Do you read with your eyes open? And I am not talking about reading between the lines, I am talking about comprehending the meaning behind each word and sentence that you read in the newspapers and magazines. I used to think I was doing just that, but over the past weeks, I have realized that I never really knew how to read the news articles that appear in the Indian media.

Let me show you what I’m talking about. One week ago, the city of Hyderabad was rocked with violence that was pepetrated by Muslims in the Old City. The first report that came in from the Deccan Chronicle described the following:

Deccan Chronicle – June 6, 1998

Thirty-two persons were injured including three in stabbing incidents following outbreak of violence in the Old City on Friday. A temple was destroyed and extensive damage caused to both public and private properties as frenzied mobs indulged in large-scale violence immediately after the Friday prayers. Police opened six rounds of fire in the air and resorted to lathi-charge several times to quell the frenzied mobs. Two city legislators Asaduddin Owaisi and Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and former MLA Syed Sajjad were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the violence, police said, adding that the situation was brought under control by the evening. As many as 28 buses were set on fire or damaged while the 400-year-old Mahankali Amma idol at the Akkanna Madanna temple at Hari Bowli, Moghalpura was totally destroyed.

Three shops belonging to Hindus were set on fire, while a petrol pump was ransacked in Charminar area. According to the police, the violence, which broke out around 1.45 pm after the weeky Friday namaz at the Macca Masjid, was a sequel to provocative pamphlets depicting Lord Ganesha and a mosque with remarks against the Muslim community. Copies of the pamphlet found by some youth was circulated among the congregation at Macca Masjid. Enraged by the depiction in the pamphlets, a 500-strong mob came out of the masjid and ran amuck, setting fire to 14 RTC buses besides damaging 14 other buses in the adjacent Charminar bus station. The heavily-armed contingent of armed police comprising at least three platoons which was stationed near the masjid in view of the anticipated violence proved no match for the frenzied mobs which ran into the lanes and by-lanes carrying swords, lathis and iron rods. The mob which ran in different directions accosted Hindus after identifying them through their names and attacked them with knives, rods and granite stones. The culprits indiscriminately went about attacking passers-by after identifying their community.

A person identified as Chandrashekar, who was stabbed near Charminar, was admitted at the Nizam`s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), police said. At Moghulpura, a violent mob attacked a petrol bunk and smashed the glass panes while another group set fire to a wine shop, a cycle spare parts store and a provision store on the road leading to Hari Bowli. All the three shops were totally gutted. Even as this was going on about 50 persons barged into the Mahankali Amma temple at Hari Bowli after breaking open the steel grills, police said, adding that they removed the idol of the goddess with the help of crowbars and smashed it to pieces. Before escaping, the culprits also looted 10 tolas of gold oranments, a silver idol of the goddess besides five tolas of silver ornaments, all worth Rs one lakh, said G Niranjan, former city corporator and member of the temple committee.

As news of the violence spread like wild fire, businessmen downed their shutters in the old city areas of Shalibanda, Moghalpura, Charminar and Madina. For nearly three hours, police diverted the traffic proceeding from Nayapul to the old city via the High Court road after placing road blocks on the Madina-Charminar route. It was mostly the innocent attending to their daily chores who fell victim to mobs moving around in a merciless exhibition of frenzy. A poor auto driver, an unassuming housewife or a student, nothing seemed to matter for the mob so long as they could give vent to their ire.

A Swastika sticker proved costly for Ram Nivas, an auto driver who oblivious of the prevailing violence ventured along the Khilwat road. “On seeing the Swastika and a picture of Shirdi Sai Baba in the auto, a rampaging gang pulled me out and after hitting me with rods tried to smash my head with a granite,” whispers Nivas from his bed in the Osmania Hospital.

The celebrations of a recent promotion for Anjaiah, a BHEL employee, was short-lived, when he was attacked while returning along with his son Kaveen, an intermediate student, near Charminar. The miscreants chopped off his ears for a golden ear ring while the son was repeatedly stabbed, four times in the chest and twice in the back.

“We were going to our house at Shalibanda, when a mob suddenly charged and attacked us after asking our names,” recounts the teenager. Pleadings and tears failed to deter the mob which charged for blood, narrates Suresh, an employee of Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh who was returning home in an auto was another such innocent victim. “I do not know why they were fighting,” he said adding that nobody was in a mood to listen to him even as they punched, kicked and later hit with a granite stone. A dot on the forehead was what invited trouble for Hema Latha waiting for a bus at Charminar bus stop. “On seeing me, the crowd charged and beat me up,” she cries inconsolably.

After reading this report, I obviously was concerned and wanted to read more about the carnage and destruction that had taken place, so I started scanning other Indian newspapers to learn more. Should I have been surprised to find that the entire story had been thoroughly distorted, and that extremely relevant pieces of it had been completely edited out or left unmentioned? Instead of a factual description of the sequence of events, I found the newspapers deliberately presenting an absolutely falsified version of events, describing only those specific portions of the incident that made it look like Hindus themselves were responsible for this unbelievable carnage that had been effected by the Muslims in Hyderabad. Not one single newspaper, besides the cryptic reference by the Deccan Chronicle, mentioned the utter destruction of a 400 year old Temple, or the irreparable and immense damage to property owned by Hindus, nor was there a trace of the fact that innocent, defenseless Hindus were ruthlessly sought out , mutilated, decapitated and massacred.

I am reproducing below fragments of some of these articles. If you are someone who has never been consciously aware of this type of malicious misrepresentation until today, you will need a guide to point out the evidence. To help you out , I’ve inserted the FACTS in red parenthesis next to the fake words or phrase . Let this serve as a simple example of how to read reports from the “Secular” Indian newsmedia:

Hindustan Times, June 6, 1998

“At least thirty-one persons including five policemen were injured and properties worth crores were damaged as members of a minority community (Bloodthirsty Muslims) went on rampage in the Charminar area protesting against a defamatory (critical of Islam) pamphlet being circulated in the city.

The agitated (Savage and bloodthirsty)mob, several thousand strong, spilled from the Mecca Masjid into the main road and started targeting members of the majority community (Unprepared, defenseless Hindu women, men and children) and government properties with stones and sticks. Four persons received stab injuries and their condition is critical. The miscreants (Murderers and looters) set fire to 12 public transport buses, besides a police vehicle and an autorickshaw.

It seems the police had failed to anticipitate (knew but didn’t bother to prevent) trouble though there was considerable tension in the old city for the last one week over the pamphlet issue. All the Urdu news papers were regularly writing about the mood among the minorities on the matter and had warned of possible trouble. (The Muslims had threatened a massacre replete with destruction of the Kafir Hindus)

Chief Minister P. Chandrababu Naidu sought cooperation of people from all walks of life in maintenance of peace and communal harmony. (He wants the Hindus to turn a blind eye to the atrocities, remain cowards and pretend that everything is OK).

Times of India, June 8, 1998

“The communal violence (Muslims murdering Hindus) in parts of the old city continued unabated for the third day on Sunday with fresh incidents of stabbing and arson breaking out in non-curfew areas taking the toll to eight. A 27-year-old youth was stabbed to death in Santosh Nagar while an auto-trawly was set afire in Chanchalguda area, the police said. Six persons were killed on Saturday, including two in police firing, and over 40 others (40 defenseless Hindus) were injured as largescale riots, stabbing and an arson spree broke out in Haribowli, Sultanshahi Talabkatta, Mogalpura, Bhavani Nagar and Hussaini Alam (Hard core Muslim areas) areas.”

Indian Express, June 6, 1998

HYDERABAD: Police opened fire in the air to disperse a rampaging mob (Bloodthirsty Muslims) today as fresh incidents of arson and attacks broke out in several parts of old city which had witnessed large scale violence yesterday leaving at least 30 people (innocent bystanders all of whom were Hindus) injured. Miscreants (Bloodthirsty Muslims) set afire four shops and some vehicles in Haribowli while tension still prevailed in Sultanshahi, Gowlipura and Moghulpura areas despite heavy deployment of police including Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), police said, reports PTI.

Police opened four rounds of fire in the air to quell an enraged mob (Muslims on a savage rampage) indulging in stone pelting in Sultanshahi area. Meanwhile, the condition of four persons (Hindu victims), who received stab injuries yesterday, was stable, police said. The trouble erupted yesterday when groups of youth (Muslims), enraged over a provocative pamphlet (a pamphlet that critcized Islam), went on a rampage stabbing the passers-by, burning buses, shops and vehicles even as police opened fire at two places to disperse the mob. The infuriated mob stabbed four persons, torched 27 buses and several shops in Charminar, Moghulpura and Shalibanda areas.

Rediff On The Net, June 5, 1998

The police fired in the air to disperse a violent mob belonging to a particular community (Bloodthirsty Muslims) near the Charminar area of Hyderabad this afternoon.

At least 15 people were injured as a 500-strong mob went on the rampage, attacking passersby (Hindus), shops and passing vehicles soon after coming out of a place of worship (A Mosque) after a prayer meeting (a fanatical rally exhorting the warriors of Allah to kill the infidel Kafir hindus)

Some of the victims received stab injuries, while three policemen were injured in stone-throwing.

The rampaging mob soon moved into adjoining areas, attacking vehicles and passersby. A section of the crowd entered the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus depot and damaged five buses. An APSRTC bus and a police vehicle were torched. The police caned and fought pitched battles with the mob which then moved towards the Shalibanda and Moghulpura areas.

The mob was reportedly agitated over the release of a pamphlet which allegedly denigrated a particular community. The pamphlet, carrying the picture of a dancing god of another community and some symbols, had caused tension in the old city area during the last four days. (It was a pamphlet depicting Ganesh and a mosque that had apparently been built on misappropriated land)

Home Minister A Madhav Reddy visited the injured at the Osmania hospital and later went round the affected area. The situation was tense but under control in Charminar, Shalibanda and Moghulpura areas, police sources said.

As tension prevailed, contingents of Rapid Action Force were deployed and police pickets were posted at most places of worship in the old city area. (All temples are under threat, as the Muslims destroyed a 400 year old Mahankali Temple)

The RAF had last night staged a flag march. The entire area looked like a “virtual battle-field”, eyewitnesses said.

Not a single mention of who the rioters were, what community they were from, or the nature of the carnage. Not one mention of how the Hindus were targeted and brutally massacred. Not a WORD about the fact that a 400 year old Mahakali Temple was desecrated and smashed to dust. Not a whisper about women who were traumatised for wearing Bindis , innocent auto drivers whose CRIME was to have a sticker of Hindu religious symbols on their windshields or how they were specifically targeted and mutilated.

Instead of the truth, what we find in the Indian media today is the deliberate, insidious and planned manipulation of facts. The result: pages and pages of falsehood and malicious propaganda designed to insult, villify and demean the Hindu religion and its followers. Every instance of crimes against Hindus is purposely suppressed. Every social, religious, and practical problem is blamed squarely on the Hindus.

Any Hindu who dares to speak out against injustices perpetrated against Hindus, is IMMEDIATELY and without question branded a “Hindu Extremist”. Any distinct reference to Muslims being the perpetrator of crimes is immediately rubbed out in the interests of “communal harmony” . When Hyderabadi Muslims cold-bloodedly target , mutilate and massacre innocent Hindus, the news story relates how “a minority community clashed with the majority community”.

What the heck is this load of crap?

Not one newspaper in the ENTIRE country had the guts to tell the truth and clearly state “MUSLIMS TARGET INNOCENT HINDUS AND KILL THEM”

No way, such words would thrust a dagger into the hearts of the SECULAR media of India.

What are these people afraid of? What motivates such monsters? Why isn’t there a whisper of protest?

Simple. We let them get away with it. We look the other way when a twinge of anger arises in our hearts at the unjust misrepresentations. We don’t care enough to do anything about it.

Can anything be more dangerous or suicidal than pretending that it doesn’t matter? Every time you or I DON’T raise a voice against such crimes, the creepers of falsehood spread another tendril into the ground, strengthening their roots at the expense of truth.

When bombs explode in the heart of Coimbatore, the messiah from Bihar, Chahcha Kesri blames the violence on the Extremist Hindus of the RSS, knowing fully well that it was the “peace loving and pious Muslims” who were responsible. And yet noone raises a whisper in protest!! When the culprits are caught, a convenient twist to the story is added by representing the event as some isolated freak that had been committed by a lunatic fringe “Extremist and fundamentalist Islamic organization”. It apparently had nothing to do with the common peace-loving neighbourly Muslim. Look carefully at the photograph of the bloodthirsty Muslim mob in Hyderabad, the one that brutally massacred and mutilated more than 80 Hindus. It was the same mob that targeted any woman who was wearing a Bindi and smashed autorickshaws that had any Hindu symbols on them ; the same mob that smashed their way into the ancient MahaKali Temple and crushed the 400 year old image of the Mother Goddess, into dust. Look carefully and try to separate the face of the “Islamic Fundamentalist looney” from your neighbour.

I know you can’t, because it wasn’t simply a bunch of extremist nutcases who committed these atrocities, it was thousands of the NORMAL Peace loving neigbourly Muslims.

Wake up and smell the stench of blood.

It is time for all of Hindus to WAKE UP and realise that we’ve been had all this time. As if it wasn’t enough that the “Secular” politicians were paving the way for our genocide, the “Secular” Indian news media has been making an ASS out of every Self-respecting Hindu for decades!

So tell me, am I reading anything wrong here? Are there any factual inconsistencies between my words and the ones the newspapers use? You bet there are. The newspapers are LYING. They don’t want you, me, or ANY Hindu to get the actual picture of the TRUTH. Every incident is distorted, warped and so shamelessly modified beyond meaning, that the only apparent intent is clear: FALSIFY the truth.

There is a systematic, deliberate attempt on the part of the Indian media to denigrate, oppose, distort and negate anything to do with Hinduism and Hindus. The attempt is to glorify Islamic and Western culture at any opportunity at the expense of Hindu culture, to negate the crimes and atrocities that are committed against Hindus by Muslims, to give you an absolutely WRONG picture of what’s happening out there and what the REAL danger is to our nation. You don’t have to take my word for it, keep an open mind and you will find yourself seeing through the lies, reading the innumerable examples that will help you to judge for yourself whether what I am saying is true or not.

The point of this article however is only to make you AWARE that such an outright bias and injustice exists. If you don’t agree with my analysis, Fine I am not here to change your opinions. For those of you who see the facts as they are, I have a small request. The next time you pick up a newspaper or magazine or read the news online, don’t suppress the nagging little voice in your head that feels enraged at the distorted picture of Hindus that’s being created. Your rage and concern shows, that you have realized the truly insidious and evil purpose behind these deliberate falsifications. You are neither crazy nor alone if you think like this, because it is the TRUTH.

Millions of Hindus like you and me have heard that same nagging voice. Don’t ignore it again, recognize that it is an absolutely valid sense of rage, mistrust and disgust. And the next time you hear that same distorted picture being expressed in a situation again, whether it be in a party, office, email, phone conversation, or anywhere, make sure you heed that courageous little voice of your human conscience. Stand up , oppose that falsehood and speak out for the Truth.