cateejaaa

The CJP protest is being called a victory. Pradhan resigns, a few demands accepted, people told to pack up and go home. On paper it looks so perfect and happy. But look at who is still paying.

Junaid spent weeks at Jantar Mantar doing the most basic work imaginable, distributing food and water so students wouldn’t collapse in the unbearable heat. Just quiet labour and act of service. Now he faces police visits to his family, document seizures, questions about “funding". Serving water, such a simple act, became suspicious the moment a Muslim name was attached to it. In Bengal, at least thirteen other Muslims were detained under the Goonda bill, saying that they weren't students but gundas attacking police and journalists. When the faces are Muslim, the system somehow escalates and it turns into a witch hunt.

The worst part is that this isn't new. During the CAA-NRC protests, the same pattern was played out. Muslim women, students and ordinary citizens sat for months in places like Shaheen Bagh, exercising the right to dissent against a law they believed threatened their citizenship, and these peaceful sit-ins were met with sustained police pressure, internet blackouts, and a wave of UAPA and sedition cases that landed disproportionately on Muslim participants (I'm not saying it was only muslims who suffered, but a large number of muslims). While some non muslim protesters faced action too, the scale, the speed of FIRs, the prolonged detention, and the public framing of “anti-national” hit Muslims the hardest. The state treated their exercise of constitutional rights as a security threat rather than legitimate dissent that's a constitutional right. Article 19(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution guarantee every citizen the right to freedom of speech and to assemble peaceably without arms. These rights apply to everyone whether it be a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, atheist, ANYONE. Courts have repeatedly affirmed that peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right. Yet in practice, when Muslims organise or even simply support a protest, the machinery of the state — Section 144 orders, preventive detention, UAPA charges, slower bail, heavier media trials— is applied and they are tagged anti-national. The law is equal on paper but the enforcement is certainly not equal.

Anyway, i really hope i find some good colleges because it's messing with my peace of mind now.

This is the link:

The country known for its unity in diversity, India, is now the epicenter of hate. The land of rich culture, religions, languages, and art, is losing its essence. In recent years, the long celebrated diversity has been marred by a surge in hate crimes and speeches, particularly targeting minorities. The reports indicate that we are seeing a disturbing rise in incidents of hate speech and crime, with a 74% increase in hate speech cases in 2024 alone. The subjects of these hate speeches are predominantly Muslims, alongside Christians and Dalits.

Everyday on social media we see hundreds, if not thousands, of anti minority hate speech posts. According to a report by The Wire, India saw a 74% increase in hate speech in 2024, with over 1,000 incidents recorded by the India Hate Lab last year, compared to 688 such events in 2023. Out of these 1,165 reports, 98.5% of the were targeted towards Muslims, while nearly 10% targeted Christians. Uttar Pradesh was at the top of the list of states with most communal rhetorics with 242 hate speeches followed by Maharashtra with 210 and Madhya Pradesh with 98. These three states together accounted for 47% of all hate speech events across the country in 2024. These rhetorics saw an increase around May during election periods and often dealt with conspiracy theories like "love jihad", which fuel the fear and animosity towards Muslims. Despite constitutional provisions like Article 15, which prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth, and legal provisions like IPC Section 153A that penalizes actions that promote enmity or disharmony between different religious, racial, language, or regional groups, enforcement remains inconsistent.

Social media has become another reservoir for hate. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Youtube have been used to share hate speeches. In 2024, 85% of hate speeches have been streamed and shared on such platforms, but only 3 out of 995 reported videos were removed. This wide spread of such posts often normalizes hate speech such can later turn into physical violence as seen in some recent cases of mob lynching and clashes between communities. Such posts can also strengthen prejudices that create walls between communities who once lived together peacefully.

All these anti minority rhetorics can deepen communal divide and create a sense of alienation within minorities. This not only hinders the unity of the country, but also diminish the global image of the country as the world's largest democracy. If such cases of hate speech, mob lynching and clashes between communities are not put to an end, the country will lose its prestige of being tolerant and united. We must come together to address this rising issue and preserving the country's pride. There should be stricter implementation of laws, social media platforms must be held accountable and enforce policies that discourage hate speeches, raise awarness to counter prejudices, and lastly, hold political leaders accountable for remaining silent on such rising concerns.

Only through collective effort we can reclaim India's commitment to unity in diversity. We should see it as a personal responsibility to end this cycle of hate and break free to form a country that is more accepting and peaceful. A country where all the people have a common identity, a common name, and that is "INDIAN".

I'm mentioning a few sources from where I got my data, I hope it helps.

If I ever have kids, I wish it's never a daughter

I hope it's a boy, who can flow in life like water

He'll travel the world and not care for it a quarter

Unlike the girl who'll spend her life fearing society's mortar

I don't want a daughter whom I have to hide from the world

Keep her in the dark, bring her to to life just to hurl

I don't want a daughter who hates being a girl

Don't want her to be hated just for her twist and twirl

I want a son who is celebrated for every fight

Who'll not get judged for wearing clothes too tight

The world will trust his words because men are always right

No one will question where he was all through the night

I am afraid I will end up giving birth to daughters like me

They'll never be satisfied and question everything they see

Though it's a boon, but apparently not when you are a she

They'll try to be themselves but the society won't let them be

So tell me that I hate women for not wanting a girl child

It's true that I don't like girls who like to run free and wild

Who don't stress about the worldly work that's piled

For I know the punishments awaiting them are never mild

They’ll dream in color, but be forced to live in grey

And every bold choice will come with a price to pay

Their worth will be weighed in what others say

And freedom will always feel one step away

If they regret being born and quietly pray

That they’d been a boy to keep pain at the bay

I’d drown in the guilt which I'd carry each day