Why has Shree Rajput Karni Sena, popularly called Karni Sena suddenly become so active? Is Karni Sena backed by a political group in India? In the last couple of years seen, there has been an astonishing rise in the number of violent attacks by the so-called ‘fringe groups’. What people fail to clarify, however, is the ‘parent group/organization’ which these groups are ‘fringe’ to. The recent incident is the ongoing violence by the Karni Sena against the screening of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period drama ‘Padmaavat’.
Several cities in India have witnessed tensed situations following the violent attacks by the Karni Sena. English-language editorials, however, are only referring to the group as a fringe group without mentioning or clarifying about the main organization.
Read: Padmavati Movie Review: Has Karni Sena Dented the Business of Padmavati?
Karni Sena Chief – A Former Politician From BJP & Congress
It is worth noting here that the Karni Sena has been receiving support from not only Bharatiya Janata Party, but also Congress. To make matters more suspicious, the Karna Sena chief, Lokendra Kalvi, has shown his mark over the political sphere in the past when he was a part of BJP and Congress respectively. Even now, the Sena shows its impact over the Indian political arena but holding meetings with chief ministers of states like Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh.
Read Related News at Eur Asian Times: Nationalism or Vandalism – Challenges for Indian Movie Padmaavat / Padmaavati
The widespread fear of the Karni Sena was evident when four Indian states decided to ban the film altogether which was later quashed by the Supreme Court of India. However, the SC decision was in vain, when the multiplex owners of Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat took a voluntary decision to not screen the film.
It is clear therefore that the word ‘fringe’ is just like the words ‘democracy’ and ‘fascism’, a word which holds no true meaning in the current scenario. It is only used as a word to soften the image of the otherwise truly violent Karni Sena. Reportedly supported by the ruling government, the use of word ‘fringe’ aims to dissociate the Sena and its ruckus from the ruling BJP.
Karni Sena- “Fringe” Not “Terrorists”
Indian media and its usage of certain words in today’s times is not only appalling but even disappointing for an Indian secular citizen. Take for instance the word ‘terrorist’ which by the regular Indian media inference refers directly to a Muslim individual engaging in terrorist activities. On the other hand, groups such as the Karni Sena have only been tagged as fringe groups and nowhere close to the definition of a terrorist organization, while the group continues to spread terror over something as unimportant as a fictional movie.
Read Related News at EurAsian Times: Padmavati Movie Review: Has Karni Sena Dented the Business of Padmavati?
The over-usage of the word ‘fringe’ unfortunately fails or rather aims at not exposing Sena’s connection to the ruling political parties. The only time the word ‘terrorist’ was used for the organization by a news channel was when the Sena directly threatened the journalists of the news channel in question. The Indian media need to take more responsibility, instead of ‘distorting the facts’.
