The jarring image of a constable running through the narrow alleys of Karauli with a child in his hand, in a backdrop burning in Islamist violence appeared on Indian Twitter. The image of the constable Netresh Sharma rescuing a child was posted by Shamli SSP Sukirti Madhav Mishra, while praising the cop who had saved the lives of two other women that day. It sent shockwaves everywhere when people pondered how drastically things sparked after stones were hurled from households at a Hindu Rally in Karauli’s Muslim-dominated neighbourhood.
“तम में प्रकाश हूँ,
— Sukirti Madhav Mishra (@SukirtiMadhav) April 4, 2022
कठिन वक़्त की आस हूँ।”
So proud of constable Netresh Sharma of Rajasthan Police for saving a precious life. This picture is in deed worth a thousand words.. pic.twitter.com/U2DMRE3EpR
On April 2, when Hindus across the world were celebrating their new year, religious tensions broke in Rajasthan’s Karauli when a motorcycle rally marking Nav Samvatsar passed through a Muslim Neighbourhood. Incidentally, 42 people including cops were injured in the communal violence that broke out when stones were targetted at the rally conducted by Hindus. Amidst all of this, when houses and vehicles were set on fire, Policemen like Netresh Sharma came as heroes to rescue the victims who were grappled in the communal outpour.
The next day, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot called Sharma to congratulate him for his bravery. For this selfless act, in which he put his life in danger, Rajasthan Police decided to promote Netresh Sharma as a head constable. While Sharma rightfully received rounds of veneration on social media, his heroic persistence to save lives from Islamic mobs failed narrative setters in India to identify the superhero inside him. His recognition was restricted to certain nationalistic circles in India, while liberal media decided to look the other way. No graphics were made, interviews were published and op-eds were written to glorify him as a ‘symbol of resistance’.
Netresh Sharma’s courage did not remind us of Rao Satal Rathore, who in the 15th century, went out of the way to bring back 140 girls abducted by Afghans near the village of Mertia. Rao Satal is considered one of the greatest martyrs from his lineage, who fought for saving the lives of his subjects till his last breath. Netresh Sharma’s unparalleled bravery in rescuing people from a riot-torn ablaze neighbourhood is forgotten by media circles which are busy wrapped around the next-day news cycle.
It is upon people to choose their heroes, and preserve their stories as serve as hope for the future. Netresh Sharma ran through the burning alleys of Karauli as a hero without a cape, in a uniform. It is also upon us to note that no international media will take cognizance of the Karauli violence and Sharma’s selfless act. No Pulitzer will be won for the disturbing scenes that have been captured. It would be only foolish to expect placard-holding actor-cum-activists to make sweeping comments against a community for the blame. A similar feeling was expressed by netizens on social media…
#Hijab girl #MuskanKhan was dividing students and country yet hailed as hero, But Real Hero is #netreshsharma who saved a life from the fire set by radicals. #Rajasthan pic.twitter.com/9p9QxlZLJ8
— ˥¡HOW ∀ᴚʇOH˥∀W🇮🇳 मोहिल मल्होत्रा🇮🇳 (@TRULYMM8) April 4, 2022
A constable of Rajasthan Police Netresh Sharma saved a child from lsIamic Jihαd in Karauli.
— sanatani_memer (@k_s_Rajput_7773) April 5, 2022
But his image will not go viral because his name is not Muskan Khan. #Rajasthan #Karauli
CR- Ranveer… pic.twitter.com/EavG1jATaS
The reality of Hindus being victims does not hold much water against the trope of the ‘Dara-Hua-Musalmaan’ narrative efficiently peddled by forces hell-bent upon demeaning India as a totalitarian state. Hence, a burqa-clad Muskan Khan who shouts ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogan while being challenged by a group of Hindu students to wear the college uniform becomes a symbol of resistance. She is hailed as a feminist for standing up against the society that ‘has no right to tell her what to wear.’ Should it be convenient for us today to forget the life of Harsha, a Hindutva activist who was brutally murdered by elements that held direct radicalised assumptions of what Muskan apparently upheld?
Netresh Sharma’s story will be sidelined because there is no victim from the so-called minority community here. Telling his story should only serve the agenda of those, who do not wish to see this nation giving up on secular fundamentalism. While Hindu victims of violence are sufficiently brushed off the air, the stories of courage from the community are also not heralded. Today, the instream media acts as certifying agency granting victimization and lionization as per the convenience of the narrative. If a burqa-clad girl giving Jihadist slogans can be glorified for giving a tough fight to preserve some medieval-era ideals, Netresh Sharma, on the other side deserves a rightful place in the light of the day as a real-life hero who saved lives from enraged Islamism.
