“India is not the privilege or monopoly of Hindus. Muslims are very much a part of India’s history, culture, pride and heritage,” said former Supreme Court Judge Justice Rajendra Sachar.
   Delivering the inaugural address at the national seminar on “Communalism and Media” organised by Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum here on Saturday, Justice Sachar opined that there is a very conscious effort by those who pretend to be the keepers of the country to spread negative news about Muslims in the country.
   No one has a right to ask a person whether he or she is loyal to the country. Loyalty to a country is nobody’s preserve. It is automatic to any natural citizen, Justice Sachar said and added that the communal version that the Muslims do not belong to the country and that they have their sympathies to Pakistan is a vicious lie.
   “Muslims are minorities because they are less in number. This doesn’t mean they have less rights,” he said and added that anyone who doubts or makes fun of secularism is a traitor and is violating the Constitution.
   Senior journalist and film maker Nupur Basu opined that media in India has become a very powerful animal in the last one and a half decade and that its increasing polarisation is a very troubling trend. The various communal riots that took place in the country recently were not spontaneous as the politicians are trying to prorogate, but were well engineered projects, she said and added that the journalists have not done enough on this matter yet.
   Senior journalist and columnist Praful Bidwai stated that Karnataka is one of the most rapidly saffronising states in the country.
   “Around 20,000 people were killed in communal riots in India only in the last 10 years. This is higher than the number of people killed in terrorist attacks,” Mr Bidwai said and added, “The fact that Narendra Modi who has executed the killing of 1,500 Muslims in Gujarat is the Chief Minister of the state even 5 years after the Godhra riots is extremely shameful to the whole country”.
   Media is not just about Chronicling, it has to analyse, has to remind people about past events and act as a watch dog of the society, he said and flayed the ‘Murdochisation’ and massive decliner in diversity in the media.
   Writer and activist Arundhati Roy opined that the Modi government in Gujarat is using democracy as a tool to prorogate fascism. She also said that it is not right to blame the politicians alone for the condition in Gujarat, for it is the people who voted them to power, and hence they are also responsible for their condition. She further elaborated on the growth of RSS as a prominent force in Indian politics.
   Vartha Bharathi Editor Abdusalaam Puttige, writer G Rajashekhar, Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum State Secretary K L Ashok, district president C N Shetty, Roshni Nilaya lecturer Prof Rita Noronha, Karnataka Forum for Dignity Secretary Abdul Lateef, PUCL President P B D’Sa, Mangalore University Chair in Christianity Chairman Fr John Fernandes and Chitra Publications Managing Director B V Seetharam among others were present on the occasion.