The independence of media has always been a myth. Independence of media merely implies the media is at liberty to choose who it wants to sell its soul to. Therefore, we must all harbor a general skepticism for mainstream media narratives. Typically, it is quite hard to invent facts out of thin hair, although journalists have developed godly skills at conjuring facts out of mere fantasy, but even if they are invented, their authenticity will fall apart at some time or the other. However, media narratives are made of a material altogether different. Narratives do not have to rely on facts and linger in public memory much longer. And once established, narratives cannot be destroyed by facts alone.
Narratives do not draw sustenance from facts, in fact, they are created from a selective interpretation of texts according to one’s own motives and rely primarily on emotions it generates in the people who fall prey to it. For example, many fall prey to the narrative that a reformation of Islam along the lines of Christianity is very much possible. But that belief is only a logical conclusion that flows from the assumption that all religions are equal (which is another narrative in itself). However, the fact is comparing Islam and Christianity is like comparing Apples and Oranges. Apples and Oranges are both fruits but their similarities end right there.
Another logical conclusion of the assumption that all religions are equal is that their followers can be expected to react in a similar fashion to similar stimuli. Thus, since Muslims often resort to murder and acts of terrorism to silence critics of Islam, it is logical to assume that Hindus would act similarly. Of course, the notion is fundamentally misguided and far from the realities of the world. However, if people really believe that all religions are equal, they would grasp at straws to prove the false equivalence.
The narrative pursued by the mainstream media in the aftermath of the murder of M.M.Kalburgi is a natural consequence of placing a firm faith in the notion that all Religions are equal. Since the media has taken it upon itself to prove that it’s not just Islam that inspires acts of terrorism and deliberate murder or critics, it merrily abandoned facts to achieve its nefarious agenda and malign Hindus in the process. It was the same rationale, that all religions are equal, that led to the rise of the myth of Saffron Terror. Since Islamic Terrorism is a reality of our existence, there must be an equivalent of it in Hinduism too. Since after all, ‘All Religions are equal.’
Therefore, in its rabid desire to prove the equivalence of all religions are equal, the media naturally concluded that the murder of Kalburgi was committed by Hindus for his critic of Hinduism and known quarters leaped at the opportunity to malign Hindus before the facts were out.
Now, that the facts are out, unfortunately for secularists, it does not bode well for their narrative. Apparently, two suspects have been arrested by the CID in connection with the murder and they have confessed to it claiming they had murdered the ‘Rationalist’ for a dispute over immovable property. They have also apparently admitted that they were completely unaware of the murdered professor’s ideology, books, philosophy and insisted that they murdered him for property.
Thus, another attempt at proving a false equivalence between Islamists and Hindus has fallen to dust. One should remember that the murder of Prof Kalburgi wasn’t the only one which was used to malign Hinduism by the anti-Hindu bigots. There was another instance involving a liberal which the media had gleefully endorsed to further its anti-Hindu narrative. The case involved a secular liberal claiming he was attacked by an auto rickshaw puller for carrying a bag made of cow leather. After much hue and cry, it was revealed that the person cooked the entire incident up to malign Hindus.
The media is littered with propagandists who have little concern for facts and dedicate the entirety of their resources solely towards the creation of narratives. The anti-Hindu bigots even had the audacity to claim initially that the Dhulagarh riots were a figment of Sanghi imagination which quickly transformed into the narrative that it was a Sanghi conspiracy. Not satisfied with how things were panning out, they then abandoned every little bit of shame they had and pushed the narrative that Hindus were equally to blame for the Dhulagarh riots and that the communal riots weren’t communal riots at all. In their relentless pursuit to malign Hindus, these anti-Hindu bigots thoroughly lacking in principles and devoid of integrity have resorted to the most deplorable of distortion of facts to promote their agenda. Hence, whenever the next incident surfaces where the media blames Hindus for a particular crime inspired by religion, it is best to take it with a pinch of salt and a healthy amount of skepticism.