DWS Extra

Yes, really. The comments on news websites (even after moderation) are so ridiculous sometimes. Especially when the topic is even slightly sensitive.

Rediff message boards are a perfect example of this. Take any story that has some religious angle, and you will find a great brawl. The horrible English is OK, we weren’t born into English-speaking families. But if Islam is connected to the discussion in anyway, or the story is about someone with a Muslim name, all hell breaks loose. Islam will be roundly condemned, Muslims in India will be called traitors, and there will be calls for all-out wars with Pakistan. And then would pop in someone from the other side, reaffirming the supremacy of Islam over all other religions, singing praises of the one true God. Not to be left behind, some evangelist will make his appearance and sweetly tell everyone to accept Jesus. Roundhouse madness. The anti-Muslim lobby always wins the shouting match, of course - they are just too many in number.

Today I noticed a slightly tamer version of the same on the CNN-IBN website. The story was titled Mumbai Riots: A planned, perfected pogrom. Typical IBN-style reporting, a bit over the top, about how some cops in Mumbai were part of the rioters, and often were instigating riots and abusing Muslims, abusing their senior officers who wanted to help Muslims, and even creating trouble for the army in doing their job.

They have also given snatches of some wireless conversations, full of maa-behn-ki-gaalis.

Nothing new, really, for anyone who was capable of reading a newspaper in 1992-93.

But apparently the commenters were too young then. That is what I think. At this moment, there are eight comments, all angry at the story, accusing CNN-IBN of fabricating the story and wondering what else they would do to further the agenda of the Congress!

Look at this example:

Under the pressure of Congress, IBNlive is making these arguments? The big question is that where was IBNLive since 1992 to yesterday?

Heh heh. There was no CNN-IBN in 1992. They are quite new, and since they were born, have played up riot stories. Making up arguments? Mumbaikars would admit all that easily. They lived through that. Some may be ashamed of it, some may be proud of it, but no one will deny that riots happened, cops sometimes helped the rioters etc. The difference of opinion is about whether the riots were justified or not. Sainiks in Mumbai will admit to their part in the riots proudly - though obviously they cannot come on television and take credit for that. No one wants to go to jail.

The same commenter also accuses Muslims of killing thousands of Hindus in Kerala, and that it is all covered up by communists! Come on, man. I was born there, and killings mostly happen in Kerala on a party vs party basis. And thousands? There are problem areas in Kerala too - but what is considered a bad law and order situation in Kerala is the height of peace in the rest of India!

There is one commenter who justifies the killings, citing other crimes by Muslims. That at least is better that flatly denying the truth, I think. Of course, even here, there is no attempt to see if if one crime justifies another, there are many all sides can come up with.

How about this gem?

what a piece of garbase. Your are printing lies. Sensationalism and Muslim Appesement. Disgusting !!!!

Again, do these people truly believe that to be the case? I can understand the Shiv Sena officially saying so. They have to stay out of court and jail, but anonymous commenters really believe that all this is a lie? If that is the level of awareness, I truly fear for this country.

There is more, you can go to the story and read the rest.

The overwhelming pro-Hindu-at-all-costs attitude on the messageboards worries me. I do not see this negativity in real life. Are all the people on the Net closet fundamentalists? Is the new generation massively fascist?

Someone who justifies the wrongs - him I can talk to, even if only in a blog. What can one do with the idiots who believe everything is a lie?