After the blast at the Jehovah’s Witness that has so far claimed the lives of 6 people at the Kochi center, the police had shortly detained two youths who were accused by the police of terrorist links and were acquitted from those charges long ago by the courts due to lack of evidence. Criticism has been raised that the police actions of putting them under constant police surveillance inspite of an acquittal are based on Islamophobic prejudices fostered by the police. Mass incarceration and lifelong persecution and harassment that the use of draconian laws lead to, even if there is no evidence or even charges against them in person has to be strongly criticised. This incident illustrates it very well. A police case was filed against Mr. Rejaz for sharing such a view in independent media. The editor of the media was summoned and interrogated. The police has responded to these criticisms and allegations by charging the journalist who raised this with section 153 of IPC for attempting to incite a riot. This serious IPC section is the same section charged against the Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar who intervened soon after the blast with a vicious propaganda to link the terrorist attack to Muslim community and force a terrorist label on Kerala’s pro-Palestine solidarity movement and its Muslim community, and enact a vicious polarization on communal lines in the run up to 2024 elections. The attitude of the Kerala Police who view democratic criticism with intolerance and heavy handedness is concerning and condemnable. The digital devices of the journalist were also confiscated in violation of their privacy, means of livelihood, and their right to carry out their profession without fear from harassment and intimidation. The impact of fascist political narrative is reaching a crucial juncture and making its effects felt at home as is evident from the enormous pressure in the hours following the blast that was being manufactured not just from the Sangh ecosystem, but also from the mainstream visual media of Kerala which was uncritically mimicking the fascist narrative about the events linking the terror blast to Muslims in spite of having no clarity about the incident. As the incident clearly shows, what we need is more dialogue on Islamophobia instead of deflecting or blaming those criticism in the media in this juncture. We urge the Kerala government to acknowledge the crucial importance of democratic dialogue around the consequences of fascist political narratives on the lives of the most marginalized and the importance of free journalism on the stories and concerns of the people affected by detentions and draconian labels in the media at this critical juncture of escalating fascist assault. We urge the government to immediately drop the criminal charge against Mr. Rejaz.
