Ramalingam’s wasn’t a political murder, contrary to what the media would have you believe

In an extremely disturbing and shocking news from the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, a 42- year old Hindu man- Ramalingam- who previously stopped extremist religious preachers from converting Dalits to Islam has been brutally murdered by a group of unidentified men. His hands were chopped off with billhooks. He died due to excessive bleeding on the way to a hospital. Ramalingam was an office bearer of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

A video of the incident where Ramalingam is seen arguing with the Islamist preachers asking them not to convert people into Islam is viral on social media.

On Tuesday, a group of Muslim preachers visited a street which had a large number of residents belonging to the Dalit community in Kumbakonam. The News Minute has quoted a police officer saying, “Ramalingam had, coincidentally, gone into the street to pick up a few men who were working for him, in his catering business. When he saw the group of Muslims speaking about Islam there, he raised questions and as those men retaliated, an altercation ensued. The issue was also sorted out by the Muslim clerics in the afternoon.”

According to the Goa Chronicle’s report,the police suspect that the Muslim men with whom Ramalingam had arguments could have killed him in an act of revenge. An FIR under the section 302 (Murder) of the IPC has been registered. The hands of the police are so far empty; they are yet to arrest the murderers.

The Daily Pioneer has quoted a local resident saying, “Within hours of the argument, a group of people barged into the residence of Ramalingam and attacked him with knives and swords. They chopped one of his hands and a leg.” Dr S Ramadoss, leader of the PMK, condemned the gruesome act and asked the Tamil Nadu Government to arrest the culprits behind the gruesome crime. 

Another Hindu activist disappeared yesterday in Bengal. VHP leader Kartik Ghorai went missing after he attended CM Yogi’s rally in Purulia and was riding his bike back home. Parts of his bike are all that has been found so far. While Kartik Ghorai’s disappearance might have been motivated by reasons more political in nature than Ramalingam’s, it is clear that Hindu activists are being targeted.   

Common people have hit the streets and are demanding justice for Ramalingam. However, there is no outrage from the media’s side, there is no news debate, no award wapsi, and no political leader has condemned this brutal and barbaric act of the killing of an innocent man, no placard holding. None of the self-appointed guardians of society have come forward to take a stand in favor of, the now deceased, Ramalingam- a brave & strong person who took a stand against conversion.

The media is instead busy giving a nauseating twist to the murder of Ramalingam. They are busy in suppressing the truth.

They are trying their level best to project it as political murder.

Here just a small example of how media can twist the narrative to suit their agenda.

Such biased reporting amounts to ‘journalistic gangsterism’ where few elite journalists decide and define everything and facts take a backseat. What is right and what is wrong, what should be condemned and what should not be condemned, which act of murder deserves outrage and which one not is up to their discretion. Such ‘journalistic gangsterism’ challenges fundamental values of humanity and human decency. It is also a threat for idea of equality which Article 14 of our constitution guarantees us. Because equality means we value all human life equally but what we are seeing is selectivity and biasedness. The cabal expresses sorrow, anger and outrage by looking at the religion or ideology of the victim first. Media gives coverage to any mis-happening or any unfortunate incident only when it suits their agenda. One should stand up against injustice of any form. As Martin Luther King said,’ Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere’.