Media raises Muslim terrorists’ bogey again
The baseless reporting by almost all the newspaper from this city has spread an atmosphere of suspicion in Muslim majority areas.
MAHATAB ALAM questions the basis for these reports
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In Ranchi the leading newspapers seem to be hell bent on manufacturing Muslim terrorists. On 15th of December almost all newspapers prominently published a news item on the state’s Muslims’ alleged links with terror groups. The headline in Prabhat Khabar, which led with the story, was, "Indian Mujahideen main do Baryatau ke bhi (Two of Indian Mujahideens are from Baryatu),’’ while the one in Dainik Jagaran read, "Indian Mujahadeen ke do Aatanki Baryatu ke (Two of Indian Mujahadeen’s terrorists hail from Baryatu). Dainik Bhaskar, using the story as the second lead said, "Aatanki Dastak (Terrorists’ Knock)". Baryatu is a Muslim majority area of Ranchi.
Decrying the reportage SHO of Baryatu police station, K D Singh told this writer, "There are no such reports received from state or central intelligence agencies. It is very irresponsible reporting by media organisations and it can breed terror and suspicion not only amongst Muslims but other communities." Denying the report Director General of Police (DGP) Neyaz Ahmad told Hindi daily Hindustan, "I don’t have any information on the link between Ranchi’s youth and terrorists.’’ Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ranchi, Praveen Kumar also denied having received any such information. "We have corresponded with the home ministry over two local youth but after that I have no further information," he told a reporter.
Despite this, newspapers have continued their efforts to manufacture Muslim terrorists and malign Muslim localities. Prabhat Khabar reported in a sub-heading that Danish and Imtiyaz, alias Immuddin, were residents of Millat Colony, Baryatu. Dainik Bhaskar reported that both the terrorists wanted in the Vanarasi blast case were likely to be hiding in Ranchi or Jamshedpur, one of them being reported to be hiding in Baryatu Police station area.
While the newspapers do not name any community, the areas that they name in their reports are all Muslim majority locations. It is also worth noting that in most of the cases being spoken of, Hindu fundamentalists have been named.
On 16 December the coverage continued in the same vein with Prabhat Khabar, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, The Pioneer, The Telegraph and Ranchi Express filing further unsubstantiated reports on the issue. Prabhat Khabar went a step ahead and wrote an editorial titled, "Chote Shahar Main Aatanki" (Terrorists in small city.) Hindustan was the only newspaper to report that the stories were baseless.
On inquiring about the source of the reports, one reporter who took a by-line for the story said that the media were given information regarding this at a briefing of the special branch. They were also told to look up the site of the home ministry which had published lists of Indian Mujahideen, however this writer found no such lists.
Meanwhile, following the reports an atmosphere of suspicion prevails in the Muslim localities of Ranchi. In Baryatu no youth is willing to discuss this issue or identify with the two named youth who come from the same locality. While one accused, Manzar, works in the city itself, Danish works in Hyderabad and visits his home during festivals. This writer who is a newcomer to the locality is also being looked at suspiciously. When I was seen clicking a picture of the Muharram procession, I was looked upon as an Intelligence Bureau informant. People of other areas of the city have started viewing the area as a ‘terror hub’.
An important question to ponder upon here is why the police department was not informed by the IB or special branch if they had authentic information on the involvement of the two youth from the area. The whole issue shows the media in an irresponsible light as it is being used to promote an agenda that attacks the Muslim community.
(Mahtab Alam is a civil rights’ activist based in Ranchi.
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