It's the shrug in this tweet that is part of the problem. If you share the survey minus a context where you explain how constitutional morality (as opposed to majoritarian morality) is supposed to work in law-making & life, you make the results seem like a mandate. #journalism
Such findings are not surprising. What @IndiaToday @sardesairajdeep could do for context for eg: discuss SARI surveys which found that most Indians across caste lines want intercaste marriage outlawed. No govt said that's a mandate for such laws? Why not? thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/…
SARI surveys, which are high on context & analysis not clickbait, also found that a majority practices untouchability. That is not a mandate for legalising untouchability, and that needs to be underscored, explained when shared in media @IndiaToday
scroll.in/latest/864755/…
Interesting: studies show that among youth, the opposition to intercaste/interfaith marriage is weaker than it is amongst older folk. There tends to be more support for it, more ambivalence, less rigid opposition. #context @IndiaToday @sardesairajdeep statista.com/statistics/732…
Above all, what media needs to tell society & government is that in a democracy, "Majoritarian views, popular morality cannot dictate constitutional rights", that is the essence of constitutional morality of which Ambedkar spoke. firstpost.com/india/majorita…
Instead when channels like @IndiaToday and anchors like @sardesairajdeep give these regressive attitudes the status of #MoodOfTheNation, they help the far-right peddle the idea that those who do stand for constitutional not majoritarian morality are "anti-national".
Perhaps a majority supports untouchability, wants women's rights curtailed, believes communal propaganda. Media's job is not to declare this to be the #MoodOfTheNation. Media owes a social duty to point out that this "mood" is anti-national, anti-constitutional. @sardesairajdeep
On November 4, 1948, Ambedkar said: “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment … We must realise that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.”
“Constitutional morality” means that the rights of individuals and minorities are not left at the mercy of the opinion of the majority. Those who defend these rights – even when, especially when such rights are unpopular – are the leaders that India needs.
Instead of recognising this, @IndiaToday celebrates regressive, undemocratic, majoritarian ideas as the "mood of the nation", as a mandate on laws and policies. And that is a huge problem.
Acc to @sardesairajdeep, govt shd bend on farm laws coz that's the majority view. Does that imply the govt need not bend on laws against interfaith/caste marriages coz the majority supports these?

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More from @kavita_krishnan

27 Dec 20
21st century India: This @INCIndia MLA's demand that women be forced to seek parental consent to marry so as not to "hurt sentiments" of parents, is a reminder that BJP's poisonous "love jehad" lie flourishes in a larger climate of social & political hostility to women's autonomy
In my book, Fearless Freedom, I make the case that violence against the autonomy of women & LGBTQ persons is the most widespread and harmful kind of gender-based violence in India, one that hides in plain sight, masquerading as "safety" & protection. @PenguinIndia @sorcerical
If you are interested in understanding how India got to the point where a ruling party can openly seek to criminalise interfaith marriage with "love jehad" ordinances, if you want to understand how to fight back, do read #FearlessFreedom. (Yes, plugging my research, hard work!)
Read 8 tweets
21 Dec 20
My account in @thewire_in of meeting Muskan and Rashid, victims of a series of violent acts by the Bajrang Dal, and by a range of UP government authorities including the police, shelter home and hospital. thewire.in/communalism/up…
Advised by @SartajAlamIndia Muskan was taken to Bijnor, where she got an ultrasound done at a private clinic. The report shows that there are “retained products of conception” (foetal matter left over after a miscarriage or abortion) in her uterus.
The hospital denies causing Muskan to miscarry – but their denial rings false. They declared no miscarriage had occurred – which is now proven to be a lie. Most shockingly, in actions that befit a Mengele, they did not prescribe any antibiotics to Muskan after the miscarriage.
Read 22 tweets
20 Dec 20
कल कांठ, मुरादाबाद में AIPWA, AISA, और HRLN की टीम गई थी, UP के लव विरोधी अध्यादेश से पीड़ित दम्पत्ति मुस्कान और राशिद से मिलने. वहां दिए गए मेरे बयान का, और फिर राशिद और मुस्कान से बातचीत के वीडियो ke अंश इस ट्वीट की लड़ी में साझा किया है
फ़िल्मों में प्यार की कहानी देखो और अपने समाज में प्यार की हत्या होने दो - देश के लोगों को ऐसे ढोंग का विरोध करना चाहिए
मुस्कान के स्वास्थ्य का, उसके पेट में पलते बच्चे का जो नुकसान हुआ, उसका न्याय कैसे होगा?
Read 12 tweets
19 Dec 20
We - myself from AIPWA, @kawalpreetdu from @AISA_tweets and advocate Sneha from @HRLNIndia are in Kanth, #Moradabad to meet the Muskan and Rashid, the couple who are victims of illegal arrest, forced abortion by @UPPolice under the hateful ordinance passed by @myogiadityanath
We found that 1) Muskan is very weak after her miscarriage, and the Moradabad District Hospital where she was admitted has not given her the treatment papers, nor any course of antibiotics and painkillers to prevent post miscarriage infections that can affect fertility in future
2) The first dose of antibiotics & painkillers Muskan received is today - after we got her to speak on phone to a senior gynaecologist in Delhi, who explained that antibiotics are always prescribed following a miscarriage, to prevent infections.
Read 15 tweets
24 Oct 20
. @thirumaofficial quotes anti women stuff the Manusmriti says. @khushsundar & BJP twitter erupts in outrage, gets case filed against him. Folks, he's only QUOTING the Manusmriti! If you want to get offended, perhaps you should get offended at the Manusmriti?
That said, imho, it is far more necessary to discuss how Manu mandates that women be treated as property to be controlled by men (that's the quote Yogi A chose to amplify in his writing), than to cite shock value bits that imply he "treats women like prostitutes".
Manu continues to have power in the 21st century because across communities & ideologies, even among those who politics is anti Manuvad, the violence against women's autonomy (especially sexual autonomy) is rampant.
Read 9 tweets
22 Oct 20
In a case which Poop India & others have reported as a "love jehad" case in Bareilly, UP & BJP attacked police station: the alleged "victim" has boldly asserted she's an adult, married the man she loves, told BJP men to back off.
. @sharmarekha the woman in this Bareilly case is a victim of violence against her autonomy by BJP men. Why won't @NCWIndia act to support her, her husband & his family, all victims of a patriarchal communal hate crime? Why no action on media calling a love marriage, #LoveJehad?
BJP RSS language of "love jehad" translates to mean: a) We treat women as property of communities b) We wage war on women's autonomy to decide who they love, marry c) We hate Muslims d) We want Manusmriti (with its caste based laws governing love) to replace India's Constitution
Read 4 tweets

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