Many journalists who claim to religiously follow the principle of ‘secularism’ are often found indulging in blatant Hinduphobia and bashing Hindu festivals while gushing over the festivals of other religions. These efforts assume greater earnest especially during the festival of Holi, when the supposedly “neutral journalists” fall over themselves to malign Hindus.
Journalist Swagata Yadavar, who also wrote columns for Shekhar Gupta’s The Print, is one such individual who has displayed eager alacrity to slander Hindu festivals and attack Hindus. Yadavar said she is afraid to listen to the chants of Jai Shri Ram and that she loves street food in Pakistan. Interestingly, she has chosen the occasion of the Hindu festival Holi to spew this venom and got slammed by the netizens for her shared views.
Swagata Yadavar has shared in a post from her Twitter handle, “Slogans of Jai Shri Ram while playing Holi. I froze for a moment. I, a Hindu woman, don’t feel safe in this country. I can only empathize with other minorities. And Holi is the scariest time to be a woman traveling alone. I had to take an auto yesterday and I prayed so hard.”
She further said in her tweet, “People are saying if you are feeling unsafe in the country, go to Pakistan on my tweet about Holi. When women say they are afraid, it is not about the religion but the fundamentalist followers, whatever the religion be Hindu, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism.”
In a subsequent tweet, she wrote, “The first thing fundamentalists do is curb the freedom of women. Try to control our clothes, what we study, where we work. So yes, I am afraid of Jai Shri Ram chanting youth. You are creating the same kind of Taliban that you seem to hate but are obsessed about.”
Expressing her love for Pakistani food and hospitality, she says, “Also I don’t understand people who said what I wrote is fake. Haven’t you lived in this country long enough to know the truth? By the way, would love to go to Pakistan and try their street food. I have heard such good stories about their hospitality.”
Netizens slam Swagata Yadavar for maligning Jai Shri Ram slogans
A Twitter handle named Sweet Sinner has replied to her saying, “First you do the honors. Also, do us a favor & buy a one-way ticket & savor that street food & hospitality for a lifetime I’ve heard they show great respect to women & especially non-muslin women. May Allah grant you the heavens.”
Puhlez do the honours
— RaFail (@sweetsinner619) March 19, 2022
Also do us a favour & buy a one way ticket & savour that street food & hospitality for lifetime
I’ve heard they show great respect to women & especially non-muslin women
Ola tumhe jeete jee jannat ata farmaye
Another Twitter user Sumit said, “become a muslum and travel in muslum ghettos sharia governed, then come back here and tell your story if possible. you’ll feel like you living in heaven in your current condition”
become a muslum and travel in muslum ghettos sharia governed, then comeback here and tell your story if possible.
— SUMiT+2.0 (@SUMiT2042137293) March 18, 2022
you’ll feel like you living in heaven in your current condition
Ankit Kumar wrote in his Twitter post, “I guess, everyone in print gets scared of jai shree ram but feels safe in Allah hu akbar…. There are 57 other countries you can refer to for your safety.”
I guess, everyone in print gets scared of jai shree ram but feels safe in Allah hu akbar….
— ANKIT KUMAR (@WokeAnkit) March 18, 2022
There are 57 other countries you can refer to for your safety.
After such replies, independent journalist Swagata Yadavar turned off the reply section of her Twitter timeline and also restricted access to certain tweets for the ones who are not her followers or not mentioned in her tweets.
