Three journalists, Sreenivasan Jain, Mariyam Alavi and Supriya Sharma, put their heads collectively to deal with extensively floated conspiracy theories reminiscent of love jihad, pressured conversions and inhabitants jihad of their new guide, Love Jihad and Different Fictions. By information, authorities data and interviews, they attempt to demolish the falsehoods which have turn into a part of drawing-room conversations, as they clarify in an interview. Edited excerpts:

What prompted you all to jot down the guide?

Sreenivasan Jain: One motivating issue was that as a journalist I used to be always confronting these conspiracy theories and falsehoods. There was a sure frustration in the way in which it was getting approached, a sort of ‘he mentioned, she mentioned strategy,’ specifically true for TV the place you debate the thought of affection jihad or inhabitants jihad. There may be sufficient proof to recommend that none of those theories are primarily true. It may be journalistically established inside affordable grounds. But, there’s a method wherein that is always recycled as one thing that would or couldn’t be actual. The Residence Ministry advised Parliament there isn’t a authorized definition of affection jihad; it nonetheless will get recycled, will get prime-time house, it’s even getting handed as a laws. The concept was to attempt to discover proof, not by means of opinions, however by means of onerous information and journalistic instruments and settle the controversy round these questions.

Mariyam Alavi: The motivation got here from a spot of frustration, like a few of these phrases have turn into a part of on a regular basis discourse however many people know that they aren’t solely arguably false however actually false. There are a sure bunch of fact-checkers and journalists who’re trying into it and debunking particular person circumstances. It’s not about particular person circumstances, it’s about these false and conspiracy theories which are being pushed. In journalism, these tales final a day or two, however you wanted one thing enduring that they might survive the information cycle. For any Indian who cares concerning the thought of India as a democracy, this situation impacts them personally.

Supriya Sharma: Guilt, I might say, that I’m not doing sufficient to push again the falsehoods in society, that are frighteningly coming very shut with even our family members falling for propaganda that’s going round. The journalistic impulse is to set the file straight. Plenty of journalist work appears to be ephemeral, so we puzzled if it is going to be higher to place this collectively in a guide which might act as a information for extraordinary residents who’re being bombarded day in and time out with Hindutva propaganda.

What are the challenges you confronted? Is there a marketplace for fact?

SJ: There may be excessive polarisation however there’s nonetheless a big sufficient pool of wise Indians, if you’ll be able to current the information with none opinion. We report it utilizing simply the instruments of journalism — proper to info, authorities data, parliamentary solutions — and this could hopefully persuade people who find themselves ambivalent about it which may be there’s some advantage within the argument we’re making.

One problem was that these theories aren’t very well-defined. Even for those who take one thing like love jihad and ask those that propagate it, you’ll most likely get six totally different solutions. No before you debunk one facet, it morphs into one thing else. How do you as a journalist outline one thing which is so amorphous? There’s a “new jihad” born each minute — corona jihad, fertilizer jihad, halal jihad. This was a problem that would turn into an infinite factor, so we picked 4 of essentially the most extensively propagated theories, which in a method sum up the core of this foundational ideology that one way or the other ‘Hindu Khatre Mein Hai (Hindus are at risk) and that Muslims and Christians are taking on’.

MA: The marketplace for fact has not been catered to in the fitting method. As journalists, we take it without any consideration, we all know the fitting place to search for the reality, however we don’t recognize how the widespread man can also be in search of methods to know the reality. Journalism has modified, it has turn into lot about entry journalism. Getting authorities responses, information, the whole lot turns into rather more opaque. Personally, you both really feel responsible that you’re not pushing again sufficient or really feel annoyed; there’s a specific amount of worry too.

SS: One of many challenges was accessing public information. Whereas we have been researching, many RTI queries drew a clean. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha web sites have been being revamped, and it turned tougher for us to look parliamentary questions, a significant supply of data. One other problem was how to make sure that what we’re writing stays accessible. We spent a whole lot of time enthusiastic about methods to construction the guide. We have now organised each chapter right into a set of claims and conclusion. We aren’t excited about preaching, we wrote this guide in order that we’re in a position to persuade people who find themselves sitting on the fence on these subjects.

Phrases reminiscent of love jihad and many others have turn into a part of drawing-room conversations. What’s the method ahead, are we at some extent of no-return?

SJ: It’s a tough factor. In a method as journalists, our job is to report the information, bear witness. As residents we’re deeply anxious about what’s happening and the impression of those falsehoods in actual life. These falsehoods are being backed by energy, a political regime and an ideology, which is utilizing it to serve its pursuits and that’s what has made them so harmful and pervasive. We hope folks realise that and guarantee public accountability. These are elected representatives, holding constitutional places of work and perpetuating falsehoods — is there some sort of realisation for that? Some sort of accountability?

Lies won’t ever go away, their impression will get diminished. It’s one factor if individuals are forwarding WhatsApps amongst themselves, however it’s fairly one other factor if a chief minister, an MP or an MLA is perpetuating this. Public accountability has to return in, that’s the place a sure diploma of consciousness could make a distinction.

SS: We aren’t skilled to be prescriptive as journalists, we lay down information on the desk, and hope they’ll act as an antidote to lies. As a citizen, if we care about what is going on, make an effort to counter the propaganda in no matter small method we are able to, I suppose it’s a battle in opposition to feeling numb. At some degree, there’s a sort of majoritarian privilege that may make you wish to withdraw and never have interaction, as a result of it appears formidable to tackle this sort of giant-sized organised try and unfold bigoted falsehoods.

MA: It’s a peculiar state of affairs, the media is sadly additionally part of the issue; the rationale these phrases have turn into a part of drawing room conversations is as a result of the media has performed a task. For instance, the one conclusive listing of affection jihad case research we acquired is from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The supply of a lot of the 150 circumstances is media studies; lots of the circumstances have been labelled as love jihad by the media itself. As a brand new mom, I’m involved. Your id or your identify generally determines what your crime is. In case you are named one thing totally different, you’re a violent accomplice or somebody who has perpetuated love jihad.

Love Jihad and Different Fictions; Sreenivasan Jain, Mariyam Alavi, Supriya Sharma, Aleph, ₹599.

vijaita.singh@thehindu.co.in