The Indian mainstream media’s persistent misuse of the term “Tantrik” to describe individuals involved in black magic or occult practices, particularly when those individuals are not Hindu, highlights a troubling trend of misinformation and bias. This practice not only misrepresents the nature of the individuals involved but also aims to demean a term that is inherently linked with Sanatan Dharma.
The term “Tantrik” traditionally refers to practitioners of Tantra Vidya, a system of esoteric knowledge and practices rooted in Hinduism, including black magic. It is a term that has no connection with Islamic or Sufi practices, making its application to Muslim individuals both inaccurate and misleading. The consistent mislabeling of Muslim occult practitioners—such as calling a “Peer,” “Fakir,” or “Hakeem” a “Tantrik”—reflects a broader pattern of misrepresenting religious and cultural identities.
This is akin to calling a Muslim a Rabbi, a Hindu a Sufi, a Christian a Pujari, or a Buddhist a Jew—terms that are fundamentally incompatible with their respective religious practices.
Despite numerous calls on social media to address this issue, the media’s disregard for accuracy continues.
In a recent example, a disturbing case of the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Kanjhawala, Delhi, surfaced. Mohammad Sharif, a 52-year-old man working as a peer in a cemetery, has been arrested for allegedly committing this horrific crime. While the victim is receiving medical treatment, several media outlets have misleadingly described Sharif as a “Tantrik” in their headlines.
This misrepresentation is not isolated; similar instances have occurred before, where media have inaccurately labelled individuals involved in occult practices as “Tantriks“. Here is a list of cases reported over time where mainstream media misrepresented Muslim occulant practitioners as Tantriks:
1) In February 2024, Mumbai police filed a case against Abubakar Mohammad Ali Sheikh, a fakir from Sevri. The charges against him include deceiving people by pretending to cure their illnesses, conducting goat sacrifices in their names, embezzling substantial amounts of money, and then using that money at a shrine. While the Hindustan Times report identified the perpetrator as a “Muslim fakir,” it misleadingly portrays him as a “Tantrik.”
2) In May 2022, a Hindu family in Balasore, Odisha, sought the help of a traditional healer to resolve their domestic issues. The healer, identified as SK Shoraf, held the family’s daughter-in-law captive and raped her for 79 days, while her 2.5-year-old child was also present. The police have arrested Shoraf in connection with this case. However, the national media called the perpetrator’s identity by labelling him as a “Tantrik” in their reports.
3) In July 2021, a report by the Times of India covered the arrest of a Muslim man named Shahnawaz, who was alleged to be involved in occult rituals. The media’s use of the term “Tantrik” to describe Shahnawaz drew widespread criticism for its inaccuracy and potential misrepresentation of his religious identity.
4) In February 2022, the Hindustan Times reported on the arrest of Faizal Ahmed, a Muslim individual accused of participating in occult activities. The term “Tantrik” was used in the report, leading to backlash from various quarters who argued that it inaccurately portrayed Ahmed’s practices and religious affiliation.
5) The controversy continued in August 2022, when the Indian Express reported on the case of Ali Raza, a Muslim man accused of occult practices. The media’s labelling of Raza as a “Tantrik” provoked further criticism, highlighting concerns about the misapplication of this term and its implications.
6) In March 2021, the police in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, revealed new details about the murder of a fakir in the village of Jalalpur. The incident occurred on February 19. According to the police report on February 28, 2021, the fakir, As Mohammad, was attempting to rape a man’s wife under the pretence of “tantric practices,” leading the man to kill him. The murder was committed with a sword at Noor Ganj Chowk. The media, however, referred to him as a “Tantrik” in their coverage.
7) In November 2020 in Uttar Pradesh, Barabanki, Mohammed Firoz, a Muslim occult practitioner, and his assistant, Mohammed Haneef, were arrested for allegedly manipulating Mohammed Alam into killing his daughter as part of a black magic remedy. Times Now labelled them as “Tantriks” in the headline. Similarly, Hindi newspapers such as Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala described the accused using the same term.
8) Lucknow, October 2020, Mohammed Nasir, also known as Baba, was arrested for rape and the Times of India used the term “Tantrik” in its headline to describe him, contributing to the ongoing controversy over the term’s application.
9) In May 2020 in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Aslam Faizi, a Muslim maulvi and occult practitioner, was arrested for raping a woman. The media not only labelled him as a “Tantrik” but also used images of Hindu sadhus to represent him, adding to the misrepresentation.
10) In October 2019, an officer at Nakashipara Police Station reported that Arfina Bibi filed a complaint stating that her 10-year-old son, Jan Nabi Sheikh, died due to severe injuries from a treatment performed by a Muslim healer, Alpna Bibi, in Kanthalberia village. Her 6-year-old son, Jahangir Sheikh, was hospitalised. Arfina Bibi had taken her sons to the healer on September 22, and when she visited on September 25, she found their backs burned from hot oil, ghee, and chili powder. Despite this, media outlets like NDTV, India Today, and The Tribune, which picked up the story from PTI, misrepresented the healer as a “Tantrik” to give a Hindu context to the incident.
11) In May 2018 in West Bengal, A Muslim occult practitioner was arrested for raping a woman and promising her and her husband a child. Several publications referred to him as a “Tantrik,” reflecting a pattern of misidentification.
12) Similarly, in June 2020, Aslam Baba, who falsely claimed to cure people of Coronavirus by kissing their hands, died. Media coverage, including international publications, not only obscured his name but also used images of Hindu sadhus to represent him.
Aslam Baba, who would kiss people’s hands and died of Corona, has made it to global publications. Only that his name gets no mention in the copy and he is identified only as “Indian holy man” https://t.co/lDNhIkm44H
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) June 13, 2020
13) In July 2018, The Times of India issued an apology for using a misleading image of a Hindu saint in their article titled, “Maharashtra ‘godman’ forces men into unnatural sex, held.” The social share image used in the article suggested that the crime was committed by a Hindu, while the actual accused was a Muslim named Asif Noori.
This pattern of misuse not only distorts the truth but also undermines the integrity of journalism. It is imperative for media outlets to cease this misleading practice and strive for accurate, respectful reporting that properly reflects the identities and practices of individuals from diverse religious backgrounds.
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