Kerala’s WhatsApp hartal
Kerala youths were drawn
into violent protests over the Kathua case by anonymous WhatsApp calls
made by shadowy forces with ulterior motives
N. P. CHEKKUTTY reports
The Kerala police are now investigating an unusual incident of a
public hartal [shutdown strike] called by unnamed forces, that triggered huge violence in many parts of
the state a few days ago over the rape and murder of the eight year girl
from the Bakharwal community in Jammu. The hartal took place on April
16,
Monday, immediately after the auspicious occasion of Vishu, the
Hindu new year’s day, April 14.
Hartals are quite common here [in Kerala]. The latest count suggests that more
than 200 hartals have taken place in recent years. They are generally
organised by political parties, communal organisations, professional and
trade bodies, and other groups. On such occasions, people normally keep
indoors to avoid moving around. Outbreaks of violence are stray and
generally kept under control by the authorities.
But the April 16 hartal was unusual: it was planned and executed by a
few individuals using WhatsApp and it caused a serious eruption of
violence and damage to public and private property. It also provoked a
clamp down of prohibitory orders for a few days by the police in a
number of towns and cities in the northern parts of Kerala, such as the
municipal towns of Tanur, Tirur and Parappanangadi in Malappuram
district and the city of Calicut in Kozhikode district.
Violence was reported from almost all the northern districts and,
according to local media reports, more than 2,000 cases have been
registered by the police and around 1,000 youngsters rounded up and put
in jails in districts like Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.
The incidents are unusual in many ways and call for a serious study
of the impact of social media platforms in a communally volatile region
like Malabar where a major flare-up of violence erupted. The police
have now established a pattern to the incidents of violence and it
appears they were engineered with a view to triggering a communal
conflagration in a state known for good relations among Hindus and
minority Muslims and Christians.
"It was not surprising that the
mischief-mongers could play havoc in the brief intermission of 48 hours
when the daily newspapers were away from the scene"
The second aspect that emerges from the way things played out is the
significance of traditional mainstream newspapers in upholding and
maintaining the values of social unity, based on the principles of
secularism and communal peace. It was not surprising that the
mischief-mongers could play havoc in the brief intermission of 48 hours
when the daily newspapers were away from the scene.
A third aspect is the failure of the visual media, despite the
presence of more than half a dozen news outlets (focused largely on
sensation and trivia) in identifying the rumblings in the aftermath of
the sensitive developments over the Kathua crime at the national level
earlier in the week and countering the communal propaganda on social
media in order to protect people from scandal mongers and their divisive
tactics.
April 14th being Vishu holiday, no morning newspaper printed in
Kerala had come out the next day and hence there were no reports on the
plans already afoot for the next day’s hartal. The police intelligence
department and the round-the-clock news channels in the region also
failed to take note of it
on Sunday.
In fact
on Monday, the day started rather normal despite rumours of
violence in some places, but soon unruly crowds took over the streets,
stoning shops and buses and in a short while it was a complete shut-down
in many northern towns. It was only then the police swung into action,
chasing away the trouble-makers and persuading shoppers and bus
operators to remain in business, that calm returned.
The WhatsApp messages came from a few groups such as Justice for
Sisters and Voice of Youth, purportedly demanding justice for the Kathua
vicitm. Originally, the social media group set up on April 14 was named
after the Bakharwal Muslim girl, but was changed later when the Delhi
High Court’s notice to some news organisations against naming the victim
became known.
The messages called for a hartal in protest and once the public
response became prolific, separate groups were set up for various
districts, managed by a team of super admins who issued instructions as
voice messages. The police have found a series of voice messages that
called for a second round of violence all over the state, issued after
the hartal on April 16 evoked a response mainly in the northern Malabar
districts.
The voice messages called for direct attacks against the police and
seem to have been intent upon a serious breakdown of law and order as
well as damage to amiable social relations among the various
communities.
It is still not clear what really prompted the five young men now
under arrest to set up the social media groups and call for a hartal and
violence. Was it just a prank or a deliberate attempt on the part of
some evil forces to divide people and foment violence?
An answer might be available only after the inquiries are over. It is officially acknowledged that of the five youths
under arrest,
the leader, Amarnath Baiju, 21, of Kollam district, has been associated
with the RSS until a few months ago, while the others, all from
Thiruvananthapuram district, were also linked to various Sangh Parivar
outfits. But so far there is no evidence that this was part of a larger
conspiracy, as is being alleged by certain sections in the media.
Hence, the real question is how far social media platforms are in a
position to dictate public affairs in a state like Kerala, known for its
high levels of political activity, deep penetration of mainstream media
including the highly influential morning newspapers, and a vigilant
civil society alert to the need to raise its voice against the forces of
bigotry and violence.
"The leader, Amarnath Baiju, 21, of Kollam
district, has been associated with the RSS until a few months ago, while
the others, all from Thiruvananthapuram district, were also linked to
various Sangh Parivar outfits"
Looking at the political affiliations of the hundreds of people
arrested, it is clear they belonged to various political parties. Most
of them are Muslim youths, affiliated to, among others, the Muslim
League, the CPM, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the
Congress party, etc. Some are with no known political affiliations.
It is likely that they came out into the streets genuinely infuriated
by the terrible violence perpetrated on the little girl. Going by the
pattern of violence that copied the style of street protests in West
Asia, such as tyre bonfires, they seem to have been influenced by the
political protests based on identity/ethnic politics.
Asked about the irony of Muslim youths being drawn into the streets
by anonymous calls made by shadowy forces with ulterior motives, a
Muslim community leader said the media images of the Kathua violence
evidently had a deep and emotional impact on the youngsters who had
taken it not only as a rape of a child, but as a deliberate assault on a
community.
This incident shows the extreme levels of social disturbances the
social media can play in societies with complex communal patterns.
Recently, a
New York Times report (
Where Countries Are Tinderboxes and Facebook a Match, NYT, April 21, 2018)
on the havoc played by Facebook in South Asian countries had referred
to instances of communal riots and attacks on minorities in countries
like Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The report pointed out that in countries where institutions are weak
or undeveloped and where there is a history of communal tensions, such
societies are especially vulnerable. The authors pointed out that social
media posts that tap into primal emotions like anger or fear seem to
produce the highest engagement with social networks where such content
proliferates.
Kerala, however, cannot be dubbed a place with weak institutions or a
fragile history of communal peace. It has a strong history of social
cohesion, a vibrant civil society, a vigilant media and a strong
political establishment. And yet a few youngsters with a smart phone
were able to play havoc with its social fabric.
This calls for serious introspection by society and for appropriate
action to strengthen a responsible approach to the dissemination of
ideas and information on the part of the mass media.
N P Chekkutty is a senior journalist and political commentator based in Calicut.
