There has been a surge in the number of Muslim students pursuing journalism and legal studies in Kerala. Reports from various prestigious national education institutions, including IIMC, indicate that there has been a significant rise in the number of candidates belonging to Northern Kerala applying for journalism and mass communication courses. The Centre has also been providing educational assistance and scholarships to Muslim and other minority students.
Although this is seen as a positive development, some radical Islamist organizations encouraging students to choose these particular subjects have left many suspicious. A leader of the banned Islamist outfit, Popular Front of India, had called upon Muslim students to take up such courses and “penetrate bureaucracy”. In PFI’s “Vision 2047” document, the media forms a major component of its strategy to Islamize India. Moreover, in a speech, CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem said how Jamat-e-Islami is pushing Muslim students to enrol for UPSC exams to enter the bureaucracy.
According to reports, a significantly large number of Muslim journalists are now employed in various media outlets. There are fears that some may be using their positions to spread Islamist propaganda. A former Doordarshan official told Indus Scrolls how a person holding a senior position in Doordarshan tried to interfere in news selection when issues concerning the Muslim community came up. She recalled how the person hid the names of the accused in reports wherever Muslims figured in criminal cases.
There is concern that the growing number of Muslim journalists could lead to a skewed coverage of events in the state. There are fears that this could, in turn, stoke sectarian tensions and further exacerbate the already fraught relationship between the BJP and Kerala’s Muslim community.
The issue has been a source of controversy and debate within Kerala’s media circles, with some journalists and commentators arguing that the concerns over the influence of Muslim journalists are unfounded and serve only to further stigmatize the state’s Muslim community.
Alongside the increase in Muslim students pursuing journalism in Kerala, there has also been a surge in the number of students from the community studying law. This has raised concerns among some that it could lead to an overrepresentation of Muslims within the state’s judiciary, with potential implications for the impartiality of the legal system.
Critics argue that the rise in Muslim law students could make it easier for the community to push through their agenda and gain an advantage in legal disputes, potentially leading to greater divisions and tensions within Kerala’s already diverse society.
It remains to be seen how these trends will evolve over time, and what their implications will be for Kerala’s political and social landscape. However, it is clear that the rise of Muslim students in journalism and law is a phenomenon that is being closely watched by many in the state, and that it is likely to continue to provoke debate and discussion for some time to come.
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