Military Lit Fest Day 2: Delhi has become capital of lies, says Ravish Kumar

A vibrant session, ‘Ek Aur Satyagrah Bharat Ki Atma Ke Liye’, the highlight of the second day of the 3rd Military Literature Festival, saw passionate discussions on contemporary issues in the country, both from the left and the right perspectives.

Senior journalist Ravish Kumar said, “Delhi is no longer the capital of the country. It has also become the capital of lies. And the effort is to keep the city polarised at all times.”

“Military men and journalists were duty bound to tell the truth. But the Indian media, in contemporary times, has strayed from that duty. It’s not a question of courage but that of intention. If the media doesn’t ask the right questions, it becomes the propagator of a grand narrative,” said Kumar, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner.

The panel was moderated by Lieutenant General ZU Shah (retd), who last served as the deputy chief of army staff.

Referring to the pre-World War II Germany and the new deal policy of the US, Gen Shah said, “As a distraction from their bad economic condition, Germany blamed a section of the population for their own shortcomings. The US on the other hand were inclusive of the African-Americans and, thus, went on to become a superpower. India should follow in the footsteps of the latter.”

OF HISTORY AND CITIZENSHIP

The panel also take on contemporary issues for discussion, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari said, “The two-nation concept was started not by the Congress in 1947, but in 1909 by the Hindu Maha Sabha, which was backed by the Muslim League. Till 2014, the secularism of the nation was being upheld, but now history is being rewritten. The economy is in such an abysmal mess that the government needs a major distraction to sidetrack other important issues.”

On this, Geeta Bhatt, an academician, said, “The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), now an Act, was not a religious matter. The Partition was done on the basis of religious identity and all the political parties were in on the plan.”

Ravish said, “The BJP, while speaking in the Parliament, forgets that the Indian Muslims have fought with their lives for the freedom of the country. And they were persecuted by the Muslim League. Home minister Amit Shah brings in new history with every bill he introduces. And the people have no time to verify what he says. Hence, the history gets rewritten.”