-Scroll.in Hundreds have been arrested by the Delhi Police, even as the lockdown made scrutiny and access to justice difficult. On February 24, communal violence engulfed North East Delhi, leaving at least 53 people dead over the next three days, most of whom were Muslim. Exactly a month later, India went under a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Normal life came to a halt – but not...

-The Hindu While police seek to project a ‘conspiracy’ behind the riots, all FIRs pertaining to the violence must be opened to public scrutiny Arshad Alam, Amaan Iqbal, Deepak Kumar, Mohammad Hamza and many others were killed in communal riots that convulsed north-east Delhi in late February 2020. Many more were injured, or victims of arson. The Home Minister stated on March 11 that “over 700 FIRs” had been filed. Yet about 80...

-Newslaundry.com communal hatred, fake news, conspiracy theories, misinformation, misreporting. The coverage of the Nizamuddin congregation had it all. Having recovered from Covid-19, more than 200 followers of the Tablighi Jamaat are donating plasma to Delhi’s hospitals. Blood plasma containing antibodies against coronavirus from recovered patients is given to severely ill people to help them fight off the infection. It’s an experimental treatment known as convalescent plasma therapy. The donation by the Tablighis...

-The Indian Express The impact of the lockdown may make social issues more prominent again in terms of class, at the expense of caste as well as religious identities and communal tendencies. When interviewed by journalists, several migrant workers badly affected by the COVID-19-related lockdown admitted that they had voted for the BJP in 2019. Indeed, the party attracted poor voters in large numbers during the last Lok Sabha elections, especially among...

-TheWire.in The momentary attention to the migrant exodus was overshadowed by other spectacles that were easily perceived as communal, suited to deflect attention and which positioned the state as proactive. We live in a society that significantly values media spectacles. Spread of disease, risk of contagion, and the plight of migrant labourers become worthy of attention only when a spectacle is made. The representations of migrant’s transit and associated tribulation have emerged...