Sound & Light can always help fight virus: Indians resort to Hindu rituals against COVID19 amid fear of backlash among Muslims

Conch shells were blown, as in Hindu rituals, and firecrackers were burst as Indians overwhelmingly responded to a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show India's unity and resolve to fight the Wuhan Virus. 

As urged by prime minster Modi, known for his radical pro-Hindu leanings, people switched off lights and came out on their roofs and balconies with their families and elders at the stroke of nine on Sunday night to light lamps, candles and mobile torches to rekindle the spirit of oneness and the national resolve to fight the pandemic.
The small but big event lasted for only nine minutes and perhaps created a history in its own right.

"Salute to our Prime Minister. By this small action of lighting lamps, he has given a bigger message of national unity and resolve," said country's Information Minister Prakash Javadekar.

However, among the political class it remained largely an affair of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party - wedded to the the Hindutva orientation of Rashtriya Sawemsevak Sangh (RSS). Even a section of Christian leaders sounded their categorical disapproval of such 'photo ops' and 'media management'.

"I am a citizen of the Republic of India, not a clown to perform to the tune of the ringmaster (a possible reference to the Prime Minister)," said Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christian (GCIC).

While who's who of Indian public life - film icons, sports stars and industrialists lit lamps and shared videos and snaps of their 'performing the poojas' on social network, Modi's appeal did not evoke much of a response in Christian-dominated states like Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram.

"Nine o' Clock in the evening is bit late in Mizoram. In many places, people had gone to sleep. Moreover, it was Sunday and people perhaps did not want to link themselves to a Hindu ritual whatever the reasons and causes behind these," said a resident in Aizawl.

"It was life as usual in north east," said a Guwahati-based educationist Raza Ansari, who also accused that in the pretext of exposing the faultline of a Muslim evangelical meet in Delhi, the Modi government and ruling BJP leaders have stoked religious tension by putting the entire blame of the virus attack in India on one particular religious minority group.

A report in 'Financial Times' said: "As India heads into its second week of a three-week lockdown that is causing particular hardship to the poor, analysts warned the BJP could stoke anti-Muslim sentiment to deflect public anger from the government’s failings in managing the crisis". 

Despite the typical Hindutva tag associated with the Light-the-Lamp ritual for nine minutes, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai and Cardinal George Alencherry of Ernakulam-Angamali supported Modi's move.

Cardinal Gracias, at the end of his televised Palm Sunday liturgy, urged people to "come out" and light a candle or oil lamp following the call of the prime minister.

"Let us join all our neighbors in a show of solidarity, and make it also for us a moment of prayer. We are in Holy Week. We pray to God to bless our country, bless our families, and bless our communities," Cardinal Gracias said.

Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that nearly 60 per cent of the 4000 plus corona affected people have been linked to the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz meet in Delhi. According to officials, the figure of COVID-19 cases till last Wednesday (April 1) in Delhi was 152 but the number shot up to 293 cases within 24 hours. Among them as many as 182 people are those who took part in the religious congregation in predominantly Muslim inhabited areas in Nizamuddin West.

As soon as the news about the Islamic cleric meet spread, there were at least six deaths in Telangana and all of them had attended the meet.

Prime Minister Modi on Friday morning had given a call for 9 minutes lighting of lamps and mobile torches trying to lead his countrymen and women to a unity of purpose at a time when anxiety over corona has scared people and hit the already struggling Indian economy.

"In this gloomy hour for the whole world, let us light up lamps & lighten the hearts & minds of people. This is the time to create positivity, hope & solidarity," tweeted spiritual and meditation guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar about an hour before the real 9 pm event.

However, Christian leader A C Michael, a former Member of Delhi Minorities Commission, said a large number of Indians ".....celebrated Diwali and once again displaying their skill of lighting over 1000 diyas (lamps) in a row on their terraces in large groups violating social distancing norms".

“I suggest that prime minister immediately announce free tests, isolate, treat and make PPE kits available in abundance. He also needs to come out with packages to take care of daily wagers and small scale industries," Michael said. 

“This prime minister is known for his media events and present situation has given him on a platter to do them more officially.  “Last time he had people coming out in crowd violating the social distance norm and displayed their skill of blowing ‘shanks’ taking out processions. 

“This time they went a step ahead and celebrated Diwali and once again displaying their skill of lighting over 1000 diyas in a row on their terraces in large groups violating social distancing norms. 

“Now that the prime minister seems to have started serious discussions with political leaders I hope he will come out with strategies to tackle with severely deteriorating both health and financial situations of our country. 

“I suggest that prime minister immediately announce free tests, isolate, treat and make PPE kits available in abundance. He also needs to come out with packages to take care of daily wagers and small scale industries.”

Another Christian leader Sajan K George sounded caustic and said, "We are being asked to perform antics. We want to know how many hospitals, ventilators, ICUs are ready. We want to know if COVID19 testing will be made accessible and affordable. The nation wants to know who and how the food and medical needs of the migrant workers are being addressed. How about the Govt. shedding light on these issues?"

Congress leader Sashi Tharoor, a Hindu, tweeted that Modi's call was no accident. He said the prime minister was "invoking all the auspicious elements of Hinduism associated with the number nine. Back to Ram Bharose?! (trusting Lord Ram)," the parliamentarian from Kerala wrote.

"India is simply not testing enough to fight the #Covid19 virus. Making people clap & shining torches in the sky isn't going to solve the problem," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tweeted on Saturday.

In another missive on Sunday, Mr Gandhi wrote: "Without adequate equipments, a large number of health workers are being forced to put their lives in risk".

#Covid19 के विरुद्ध लड़ने वाले स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र के डॉक्टर, नर्स, सफ़ाई कर्मचारी आदि सबका आभार व्यक्त करने के साथ ही, हमें ये भी याद रखना होगा कि अब तक सब को सुरक्षा उपकरण नहीं मिले हैं।बिना उपकरण के कई समर्पित कर्मचारी निरंतर जान जोखिम में डालने पर मजबूर हैं।
--- Rahul Gandhi

The Muslim clerics meet has alarmed Indian authorities.

Over 1,800 of them belonging to the Sunni group traced in various parts of the country are now in quarantine, officials say.

BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva denied that India's ruling party was trying to blame Muslims as a community.

"No one is targeting Muslims. But Tablighi Jamaat preachers are Muslims and it is well known that over 150,000 people attended such a Marzkaz outside Lahore in Pakistan last month and thus spread the virus across Pakistan as well".