individuals and groups committed to a democratic, secular and caring India. It is an open collective, with members drawn from a wide range of backgrounds who are concerned about the growing hold of exclusionary tendencies in society, and the weakening of rule of law. CAH was formed in 2017, in response to the rising trend of hate and vigilante violence, to document violations, provide support to survivors, and engage with institutions for improved justice and policy reforms. Since, we have also worked on other forms of violations – hate speech, sexual violence and state violence, and citizenship rights among others in Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Our approach to addressing the justice challenge facing particularly vulnerable communities is through research, outreach and advocacy; and to provide practical help to survivors in their struggles, also helping them to become agents of change. http://citizensagainsthate.org/ Justice and Equality Forum (JEFOR) is a network of researchers and activists pursuing justice for victims of discrimination and violence and seeking to build inclusive societies founded on principles of equality. Members of the research and writing team included Abhimanyu Suresh, Adeela Firdous, Misbah Reshi, Sajjad Hassan and Salim Ansari. Ghazala Jamil, Mathew Jacob, Seema Nair and Shikha Dilawri provided valuable guidance. Design and Layout by: http://www.mediabravo.com Cover page picture credits (clock-wise from top left): PTI (31 March, 2020), Reuters/Adnan Abidi (25 March, 2020), Reuters/Danish Siddiqui (26 March, 2020), IANS (26 January, 2020), Getty Images (19 April, 2020), Reuters/Francis Mascarenhas (11 April, 2020). Hit Job, - Page: 2 Hit Job Using COVID-19 to Deepen Anti-Muslim Bias and weaken Muslim voice 18th May, 2020 Hit Job, - Page: 3 Executive Summary 1. The reported spread and effects of the day. When workers began to attempt the COVID-19 disease itself in India have, journeys back home – mostly on foot – as of yet, been mild relative to other police high-handedness added to their large-sized countries. As of 18th May, misery. Over 590 persons have reportedly a total of 3,029 persons had died, from died in non-COVID related incidents 96,169 persons reported to be affected since. Today, it is being reported 122 by COVID. But COVID‘s greater toll has million Indians might have been forced been the widespread disruption, and out of their jobs, and many hundreds of associated suffering caused especially million pushed into poverty. on internal migrants, that suffered the brunt of what was a ham-handed COVID-19 and Muslim-scapegoating management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Equally, or perhaps because of this 5. On 29th March after authorities claimed catastrophe, India’s Muslims have been to have traced a spike in reported COVID-19 subjected to an orchestrated campaign of infections to a Muslim religious gathering Islamophobia and anti-Muslim targeting. in capital Delhi, a concerted campaign COVID lockdown has also been a time of began to demonise the whole of India’s heightened police crack-down in Delhi Muslims as conspiring to spread the especially, against Muslim victims of the virus. The religious profiling – attributing Feb 2020 violence as well as students most positive cases to the Tablighi Jamaat and youth leaders of the anti-CAA protest group, while testing rate overall was movement. among the lowest in the world, and reports of COVID outbreaks elsewhere, including 2. These are the adverse outcomes of the in religious gathering, were being ignored omissions and commissions of the ruling or covered up – suggests inherent bias at government, that have ended up turning best, hidden agenda, at worst, towards a public health crisis into a campaign shifting the public gaze on to Muslims. of disproportionate suffering for India‘s A pattern of targeted disinformation vulnerable: the most marginalised of online ensued, with social media handles migrant workers, and Muslims. – using hashtags such as #CoronaJihad, #BioJihad, #CrushTablighiSpitters, - and Lockdown and migrant workers 24X 7 negative coverage on prime time TV channels, weaponised by irresponsible 3. A nation-wide shut down of movement, statements by senior BJP leaders and announced on 24th March with a 4 hour government functionaries. notice period, was going to be a sure-shot recipe for disaster, especially in India with 6. The toxic anti-Muslims campaign soon its large population of internal migrants spilled over into real-world violence, that live on the edge. Equally problematic social boycotts, and denial of public have been confusing and impractical services, that have been reported from lockdown-related rules and procedures all over the country. Physical attacks have decreed by central government since, been reported from Arunachal Pradesh, with little bearing on ground realities. Punjab, Haryana and Karnataka, and Relief that was sought to be provided was several in Uttar Pradesh. Muslim vendors half-hearted at best. What followed was a and shop keepers have been boycotted massive humanitarian crisis. in UP and Maharashtra. And reports of 4. For India’s more than 100 million denial of public services to Muslims have workers in the informal sector, mostly come from several places – including migrants in urban areas, with no social to hospitals in Gujarat, UP, Telengana, security, the lockdown meant instant Jharkhand – and public water dispensers meltdown - out of job, out of pocket, and in West Bengal and relief material in Uttar out of home. 42 per cent of migrants in Pradesh. a survey had no food stock left even for Hit Job, - Page: 4 Witch-hunt against anti-CAA activists has taken deeper roots, and Muslims are more marginalised than ever before. 7. Alongside, and with much haste during At the same time, COVID-19 and its poor COVID lockdown, authorities have been handling by authorities have dealt a body arresting Muslim youth leaders in Delhi blow to the economy. Unemployment has and Uttar Pradesh that led anti-CAA/NRC risen sharply, and poverty is expected protests, charging them in fabricated to grow significantly. Government is cases, including for terror-related responding with greater centralisation offences. Besides being in conflict of power and intrusive surveillance, with Supreme Court’s guidelines on besides diluting labour laws, exposing decongesting prisons during Lockdown, labour to exploitation. The churning is police crackdown amid movement destabilising as it is uncertain. How will restrictions mean that lawyers, and these dynamics affect Indian Muslims courts are not easily accessible to and other minorities? Will the anxieties victims, undermining chance of any be further grist for the rumour mill, or will defence against arbitrary action. At least all-round damage due to COVID provide 7 activists are now in custody, all denied openings for broad-based resistance bail. Similar targeting is taking place in against anti-poor policies? Only time will Uttar Pradesh. tell. 8. Senior BJP leaders visibly complicit in 10. Our preliminary recommendations instigating violence in Delhi in February are for (i) state authorities who must 2020, on the other hand, have suffered better control hate and targeting, take no retribution. Police refused to even robust action against those that break register an FIR against some of the named the law, and also provide better for COVID ones. Authorities have continued to act affected, ensuring all have equal access in this manner violative of rule of law, to relief and services. Authorities must also because higher courts have refused also ensure justice for victims of February to rein them in, when approached by 2020 violence in Delhi as well as the victims and affected citizens. This carte one in Dec 2019 in UP and other states, blanche has also allowed police to against anti-CAA protesters; withdraw rescript the account of the February 2020 false and fabricated cases against anti- violence, in their official recording of it, CAA activists detained now, release them and resists attempts at transparency immediately, and order an independent in criminal proceedings. Described by enquiry in the violence in Feb. 2020. ’And independent experts as a pogrom against Government must withdraw CAA 2019. Muslims, the North East Delhi violence (ii) Civil society needs to be much more is now being portrayed as a conspiracy vigilant, document evidence, and use all by anti-CAA activists. It is impossible to the instruments available to it, to ensure miss the conclusion that COVID-19 has justice for victims and accountability of provided a convenient opportunity for duty bearers. (iii) Lastly international the government to try to delegitimize, community must raise greater awareness by criminalizing the peaceful protests on India and condition of its minorities, in Delhi and elsewhere, that epitomized offer India greater capacity development the mass movement against the support to professionalise its police discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) force and judiciary. And international Act. 2019. community must take much more Conclusion & Recommendations responsibility including for checking use of social media platforms for hate and 9. India is more divided today than it targeting. was a few months ago. Islamophobia Hit Job, - Page: 5 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations List of Boxes Page 1. Introduction: 7 2. COVID-19 Outbreak and the state response 9 2.1 How did the Pandemic progress? 9 2.2 Early Response 9 2.3 Lockdown precipitating exodus 10 2.4 Offering Relief: Too little, too late! 12 3. Changing the Narrative: Muslims as Scapegoat 16 3.1 COVID and Religious profiling 16 3.2 Misinformation campaign 18 3.3 Authorities failing to act 22 3.4 Online abuse triggering physical impact 23 Violence and attacks 23 Social and economic boycott 26 Denial of public services 27 3.5 Continuing to Scapegoat 28 4.