The News Minute (TNM) has done it again. In a renewed attempt TNM has unleashed casteist venom to further the agenda of demonising Hinduism. In an article written by Neo Buddhist Ajay S Sekher and edited by a staunch follower of Jesus Christ Maria Teresa Raju, TNM in its latest article has gone out of the way, jumping leaps and bounds to propagate casteist venom and to tarnish the belief system of Hindus. This is not the first time that TNM has violated journalistic ethics with click baits and for views. In fact, this time around TNM oversteps to blur the line between facts and agenda-driven journalism. It is high time that we react to such hypocritic journalism which distorts reality to further a particular agenda.
Opinion Piece Or…
The article prima facie presents itself as unharmful, a regular opinion piece pointing out nuances of present-day politics. But a closer look into the work reveals that the article itself begins with a twisted headline; ‘Pinarayi and Stalin: The two lowered caste CMs striving to preserve an anti-caste memory’. Ignore the absurd idea of calling a Communist CM, leader of an atheist party a ‘lowered caste’ CM, the headline of the article itself twists the narrative by stating that both ‘Pinarayi’ and ‘Stalin’ are ‘Lowered’ caste CM. Is it mockery or trickery? It is hard to understand. But one thing is for sure, the headline in itself is a wanton attempt to symbolise that Hinduism itself has played an active role in keeping these leaders lowered. The author also conveniently forgets that the famed CM of Tamil Nadu along with his son are propagators of Christianity. Anyways the author and editor continue to smoke something illegal to carry on with their ‘Left-Liberal’ diatribe which is clearly visible as we read ahead.
The event which brought together these oppressive leaders of their respective states was the commemoration of the Channar revolt by Nadar women seeking the right to cover their breasts. The author began the article by stating that, ‘the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, spoke the truth when he said that the inhuman and casteist taxes on people’s breasts and heads were imposed by the Sanatana Dharma or the so-called Vedic Varnashrama Dharma, to divide them.’ These kinds of blanket statements placing the blame on a single religion can be done only by The News Minute. The neo-Buddhist author and Christian editor squarely conclude the initiative of abolishing breast tax was taken up in 1812 by the missionary and colonial British administrator Colonel John Munro. If there was a competition to please our old colonial masters, TNM might finish first even beating British publications. The distorted presentation of facts by TNM conveniently forgets about the existence of Indians as a community before the arrival of the British in India.
Breast Tax?
If we look into the struggle to cover breasts, we can have a cleaner insight into the subject without being polluted by the distorted narrative of TNM. During British colonial rule, the imposition of Victorian morality on India had a damaging effect on the country’s cultural practices. One example is the case of the Nadar women in Kerala, whose traditional attire involved covering only one breast. This was seen as scandalous by the British, who imposed their Victorian sense of modesty on the Nadar community, forcing them to cover both breasts. This restriction had a significant impact on the Nadar women’s way of life, as it was an integral part of their cultural identity. It also represented a loss of freedom and autonomy for them, as they were forced to conform to an alien cultural norm. This illustrates how the imposition of Victorian morality had negative consequences on Indian culture, as it suppressed and eroded unique cultural practices and norms. The staunch Christian editor of TNM conveniently ignores these truths and even goes to the extent of ignoring the atrocities committed by Christians in Kerala and upholds the Sanatana Dharma as the sole creator of immoral values.
During colonial times, some Christian missionaries in Kerala committed atrocities against Hindus who they saw as heathens or pagans, using violent and coercive means to convert them. The St. Thomas Church massacre of 1653 is a notorious incident where hundreds of Hindu devotees were killed, leading to mass conversions to the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Cultural and religious imperialism was also prevalent, with the destruction of Hindu temples and the imposition of Western customs on the local population. But these incidents do not qualify to gain attention from ‘Left-Liberal’ cohorts of TNM, only Sanatana Dharma does.
The author keeps on writing his immoral thesis even post this visible mishap. They continue to weave a fictional story of the political significance of the meeting between two CMs. The author states that the shared history of the two Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Pinarayi and Stalin, has brought them together amid the increasing prominence of Sanatana Dharma and caste Hindutva discourse in India. Together, their efforts may serve as a resistance to the communal and divisive agenda of cultural nationalism and the obscurantism of Vedic and Vedantic teachings. Forget the factual anomaly in these statements as according to the National Crime Records Bureau, there has been a decrease in the number of reported cases of crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India from 2017 to 2019. It is also a fact that post-Modi’s rise in Indian politics casteist politics and pride have been subsumed and replaced by national identity and pride. Instead of seeing this as a trend for the betterment of India, the author sees this as a disturbing trend.
The author dares to state that the CMs of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are defending against Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana Dharma, also known as Hinduism, is one of the oldest and most complex religions in the world. It is characterized by a diverse range of beliefs, practices, and traditions that have evolved over thousands of years, and it has played a significant role in shaping the culture and identity of India. Sanatana Dharma encompasses a wide variety of philosophical and spiritual traditions, including yoga, meditation, karma, and reincarnation. Many Hindus believe that Sanatana Dharma is the original culture of the people of India and has been passed down through generations. So, by stating that both CMs are resisting Sanatana Dharma, is the author trying to say that Hinduism is bad for the country? Or defending Hinduism is a noble deed? The author also makes critical mistakes of defining both these CMs as ‘old brothers of Sangam age,’ at this point I find it difficult to counter these arguments by the author as the article in TNM sounds like a delusional blabbering by a schizophrenic fool who is ignorant of basic facts and reality. The attack on Hindus in Kerala by the Pinarayi dispensation and anti-India rhetoric by Stalin has been conveniently forgotten by TNM while portraying these villains as champions of the people.
Sabarimala
The absurdity of the author does not stop there. The author continues to appropriate every Hindu tradition as Buddhist according to his ideology. The author disturbingly uses the term ‘Saverimala’ instead of ‘Sabarimala’ in the article. The author makes the bold claim that ‘Sabarimala’ is indeed a non-Vedic shrine appropriated by the Hindus. Sabarimala is the traditional name of the Hindu temple located in Kerala, India. Calling it “Saverimala” is considered a distortion of the original name and is not historically accurate. The name Sabarimala is derived from the words “Shabari” and “Malai” and has a religious and cultural significance. Trying to rename it as Saverimala is viewed as an attempt to rewrite history and promote a particular political or ideological agenda. Therefore, it is important to use the traditional name while referring to the temple. For the author and the editor, Hindus and Hinduism are just fodder for other proselytizing religions such as Christianity and Islam. The author also discredits Mahabharata and Ramayana by stating that these holy texts are recited by Hindutva forces to brainwash the Avarna masses! How did TNM even let this get published? The media and its editors stood silent when its author unleashed derogatory notions about epics that hold a special place in the collective conscience of all Indians. One can also dare TNM to make statements about other religions such as reading Quran or Bible to brainwash people.
Vaikom Temple
The author also tarnishes the famous Shiva temple of Vaikom stating that the huge stone Linga installed there in the Middle Ages by Pulikalan Chami or Vyaghrapada Maharshi is a mere stone suitable only for washing clothes. By calling Holy Lingam a stone for washing clothes, the author and TNM try to bleed Hinduism by tarnishing its idols and deities. It is for these kinds of works that Section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code exists, and certainly, this article qualifies by legal standards to attract this provision of law. The author not only tarnishes the Vaikom temple but also states about the imaginary role played by Periyar in Vaikom Satyagraha. Periyar, also known as E. V. Ramasamy did not play a prominent role in the Vaikom Satyagraha, which was a nonviolent protest against untouchability and discrimination in accessing public roads and temples in Kerala. The Vaikom Satyagraha was led by Mahatma Gandhi and supported by prominent leaders of the Indian National Congress, the Indian Nationalist Movement, and social reformers such as C. V. Kunhiraman, K. Kelappan, and T. K. Madhavan. Although EVR was also involved in social reform movements during that time, he had not yet emerged as a prominent leader in the region and was not involved in the Vaikom Satyagraha. By reading these conclusions by the author one thing stands clear – logic and truth took a vacation while he was writing this piece.
In recent years, there have been discussions and debates about the representation of Hinduism in Indian media, with some observers noting a trend of criticism and negativity towards Hinduism in certain sections of the media. Some critics argue that this trend is a reflection of a broader political and ideological climate in the country, where a particular narrative of secularism is promoted by some media outlets and political parties. Hinduism and followers of Sanatana Dharma constantly fall on the firing line of ‘Left-Liberal’ cabals who are trying to divide and rule the nation. The unification of Hindus in the nation and rising consciousness about Indian culture has smitten these groups who are proud of Lutyens and Macaulay’s sons. TNM, its author, and its editor have clearly violated journalistic ethics while writing and publishing this piece. By donning the colours of secularism and anti-casteism, TNM targets Brahmins and Hindus and ironically tries to sow seeds of division within the Hindu religion. The anti-national, ‘Left-Liberal’ gang shall not be allowed to thrive spewing venom among Indian citizens. The authorities, as well as TNM, shall take appropriate actions against the culprit in the interest of communal harmony in this nation.
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