“Muslims….
You brought the deadly virus into this country
Immediately come out.
Every moment of your hiding is dangerous to the world”
This was announced at a high pitch.
With a sense of urgency
I came out with a white flag…
I am a responsible Indian
I am a responsible Muslim
Responsible, but…doubtful citizen
In the past, Muslim was seen as a terrorist
What is more terrorising now?
Muslim is seen as a carrier of the deadly virus.
Never before in the history
A virus has undergone a religious conversion.
It was born in China
It was a Communist virus
It entered India. It transformed into an Islamic virus
It all started in a small place…through tourists from Thailand.
It was never proved. They all happened to be Muslims.
In a city, the first death due to community transmission was declared
He was buried in a hurry. The news was repeatedly reported.
He happened to be a Muslim.
Now, it came from Delhi. The story says,
Muslims brought the Islamic virus through Islamic trains
They all happened to be Muslims
Muslims should be responsible citizens
Muslims should voluntarily come for testing
Any crowd should behave responsibly.
Here, the possibility of Islamic virus
Hence, extra responsibility and extra caution required
The old way of taunting —
Muslims demolish temples, Muslims throw bombs
Muslims betray the country, Muslims indulge in Love Jihad
New way —
Muslims bring deadly virus, Muslims spread deadly virus
Such news, spreads faster than the virus itself
People were struggling to explain
While denying house to Muslims, while denying jobs and while boycotting their shops
Now it is easy…… Muslims bring deadly virus
WhatsApp makes such a news viral. It enters our heads faster than the virus.
On the suspicion of eating beef
One Muslim was killed
On the suspicion of bringing virus
One Muslim may be pushed out of train
What has not happened in this country
Easier to suspect a community rather than individuals
As the carrier of the deadly virus
This is how racial cleansing is done…
Purification is done
We know why you are saying this again and again
Fear of death has gripped everybody
Including me
Still….
I feel lonely more than you people
Because I am a Muslim.
This is what is happening for long time
My friend who is a champion of communal harmony
Tells me with some anxiety
“Keep a distance”
Another friend, who preaches religious brotherhood murmurs,
“Why your people are behaving in such an irresponsible way”?
I wanted to tell…
Wait for some time for the truth to come out
But I kept quiet. In the past too I told similar things.
As I normally do nowadays,
I remained silent with my head down.
If I respond,
Instead of being branded as the carrier of the deadly virus
I may be branded as the deadly virus.
We believe the governments
We believe every warning
We obey every order
Still……these things happen
We are tired.
We have exhausted all the soaps used repeatedly proving our purity.
The hatred virus is born in rumour labs
Expect the announcement that the deadly virus started
With those
Who were sitting
With National flags
At Shaheen Bagh.
You may not be opening the gas pipes as Hitler did.
But now you see the opportunity…
For virus bathing of the entire Muslim community
Otherwise let us unite against Corona