Insta
Shrill Speech By Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra Praised By Liberals Now Faces Plagiarism Charges
Swarajya Staff
Jul 02, 2019, 05:00 PM | Updated 05:00 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
A shrill maiden Rajya Sabha speech by Trinamool Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra which earned high praise from the liberals is now facing charges of plagiarism.
In her speech Moitra made a pointed attack on the Narendra Modi led government using “7 signs of fascism”, which she claimed are:
- Nationalism searing into national fabric
- Disdain for human rights in government
- Subjugation and control of mass media
- Obsession with national security
- Religion and Government intertwined in the country
- Disdain for intellectuals and the arts
- Erosion of independence in electoral system
This speech was heavily praised by the critics of Prime Minster Modi and the usual suspects including the so called liberals and dissenters.
While the speech was already being criticised in various quarters for peddling hysteria and doomsday, a fresh charge of plagiarism has been levelled against Moitra.
As claimed by various social media users, the “7 signs of fascism” and how they apply to the Modi government, were not Moitra’s original thoughts but were merely lifted from a 2017 article in Washington Monthly, which compared “12 early warnings of fascism” and how US President Donald Trump was ticking the boxes.
The famous speech by @Trinamool MP #MahuaMoitra which @sardesairajdeep praised was an article written by a US journalist on trump in Jan 2017. All she did was to juxtapose Modi in place of Trump. Plagiarism at its worst. Here is original articlehttps://t.co/1DWj3ZtAnD
— Dr Vijay Chauthaiwale (@vijai63) July 1, 2019
JNU Professor Makrand Paranjape too questioned the speech by stating that the basic structure and ideas were lifted from the American article.
Is Mahua Moitra a plagiarist? Compare https://t.co/XdRr0rDDW7 & https://t.co/LeVeOEIFnA The words aren't identical but the basic structure (using the Holocaust memorial poster) & ideas have been lifted; instead of @realDonaldTrump she's lambasting @narendramodi on similar lines.
— Makarand R Paranjape (@MakrandParanspe) July 1, 2019
Incidentally, Moitra also didn’t quote the US Holocaust Museum prior to listing the “seven signs of fascism” and only mentioned the original source fleetingly at the end of the article, which could have resulted in any casual listener believing that the signs were part of Moitra’s own thought process.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.