Kerala police book AIR producer for hateful anti-Muslim post on NRC in Assam

Indira, a programme director with AIR, was booked by the Kodungallur police under 153 A, a non-bailable offence.

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Police in Kerala’s Kodungallur have booked KR Indira, an author and programme director with All India Radio, for a hateful post on Facebook regarding the National Register of Citizens (NRC) list in Assam.

Known for being openly anti-Muslim, Indira in her latest post said that Muslim women give birth to children as pigs do. “After all they have to conquer the world by increasing their numbers. Birth control medicine may need to mixed in tap water to save the earth from you people,” read her post.

Kodungallur police booked Indira on Tuesday under 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 120 0 of the Kerala Police Act (whoever by means of any communication device or computer resource cheats by personating, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend three years and shall also be liable to fine which may extend to Rs 1 lakh). 153 A is a non-bailable offence.

Kodungallur police told TNM that Indira was booked on a complaint filed by a person named Vipin Das.

Meanwhile, Dalit activist Rekha Raj also filed a complaint with the police cyber cell on Monday about Indira’s Facebook post on the NRC in Assam.

The AIR programme director has consistently put up posts spewing hate against Muslims and receives plenty of comments outraging against her posts.

Indira’s latest post came after she got strongly worded objections and abuses on her earlier post which said that those who were excluded from the NRC list could be accommodated in camps for illegal migrants.

“In Kerala some people are worried about where the non-citizens would go. They can be housed at the illegal migrants camps with minimum facilities, without ration card or Aadhar card. They can even be sterilised so they do not give birth to children,” Indira’s previous post on NRC read.

"Indira is humiliating Muslim women. With her posts she tries to create communal hatred and division between Hindus and Muslims. This is a serious offense. I am not sure what will be the outcome of the complaint. I have nothing personal against her, but I wanted to make her and those who clap for her realise the seriousness of what they do,” Rekha told TNM.

“Kerala is the only place that raises its voice, though limited, against Hindu fascism. There has been a deliberate and concrete attempt to dilute serious issues, and the anti-Muslim tone in this shouldn’t be overlooked, it should be nipped in the bud. We had seen in the Sabarimala issue how precarious it can be. I don’t think the police, who had even booked an activist who urged people to donate inner-wear for women living in flood relief camps, would take suo motu action against people like this,” Rekha added.

“Our cities are rapidly getting hyper Hindu in nature and the essential character of that is Islamophobia, which could create insecurity among the Muslims. They should be allowed to live without fear, with dignity and pride,” Rekha said.

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Rekha pointed out that Indira’s posts are also misogynistic. “They tell women, like the government or men do, how their uterus should work, how many children they should give birth to,” she said.

On Tuesday evening, a group of writers, activists and cultural figures came out with a joint statement on the need to check people like Indira. Writers CS Chandrika, S Saradakutty, activists Maya Krishnan and Rekha Raj, among others, have signed the petition.