Over the past few years, a section of the mainstream media has been amplifying the bogey of “garba jihad” every Navratri – the Hindutva conspiracy theory that Muslim men are entering garba pandals to lure Hindu women into an Islamist trap.
But it seems to have taken a new dimension this year, with Hindi daily Patrika co-organising and sponsoring a garba event “exclusively for Sanatani Hindu” families in Bhopal. This is in line with calls from various Hindutva groups advocating for restrictions on non-Hindus entering pandals in Madhya Pradesh; and among those who have backed such curbs are state minister Dharmendra Singh Lodha.
Patrika is not the only media outlet among the sponsors. News24 MP-Chhattisgarh and Red FM are also funding the ‘Patrika Bhojpal Garba Mahotsav’ event at Bhopal’s Jamboori Maidan. “Pravesh keval Hindu Sanatani parivar ke liye (entry only for Hindu Sanatani family),” notes the pass for the five-day event which kicked off on October 5.
Newslaundry reached out to Patrika editor-in-chief Vijay Chaudhary for comment. Newslaundry also reached out to Siddharth Kothari, the son of the paper’s owner Gulab Kothari and one of the directors of Patrika group. This report will be updated if any of them responds.
‘Forced to get tilak’
A 24-year-old, who attended the Patrika event, claimed that Aadhaar cards and names were needed for entry, and that those who didn’t have them were checked for ritual threads or religious attire. “I went with my friends, and before checking our passes, they asked for our names and Aadhaar cards. After verifying the passes, they insisted on putting a tilak on everyone’s forehead. I mentioned that I’m allergic to vermilion, but they still applied it forcefully. Additionally, if someone didn’t have an Aadhaar card, they were checked for religious symbols, like lockets featuring Hindu deities or threads, to gain entry.”
“I’ve always read Patrika for news and considered it a reliable source of information and awareness, but now I have serious concerns about its credibility and biases. A newspaper should be free from such prejudices.”
A 21-year-old fine arts student from a government college
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here.