 Summary of this article
- The “point-blank shot” video was deleted as soon as the first signs of criticism surfaced
- There is no way of ascertaining the claim that the creators expected controversy
- They decided to still share the video, hoping it would give their supporters enough time to spread the polemical message
A video of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shooting at images of Muslims—two individuals engaged in seemingly everyday routine activity—was posted on the official “BJP Assam Pradesh” ‘X” handle by the state IT cell on February 8. The video was taken down after public hue and cry about the blatant xenophobia and violent ethno-nationalist sentiment echoed by an official arm of the state machinery.
The Opposition termed this as a “call to genocide”, with various officials referring to the incident using language that sought to express the shock of such a brazen act of violence—even if it is “mediatised”: “attack” “mass murderers”, “venom, hatred and violence”, “murder of minorities” “vilest form of hate and political targeting”. But the opposition’s creative slurs, and calls for judicial retribution, only highlight the seriousness of this act.
Various commentators condemned the state bureaucracy’s apathetic and predatory strategy of demonising an entire community, openly endorsed by the Centre. The Indian National Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohammed called out the Prime Minister, referring to his endorsement of the Assam CM—Modi’s “Favourite man” (who has hit headlines several times before, because of his aggressive stance against Muslims).
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While the video was taken down, the damage has been done. In the wake of no public statement by the federal leadership about this “lapse”, Sarma claims to have been oblivious to the video, even as he injects more adrenaline to his earlier stance: “I am ready to go to jail… But I stand by my words. I am against Bangladeshi infiltrators and I will continue to be against them”.
This act must be seen in the context of multiple assertions of fascist impulse, charged with hatred, across various media platforms in the country, that are usually analysed by commentators as occurring in the “run-up” to some election or the other. In a public statement released not less than a fortnight ago, signed by 188 academics, activists, and lawyers, while condemning the Sarma led-government policy to “make the Miya people suffer” (Miya is a pejorative term for Bengali Muslims), the signatories describe the government’s actions as ushering in “a new era of impunity” for hate speech in the state.
Assam CM Sarma's Deleted Video Row: How Polarisation Became Part of BJP's Election Playbook
BY Mohammad Ali |
