How Media’s repulsive selectivity is framing Muslims as the perpetrators of Coronavirus spread

While the health of Journalism and communication in a country can be examined in the times of crisis, media bodies have come out to be ideological gears of the government. While some have considered practising ethical journalism in the crucial times of virus outbreak by raising genuine questions for social concern, media landscape has become a battleground of ideologies at national and regional level. 

Image courtesy: BBC

Thirty-one members of an extended family, including children, residing in north Delhi's Jahangirpuri area, tested positive for COVID-19 on April 18th. All of them were sent to a self-isolation centre in Narela. The family is said to be infected after coming in contact with a woman from the minority community, who tested positive for virus, two days post her death due to the same. The portion of Jahangirpuri, where they lived, was declared a containment zone on April 10 and was sealed. The family and 33 others who contacted the woman became subject to flak by police officials for violating norms of containment zone.  

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal taking a note of the situation in national capital, told the media ‘"2274 samples were tested yesterday, out of which 67 cases tested positive. In last 2-3 days the number of cases have gone down. I hope that cases will go down even more in the coming days. Also, 26 people in a containment zone in Jahangirpuri were found positive for COVID-19." He further promised a compensation of rupees 1 crores for coronawarriors who lose their lives. Eight new containment zones were added on 18th, taking their total number in Delhi to 76.

Jahangirpuri is inhabited by over 10,000 families of Bengali Muslims, known to have migrated from West Bengal’s Midnapore district during a post-Independence food crisis in the state. They live mostly in the C and D blocks of Jahangirpuri and have often been looked down upon and despised by the locals of Delhi. Hence, the family infected by the virus residing in the C Block of this area fell prey to hate and abuse of the nationalist media and pro-establishment cult furthering the Hindutva ideology. The family was humiliated and the community was targeted and disgraced for the same.  

But to what the media, government and twitter users shockingly turned a blind eye is the case of ‘Nagar’ family of Ahmedabad who tested positive for the virus on 19th April. While the Media failed to bring this in public notice, Jiten Bhayani – a chartered accountant based in Ahmedabad pointed out that 23 members of the family residing at different houses in the same block of Gandhi road were infected by the novel coronavirus. Gandhi road of the old city known for trade market, Hindu temple sights and heritage palaces has since long been under curfew. Images below read the names of all tested positive for coronavirus on 19th April 

(see Sr. no. 97-122, excluding no. 100,101 and 107. The list can also be sourced from https://twitter.com/SiddharthNews18/status/1251770850099036161?s=19 tweeted by ‘News18 Gujarati’ journalist) 

The total coronavirus cases in Gujarat stand at 2600 including 127 deaths as of April 25. I am skeptical of how the Gujarati regional media that has remarked on the most trivial developments happening amid the coronavirus pandemic, has not or has chosen not to acknowledge the virus spread among 23 members of the family, while curfew had already been imposed on the area long back. Neither was the family ridiculed by police officials for having known to flout the norms, or by twitter users of demonstrating anomic behavior for disobeying the lockdown guidelines. Nor did the family, their community and their area of residence make for a national news story. The government of Gujarat did not caution for the the same, addressing the media.  

The Tablighi Jamaat event, the case of 31 family members testing positive for coronavirus in Delhi’s jahangirpuri subsequently appealed people to criticise any gathering that violates the lockdown norms, irrespective of its religion. What can be glaringly observed here is the repulsive selectivity with which facts are being presented, neglected and hid from the masses to frame one community as the perpetrator in the political narrative. 

An entire community is being targeted, abused, attacked and vilified for a deadly virus spread. While the governing regime is busy espousing a Hindu Nationalist ideology generations of the religious minority will recount horror of the same. Media ideally known for dissemination of objective information, rational and critical reporting has forgotten it's democratic role by choosing to abide by the government diktat.