The nationalist narrative based on dharma and righteousness is increasingly finding traction among the youth. Questioning the infallible is the new normal. They no longer depend on a television channel or a newspaper to form an opinion or raise their concerns. The Clubhouse is the new medium where the youth feel safe to vent their feelings about what they think is wrong. They have increasingly become vocal and assertive.
A case in point is the recent Supreme Court decision in April that dismissed a petition filed by UP Shia Board Chairman Syed Wasim Rizvi while terming it “absolutely frivolous”. Rizvi had argued that certain verses in the Quran preached violence against the non-believers and hence needed to be removed. The court imposed a fine of Rs 50,000.
Rizvi cited 26 such verses which he said were extrapolations in the original text and were used to justify attacks on non-believers. He had pleaded that these be declared “unconstitutional, non-effective and non-functional” since these, he argued, promoted extremism and terrorism and posed a serious threat to the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country.
In normal circumstances, this should have settled the argument since there is a lot of sanctity attached to what the apex court says. But the youths of India are discussing the issue threadbare in an open and free atmosphere in various rooms of the Clubhouse (CH) app. They want to discuss what each of these verses says and what should be done if a religious text indeed preaches hatred against other communities.
In this context, one room in the CH was discussing “Should the Koran be banned?” They know it is extremely difficult and almost impossible but still, they are discussing this. They are spending hours discussing the provocative issue. “You can say your religion is the best, but can you say religions of others are bad,” one participant in such a discussion asked. The youths speak their minds fearlessly as they are confident that no big brother is watching and also that nothing that they say is on record. CH rules and participation ensure that the discourse is civilised even if the topic is controversial or someone has strong views.
Similarly, love jihad and forced conversion are favourite issues and discussed almost daily. While some may have a different take, the youth largely argue that love jihad is a weapon to change religious demography and make India an Islamic state. How can a person of a liberal Hindu religion get converted into a faith that is considered conservative? The recent cases of conversion of Sikh girls in Kashmir and Hindu girls in Uttar Pradesh figured prominently.
Today nothing can be swept under the carpet simply because it is politically incorrect to publicly speak so blatantly on these issues. Actually, there is a club by the name Politically Incorrect where speakers are chided if they are scared of speaking their minds. Where was the need to convert the Sikh girls even if the couple decided to marry, one speaker asked.
These youngsters are not much bothered about the various editorials that have given their opinions on anti-conversion legislation in some BJP ruled states. The classic case of love jihad being discussed is that of Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) where a Muslim youth Usman married Amandeep Kaur after giving her a Muslim identity. But his game was over when he married again and Amandeep, now Jannet Qurashi, objected to his second marriage.
Two Hindu girls from Gomti Nagar (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh) converted to Islam and were forcing their family members to convert. Uttar Pradesh ATS found links of forced conversion in the state to Gujarat where they caught one businessman Salahudin who had funded Mohammad Umar Gautam running a conversion racket through his organization Islamic Da’wah Centre.
And if a BJP leader is spotted in the audience (one can’t hide one’s identity) and accepts the moderator’s request to speak, the pet question will be when will Modiji bring population control law. One such speaker answered: “Trust Modiji. He has delivered on promises and he will do what is in the best interest of the country”. The youth there had unflinching trust in the Prime Minister.
The other question often asked is what should be done to those who return to Hindu faiths because acceptance of such people is not easy. The questions being asked now in open circles were earlier discussed only in close quarters. It is the ascension of PM Modi that has made this possible. TheNew York Times’s advertisement asking anti-Modi ideologue to be a fit person to become its employee as a media person has angered these youths who see this as an affront to Indian nationalism. They are firmly behind the Prime Minister.
Anyone can enter these discussion rooms and raise his or her voice. One can hurl abuses also, but the person does not get a second chance and is sent packing from the list of speakers by the moderators. The choice is either to lie silent or raise issues logically and without raising the voice. Faces are not visible, only the voices of the participants are heard. This helps people multi-task and also listen to the arguments made in the CH at the same time. Every aspect is debated on merit. Anyone can walk into the room and listen to the arguments. Some of the arguments are brilliant and backed by research. Rivals also raise issues but they are forced to back their opinions with facts and research.
The youth of the country who may have felt slighted by the secular media are suddenly finding the adrenalin of liberation. They no longer depend on traditional media and can argue their point of view fiercely. The way issues are debated, can emerge as a model for a healthy democracy.
While nationalist forums try to appease opponents by giving them full space to talk and counter, the same is not visible in rooms run by Left-leaning and anti-Modi groups. During one such debate on Uttar Pradesh, the room was discussing how the Yogi government has been selective in encounters, but the moderators found it tough to face questions from a young girl who reeled out statistics to prove that they were wrong. The moderators expelled her and opined that such people are indoctrinated and cannot be expected to see the truth.
Seemingly the Congress has realised the importance of the presence of the youth in CH. I have been told that Congress leaders such as Manish Tewari and Sam Pitroda have addressed the Clubhouse Rooms recently. Naturally, they would speak against the Modi government. If you speak impeccable English, you can hide your failures.
BJP spokesperson from Haryana Raman Malik is a regular at the club and he strongly felt that some of the clubs run by anti-Modi camps have identified him and other people for asking questions based on facts. “These clubs do not allow us to be speakers and on many occasions, they evict us after seeing our CVs. They are not interested in debates. They indoctrinate the young and fill them with hatred.”
I visited some of the rooms in the CH that were discussing issues against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to examine the trend. Those conducting the discussions faced a tough time moderating rival viewpoints. The moderators were seen explaining that the people with contrary opinions were completely indoctrinated. They failed to, however, see the point that they were indoctrinated too to find everything wrong with what the Prime Minister did.
The common theme in various rooms was intolerance, and most arguments made were if the Hindus were intolerant compared to Muslims. The debate then focused on how Islam treats non-believers. One participant argued that Hindus remained Hindus because they were brave. Those who converted did so under fear or attraction. One Muslim participant argued that Quran was good but some people interpreted it differently. A young girl cited some verses from the Quran and asked him to reply but he checked out when cornered.
CH is emerging as a 24-hour university where knowledge is being imparted on various issues from vaccines to the Olympics to investment and business. One can go and sit in any class silently and gain knowledge. If there are any queries one can raise the hand and ask questions or give an opinion. All kinds of activities are going on across the world and participants are not limited to any one part of the world.
It is extremely difficult now to control the narrative. Anyone can start a discussion room on the topic of his choice and others interested would join. One need not be an expert. The so-called Left-wing that thrived on controlling the narrative is not finding traction here. Those who talk of a strong country, against intolerance and terrorism and hatred are being heard the most. It appears as if dharma or righteousness will rule.
A one-sided narrative would not be accepted. If people are supporting the Arab world, there are more who would support Israel’s right to exist. If China celebrated 100 years of the foundation of the Communist Party, many questioned the reason for celebration when millions died in various Chinese experiments in forcible implementation of the Communist ideology.
People were extolling the demand for Khalistan in one such room saying Sikhism was a separate religion and different from Hinduism. There was a Sikh from the Indian Army who said the country is first and for him, his own religion comes after his religious duty to work for the country. Others argued that if religion can be the basis of the formation of a country, why should India not be declared a Hindu Rashtra. Some Islamic supporters for Khalistan went silent against this argument.
While the mainstream media may have ignored Swami Vivekanand’s death anniversary on 4 July, youngsters intensely discussed his teachings and contributions in the CH. A young lady associated with the Ramakrishna Mission recommended that the nine volumes of Complete Works of Swami Vivekanand should be read to understand him. Various anecdotes were shared by participants and these were truly enlightening.
Nothing, absolutely nothing goes without critical scrutiny. While one such room discussed why PM Narendra Modi did not address a press conference, others in the room argued if it was essential to address the media that was so hostile. Others argued that the PM has been communicating directly with the electorate through social media and other modes of communication.
The writer is the convener of the Media Relations Department of the BJP and represents the party as a spokesperson on TV debates. He has authored the book ‘Narendra Modi: The Game Changer’. Views expressed are writer’s personal.