मौनास्त्र (Maunāstra): Stonewalling & Hoovering
The Silence That Screams
Global media silence on Kashmiri Hindu genocide. Strategic silence on Hindu refugee crises. Then periodic outreach to draw victims back into harmful relationships through false reconciliation.
The Weapon of Nothingness
In warfare, we expect weapons to be loud, swords clash, bombs explode, words wound. But some of the most devastating weapons make no sound at all.
Maunastra, the weapon of silence, operates through absence. It is what is not said, not acknowledged, not covered, not remembered. And paired with silence comes its complementary tactic: hoovering, the strategic breaking of silence to draw victims back into harmful relationships, only to deploy silence again.
Together, these tactics create a cycle that traps victims: silence punishes and isolates them; occasional engagement gives hope; then silence returns. The victim becomes confused, grateful for crumbs of acknowledgment, and unable to break free.
Tactic 1: Stonewalling, The Violence of Silence
Stonewalling is the deliberate refusal to engage, acknowledge, or respond. It operates on multiple levels:
Individual Stonewalling: Refusing to discuss issues, walking away from conversations, giving the 'silent treatment.' The message: your concerns don't merit response.
Media Stonewalling: Events that don't fit the narrative are simply not covered. No lies are told, the event simply doesn't exist in the public record.
Academic Stonewalling: Certain questions are not asked, certain evidence is not examined, certain scholars are not cited. The topic becomes professionally invisible.
Institutional Stonewalling: Complaints go unanswered, applications disappear, meetings are never scheduled. Bureaucratic silence achieves what open refusal cannot.
Diplomatic Stonewalling: Issues are never raised, concerns are never acknowledged, resolutions are never proposed. The problem is managed through non-engagement.
How Stonewalling Works as a Weapon
Silence is not neutral. In the presence of suffering, silence is a choice, and it communicates:
'You don't matter': When your pain is not acknowledged, the message is that you are not significant enough to warrant response.
'This didn't happen': Unacknowledged events fade from collective memory. What is not recorded is eventually not remembered.
'You are alone': When no one speaks about what happened to you, you feel isolated. Maybe it wasn't that bad? Maybe you're overreacting?