Now, IIT Alumni Write to Modi: 'Your Decisive Action is Keenly Awaited'

A number of alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology have added their voices to the growing chorus demanding that the Prime Minister and Government of India act now against the “deep communal hatred and misogyny” expressed in the Haridwar religious parliament (dharam sansad) and the floating of apps purporting to auction Muslim women in India.

“Your silence is deeply worrying,” they write. “As the country valiantly battles the challenges from the never ending Covid-19, the sharply rising unemployment and masses of people being pushed into poverty, we are now faced with the grave danger from rising calls for genocide of one community.”

They add that some of those calling for the genocide of Muslims are reported to have “close ties” to the governing BJP, and also mention recent reports of the Tek Fog app saying: “Reports suggest that this is a Psychological Ops military grade weapon and in the hands of mal-intentioned actors, it can have serious security implications. Your condemnation of this alleged weapon is still awaited.”

They demand that PM Modi and his government “take decisive action” to address “these alarming trends”, and uphold the constitutional principles of equality, liberty, justice and fraternity. Full text below.

12 January 2022

Honorable Prime Minister of India,

PMO

New Delhi

Cc: The Honorable President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi

Subject: Your silence is deeply worrying

Dear Honorable Prime Minister Shri Modiji,

As we write this on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, we remember his words, “I am proud to belong to a religion that has taught the world tolerance and universal acceptance. We not only believe in universal tolerance but accept all religions to be true”. Mahatma Gandhi famously appreciated this quality of Hinduism: “Its freedom from dogma makes a forcible appeal to me in as much as it gives the votary the largest scope for self-expression”

We remain proud inheritors of this legacy and indeed the preamble to the Constitution of our country embodies this spirit in its founding principles of Equality, Fraternity, Justice and Liberty

And yet as we celebrate this legacy in the 75th year of our freedom, we can’t help but notice the dark clouds looming over the country. As the country valiantly battles the challenges from the never ending Covid-19, the sharply rising unemployment and masses of people being pushed into poverty, we are now faced with the grave danger from rising calls for genocide of one community. On Dec 24th 2021, the NY times reported, “Even by the standards of the rising anti Muslim fury in India, the three-day conference in the city of Haridwar, 150 miles north of New Delhi, produced the most blatant and alarming call for violence in recent years”. The report further alleged that the leaders of this congregation that made these calls for genocide, had close ties to the party you lead. Even as a petition on this is with the Honorable Supreme Court, we urge upon you and other leaders of your party and government to condemn this act and initiate swift, meaningful legal action on the perpetrators.

Concurrent with the above events is the shameful saga behind the creation of the Sulli Deals and the Bulli Bai app, where several prominent Indian Muslim women with independent voices, have found their pictures and profiles being put online and virtual auctions being held on them. The UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, has referred to it as harassment and has called for condemnation and prosecution. The ages of the youngsters who have been apprehended as suspects, suggests how deep communal hatred and misogyny is in our society. Here again, we have been looking forward to you and your government condemning this in the loudest possible voice and reaffirming the country’s faith in its Constitution.

The Wire recently broke a story on Tek Fog, an app that is alleged to manipulate online trends and automate hate. Independent women voices in the media have been the principal targets of this organized abuse. Reports suggest that this is a Psychological Ops military grade weapon and in the hands of mal-intentioned actors, it can have serious security implications. Your condemnation of this alleged weapon is still awaited.

A recent letter from the former Chiefs of Armed Forces addressed to your good self as well as the Honorable President of India, speaks on these disturbing communal trends. The letter emphasizes, amid the backdrop of the forthcoming elections, “We urge you to kindly take serious note and suitable action to ensure that the sanctity of the electoral process is maintained and that all such calls inciting violence against one or other community, are dealt with firmly. As a former service man, I am deeply concerned about the direct impact of such actions on National Security – both External and Internal. The consequences for the social fabric of India and the overall well-being of our citizens are serious indeed. The country looks to you, especially in the important position you hold, of safeguarding our democratic norms and the Constitution of India.”

Our friends, students and faculty of the Indian Institutes of Management have also in their letter to you, underscored their concern on your silence. They wrote, “Your silence on the rising intolerance in our country, Honorable Prime Minister, is disheartening to all of us who value the multicultural fabric of our country. Your silence, Honorable Prime Minister, emboldens the hate-filled voices and threatens the unity and integrity of our country.”

You have spoken frequently on India’s demographic dividend. Your speech today while inaugurating the National Youth Festival is timely. Your exact words were, “India’s demography is young, and the mind of India is also young. There is youth in India’s potential, and in its dreams. India is young in its thoughts as well as in its consciousness. India’s youths are writing the code of global prosperity. The mantra of New India – Compete and Conquer. Get involved and win. Unite and win the battle.”

To unite and win the battle, the Constitution must be upheld. Your decisive action is keenly awaited on these alarming trends to divide India.

Jai Hind