While the world is obsessed with coronavirus another deadlier virus is spreading fast in the region. This virus is a lethal virus and has the capacity of being more devastating than covid-19, i.e., the Delhi 'HIV' or Hate induced Violence virus. While Trump and Modi were hailing the Indian-American partnership, the RSS goons were hailing the religious cleansing of India. The bloodshed and killings have stunned the world and no amount of cover-ups of how all parties, including ultra right Hindus and police officials, were also suffering from it, can hide the bitter truth of Modi's fascist emulation of Adolf Hitler in his plan to create a "pure Hindu" state.

While Modi's atrocities have crossed the double century in days of siege in Kashmir and are no longer making headlines in the international media, the Delhi carnage has brought the debate of what Modi represents back on center stage. Also on scrutiny is the secularism of not only the BJP but many other parties, civil society, media and the public that have chosen to respond in an unbefitting manner. That is why parallels are being drawn on whether this is India's darkest hour - comparisons that most Indians feel uncomfortable about but are relevant.

The most obvious recall is of the 1984 events when it was the Sikhs versus Hindus. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in anti-Sikh riots in the capital in 1984 after the then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. Also, there was target killings with deliberate Sikh lynchings as the violence spread through Lutyens, Delhi and South Delhi. The mobs in 1984 had lists of addresses where the Sikhs lived. Sikh owned properties even in markets like Connaught place where their hotels and shops were set on fire. Similar is the case presently. While the police at that time vanished, it has openly sided by the miscreants in the recent riots. While the 1984 riots were under the Congress government the 2002 riots that burned alive 2000 Muslims were under Modi who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Fanaticism combined with fascism is a recipe for destruction unlimited. Fascists basically work on extreme negative emotions. These emotions are broiled to such an extent that reasoning, logic, thinking, deliberating are all hijacked by the rush of suspicion, distrust, hatred, fear, insecurity, anger, disdain, for any idea that does not match their beliefs and behaviours. This constant negative provocation is aimed at raising resentment to a level of frenzy where human faculties become subjugated to animalistic instincts of might rules right. Modi has successfully used this psychology to make people fear and hate the very idea of any challenge to Hindu superiority. Basic human needs become irrelevant in front of this "higher Purpose "of racial greatness.

In the recent Delhi elections Modi campaign was based on this "Save the nation, promote hindutva" theory. He lost the elections but made sure that during the riots he asserted his strong-man strong-arm image. In a survey done by Political scientist Bhanu Joshi and his research team in Delhi ahead of February's state elections found the BJP's "perfectly oiled party machinery constantly giving out the message about suspicion, stereotypes and paranoia". The research records the following dialogue between the Modi campaigner and the voter who said she would vote for Aam Admi party as water, etc, were provided free by this party, "You and your kids have stable jobs, money. So stop thinking of free, free. If this nation doesn't remain, all the free will also vanish." This is the fear and hate embedding that Modi's team has been doing for years to firstly make people feel it is a much bigger cause and secondly to hide the terrible economic record of his own government under insecurity threats.

To change or inculcate beliefs or ideologies the young mind is the best sowing ground. India has for some time started educating their youth on "strong" history leaders. Hitler is one of them. Modi who belongs to the Nazi inspired RSS group, started this in Gujarat. In 2004, when now-Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, school textbooks published by the Gujarat State Board portrayed Hitler as a hero, and glorified fascism. The tenth-grade social studies textbook had chapters entitled "Hitler, the Supremo," and "Internal Achievements of Nazism." The section on the "Ideology of Nazism" reads: "Hitler lent dignity and prestige to the German government. He adopted the policy of opposition towards the Jewish people and advocated the supremacy of the German race." The tenth-grade social studies textbook, published by the state of Tamil Nadu in 2011 (with multiple revised editions until 2017) includes chapters glorifying Hitler, praising his "inspiring leadership," "achievements" and how the Nazis "glorified the German state" so, "to maintain a German race with Nordic elements, Hitler ordered the Jews to be persecuted." This is the gradual brainwashing of the youth.

For the older generation history is being presented through the effective Bollywood channel. The subtle and not so subtle distortions of history under the license of it being fiction is cleverly teaching the Indian audience the odes to Hindu superiority. Top directors and producers are churning out mega movies that show how India was ruled by heroic Rajput rulers who crushed murderous, vulgar Muslim "wanna be conquerors". Padmavat, a movie that was super hit in India, presents this hugely nasty picture of Muslim rule. The fact that it almost makes Satti, an inhuman woman sacrifice Hindu ritual seem noble, is a way of elevating the highly discriminatory class and caste system that is practiced by Modi's followers.

The fact that RSS, Modi's organization, was banned three times is a fact that itself tells the story of an ideology that has been found wanting again and again. The sad part of this tragic open secret is that the closet secular liberals of India have been also exposed. The strange silence of the other political parties on Delhi riots including Arvinda Kejrival's whose party Aam Admi runs Delhi, the deafening silence of the mega Bollywood stars including the Muslim origin Shahrukh, Amir and Salman Khan is loud and clear. This has also exposed the non-secular securalism of many intellectuals either in the Indian media or the civil society. Except for a handful opinion influencers nobody has really come out against government actions that are violating basic human rights, laws, ethics and values. This bodes unwell for the Indian society. Whether it is due to threat of reprisal or an innate desire for imposing "their racial or religious" stamp, it is indeed a sad moment of truth for a country that prided itself on the contrary. Silence is an encouragement to violence. Like most Viruses, that get into the system quietly, and only manifest when sickness invades the body, the silence of the Indian community and the world community is adding fuel to the fire raging in Delhi and Kashmir.

(The can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com)