Daily Times

The gloves are off and India is back with its sadistic auctioning of Muslim women. Only months after Sulli (a derogatory slang used by the ultra-right) Deals took social media by storm, perverse handles are again busy putting up pictures and personal details; making them a vile target of their grossly naked display of misogyny. This time, the hate brigade is operating under the flag of Bulli Bai. Whether the recently published problematic list is an act of pure hatred against women or a disturbing nonacceptance of Muslims as a part of the Indian fabric is an unsettling question.

And while an uproar by a woman journalist has led to an FIR by the Delhi Police and a surprising leap by the usually dismissive government, sad inaction in the past means there would still be no concrete action. The previous registration of two FIRs was largely a ploy for the optics because worrying for those already fallen is a futile exercise. Just as relaxed have been the community leaders who never bother themselves with the routine bouts of violence against Muslim women in both large cities and small towns. Since the run-of-the-mill rape threats and very public harassing rhetoric appear a tactic of the days gone by, those obsessed with the anti-Muslim ideologue have now turned to social media platforms for the greatest possible effect. We’ve seen Youtubers horrendously bidding on a live-streames session of pictures belonging to not only Indian but even Pakistani women. Disgusting songs targeting “fair-skinned” Kashmiri women in the wake of Article 370 have been normalised over time. Even more disconcerting has been a shameless encouragement by influential handles to sexually target Muslim women. Isn’t the vicious onslaught in 2001’s Gujrat enough testament to what havoc the beastly genie can wreak upon once the bottle is uncorked? From neverending slander campaigns to well-oiled congregational calls for the abduction of Muslim women, the tragedy is far from over but those perched atop the cushy throne refuse to raise a single finger in their favour. Where would these hate-filled shenanigans end because they have already tightened their clasp around their livelihoods, dignity and even basic survival? A large community walks on eggshells every day, constantly afraid of the fallout of a single misstep. Sitting on the other end of the table, Modi and his cronies cannot stop making the case for their incredible India, dabbling into the widespread roots of its civilisation. The reality of their vibrant fairytale could not get any darker than it has for its over 200 million Muslims ready to shoulder the blame for everything from inflation all the way to the pandemic. *