The Holocaust and India: Lessons from Nazi Propaganda, Communal Polarisation and the Politics of Hate
The Holocaust, Nazi Propaganda and India: What Can History Teach Us About Communal Polarisation?
Justice Markandey Katju examines the Holocaust, Nazi propaganda and its lessons for India, focusing on communal polarisation, media and democratic institutions.
- What Was the Holocaust and How Did Nazi Persecution Begin?
- How Did Nazi Propaganda Influence German Society?
- Why Did Ordinary People Accept or Acquiesce to Nazi Persecution?
- The Holocaust and the Power of Modern Propaganda
- What Does the Holocaust Teach Us About Prejudice and Dehumanisation?
- India After 2014: The Debate Over Communal Polarisation
- Anti-Muslim Propaganda and the Indian Media Debate
The Holocaust, and its relevance to India
By Justice Markandey Katju
The Holocaust, the attempt of the Nazis to exterminate the entire 11 million Jews in Europe, in which they partially succeeded by massacring 6 million Jews in gas chambers in Auschwitz and other concentration camps, and elsewhere by other methods, was the biggest industrial-scale crime in history.
After Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933, systematic persecution of Jews ( who constituted less than 1% of the total German population ), began and continued till the end of the Second World War in 1945. Though this was state-sponsored, it was widely supported by most of the German people who swallowed the Nazi propaganda that the Jews were evil people responsible for all the misfortunes of Germany and the world.
Now Germans were one of the most cultured people in the world before 1933, having made great contributions in science, the arts, philosophy, etc. But most of them went mad during Nazi rule, and many committed horrible crimes, or acquiesced to the misdeeds of the Nazis. How could such a horendous and macabre transformation happen?
There were basically two reasons for this :
(1) Modern propaganda, using the tools which modern technology gives it, is so powerful that it can convert human beings into beasts, with no morals or critical rational understanding.
(2) Most people want comfortable lives, and Hitler gave this to those who carried out his diabolical and devilish orders. Those few who refused to do so faced terrible consequences.
Now something similar is happening in India.
Since 2014, when the pro-Hindu BJP came to power, a powerful propaganda has been unleashed against the Indian Muslims, who constitute about 15% of India's population ( Hindus constituting about 80% ). They have been painted as bigots, terrorists, anti-national, and whatnot, often using a large section of the Indian media ( known as godi media ) for this propaganda. Though they have not been sent to gas chambers, many have been lynched on false allegations of eating beef, or selling cows for slaughter ( Hindus regard cows as sacred ), beaten for not saying 'Jai Shri Ram' ( Ram is a Hindu god ), the houses of many have been bulldozed, and other atrocities committed on them.
Those who support this propaganda are given comfortable lives in the state institutions, as Vice Chancellors and on other posts in educational institutions, etc. The bureaucracy and police, who are supposed to be neutral, turn a blind eye when atrocities are committed against Muslims, fearing that if they interfere, they may be suspended by the government, transferred to a 'punishment' post, or worse.
The media owners are mostly big businessmen, who want to keep on the right side of the government, as they get several benefits by doing so. They have instructed the journalists who are their employees to give a slant to news which is favourable to the government, and avoid criticising the government. Many of these journalists get fat salaries and perks, which have made them accustomed to a luxurious life style. They would not like to lose these by displeasing the owners, who could sack them if they do so. So they carry out the orders of the owners, just like the Nazi officials who carried out Hitler's fiendish orders, and were rewarded by getting a fine life and plenty of benefits.
This is the truth of what has happened to India
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India and a former Chairman of the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own.)
FAQs
What was the Holocaust?
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million European Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945.
How did Nazi propaganda contribute to the Holocaust?
Nazi propaganda portrayed Jews and other targeted groups as dangerous, inferior and responsible for Germany's problems. This helped create an environment in which persecution, exclusion and ultimately mass murder could be carried out with widespread compliance, indifference or collaboration.
What is the relevance of the Holocaust to India?
The relevance lies primarily in the historical lessons surrounding propaganda, dehumanisation, prejudice, institutional failure and the erosion of democratic safeguards. Contemporary India is historically and politically different from Nazi Germany, so the comparison should be understood as an examination of warning signs and democratic lessons rather than an equation of the two situations.
What role does media play in political propaganda?
Media can influence public perceptions by determining which issues receive attention, how events are framed and which communities or political actors are portrayed positively or negatively. Independent journalism and diverse media are therefore important safeguards in a democracy.
Why is Holocaust history relevant to democracy today?
The Holocaust demonstrates how persecution can develop through a combination of propaganda, discrimination, institutional compliance and the weakening of resistance to injustice. Studying it helps societies understand the importance of constitutional rights, minority protection, independent institutions and freedom of expression.
