The Wire subverts the truth on ethnic cleansing in Bangladesh, downplays the persecution of Hindus

Case ID : 5954a63 | Location : India | Date of Incident : Wed, 14 August, 2024
Case ID : 5954a63
location India
date 14 August, 2024
The Wire subverts the truth on ethnic cleansing in Bangladesh, downplays the persecution of Hindus
Hate speech against Hindus
Anti Hindu subversion and prejudice
Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying

Case Summary

Since Sheikh Hasina’s exit from Bangladesh in August 2024, the propaganda news portal The Wire has consistently downplayed the issue of violence against Hindus roiling the neighbouring country. On 21st December, The Wire published a report quoting the Bangladeshi government’s official response to the Ministry of External Affairs’ reply in the Lok Sabha. The ministry stated that there were 2,200 incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh in 2024. The Bangladeshi press wing, as quoted by The Wire, claimed that there were only 138 incidents of violence between January and November 2024. Ain O Salish Kendra, a human rights organisation from Bangladesh, provided the numbers. It further claimed that the figures presented by the MEA were close to the numbers published by the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad, which recorded 2,010 incidents of violence in just 16 days between 4th August and 20th August. Downplaying the incidents of attacks on Hindus and other minorities, the report quoted the press wing as stating that between 5th August and 8th August, there was no government in the neighbouring country. Indirectly, the press wing attempted to evade responsibility, and The Wire followed it. It is unclear on what basis the Bangladeshi government and The Wire dismissed the stats provided by the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad. In an op-ed authored by Partha S. Ghosh published in The Wire on 12th December, the author conspicuously downplayed the attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. He dismissed concerns about the deteriorating communal situation in the neighbouring country and portrayed former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s accusations of genocide against Hindus as “politically motivated” and “exaggerated” to suit her Indian hosts. In another report published on 5th December, The Wire effectively downplayed the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh by amplifying the narrative of interim chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and other Bangladeshi officials. The report highlighted allegations made by Yunus, claiming that reports of attacks on minorities were “exaggerated” and part of a “fabricated narrative” spread by India and other global powers. On 29th November, in an interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Zafar Sobhan, editor of the Dhaka Tribune, downplayed the severity of attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by asserting that the situation has “far improved” compared to previous months. In an op-ed by Manash Firaq Bhattacharjee published in The Wire on 17th August, the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are downplayed by framing the violence as political rather than religious. In an op-ed by Ram Puniyani published in The Wire on 15th August, the author severely downplayed the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by portraying them as politically motivated rather than religiously targeted. The Wire kept its emphasis on the claims of exaggerated reports and Indian propaganda, setting a narrative to deflect attention from the alarming persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Historical data highlights a significant decline in the Hindu population in Bangladesh, but The Wire, instead of verifying the statistics itself, relied on another propagandist portal’s report to downplay the population decline. Throughout its reporting, The Wire remained more invested in criticising the Indian response rather than holding the interim government in Bangladesh accountable.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. Further, based on case details, a tertiary category, under the above-mentioned sub-category has also been selected here, which is- Anti-Hindu Fake News or Downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5 escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amidst this violence, The Wire's umpteen articles and op-eds attempted to downplay the attacks on Hindus while shifting focus to cast India in a negative light. The far-leftist news portal framed the violence as primarily political rather than rooted in religious persecution. By attributing the unrest to political tensions surrounding Sheikh Hasina's ouster, The Wire failed to adequately address the clear pattern of targeted attacks on Hindu temples, businesses, and homes. Over 205 such incidents were reported, yet the article glossed over the religious aspect, instead suggesting that the violence was incidental to broader political unrest. By selectively fact-checking and cherry-picking data, the coverage can be seen as an attempt to shield Islamist groups from accountability, portraying them as victims of political dynamics rather than aggressors in a religiously charged conflict. This narrative, combined with accusations against Indian media for inflaming tensions, serves to deflect attention from the Islamist violence that is being perpetuated in the Islamic nation. By minimising or ignoring these atrocities, The Wire indirectly contributed to the marginalisation and continued persecution of Hindus, normalising the violence against them. This selective silence, combined with unrelated criticism of India, can be seen as a form of hate speech, further deepening animosity toward Hindus and their faith and this is why this case has been added to the tracker.

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