Disturbing Dog Whistles from
the Ramparts of the Red Fort

The Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort this year has set a pattern which follows the dog whistles from Sangh Parivar organizations for the past many years, accusing the minorities, especially the Muslims, for a demographic shift in the country’s population.

He has indirectly raised such an allegation, even as he showered highly improper praise on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on its 100th anniversary, with a view to incite communal passions at a time the county goes for critical Assembly elections in several states. He has announced the decision to form a high powered Demographic Mission to address what he termed a “deliberate conspiracy” to change the demographic patterns of the country. Mr Narendra Modi said such a conspiracy was taking place, especially in the border areas, “where infiltrators are snatching away the livelihood of the youth and are targeting the sisters and daughters of my country. They mislead innocent tribals and capture their lands. The country will not tolerate this. When demographic changes take place in the border areas, it causes a threat to national security.”

It is sad and deeply disturbing that the Prime Minister has portrayed the issue of demographic changes to a threat to national security and lack of job opportunities for the youngsters. With such inflammatory references, he is sure to bring more virulent attacks on the minorities like Muslims and Christians in all parts of the country, especially in the vulnerable areas where they are already facing huge threats and difficulties. It is a matter of shame that many hapless Bengali migrant labourers are being attacked by the police as well as Sangh Parivar vigilantes in many states from Maharashtra to Bihar to Odisha and other places. These labourers are being subjected to attacks only because they speak Bengali, their mother tongue.

An atmosphere of suspicion against the minorites has been generated to divide the society on communal lines and reap political mileage, which the ruling party has enjoyed for long. The recent arrest of two Malayali Christian nuns on charges of religious conversion and human trafficking in Chhattisgarh is one of the latest examples of how such malicious campaigns on the part of the dominant powers could prove disastrous for ordinary citizens carrying out their normal and legitimate tasks.

The same is the situation in allegations like “Love jihad” where Muslims are accused of targeting women from other communities for conversion, a charge which had been proved absolutely baseless in the courts of law. Despite the Kerala High Court’s unequivocal findings, such allegations are still being raised, poisoning the communal situation in the country. It is unfortunate that the country’s topmost executive authority is now adding fuel to the fire.

Such irresponsible allegations have been raised by the Sangh Parivar for a long time and each time these had been proved baseless by the facts regarding demographic patterns as seen in various Census records. For example, the last Census Report released in the country, relating the 2011 Census, had proved that the country’s rate of population growth was coming down consistently. It showed that more the economic and educational progress, the greater the fall in the rate of population growth. Muslims have been one of the most backward social groups in the country, a fact that has been highlighted by the Rajindar Sachar Committee report. Even then, the Census report had shown that the rate of decadal decline of Muslim population has been much higher compared to other communities, despite the minimal uptick in their socio-economic indicators. So if the Prime Minister is really concerned about the demographic shifts, he should focus on the country’s troubling disparities in socio-economic patterns and not indulge in dog whistles that would only add to the prevailing atmosphere of suspicion, which could drive a larger number of Indians into more poverty, insecurity, backwardness and avoidable human sufferings.

BM Kamble
National Vice President
Social Democratic Party of India