It is often maintained and rightly so that it is very difficult to define terrorism as ones terrorist is others freedom fighter. But in our case there is no such ambiguity. These people whatever they call themselves Indian Mujahidin or something else, there is no doubt that they are terrorists pure and simple. It is great insult of the word mujahid as mujahid is one who struggles for higher causes, for humanity, for justice and is most compassionate to others suffering. No one can be termed mujahid who kills innocent people, women and children and in case of Ahmedabad even those of sick and injured. Let alone mujahideen they cannot claim to be human beings. A mujahid does not seek revenge. Qur’an condemns seeking revenge and describes Allah as ghafoorur Rahim i.e. a Pardoner and Merciful. Murderers cannot pass themselves as mujahideen in any case.
In history it has been common that we legitimize our actions by religious verbosity or religious rhetoric. I would appeal my country people not to be misled by any ones religious rhetoric. In our country the Hindutva forces too use such rhetoric for their own political purposes. The issue of Ram temple raked up by BJP and the rath that Shri Advani rode was noting else but to play with the devotional sentiments of Hindus towards Lord Ram in order to come to power.
In modern day democracy there are gross injustices of all kind and to cover up those injustices our politicians are very apt at invoking religious rhetoric. Mr. Narendra Modi exploited to the hilt the Godhra train incident to romp home to power on 2000 corpses using strong Hindutva rhetoric. After bomb blast in Ahmedabad on 26th July when 19 bombs exploded in that unfortunate city.
Just 24 hours before after Bangalore blasts Narendra Modi had boasted while speaking at Chetpur, Saurashtra that terrorists may attack Jaipur or Bangalore but they dare not step into Gujarat and next day BJP state President while speaking in Virpur village of Kheda district had said that as long as Narendra Modi is there in Gujarat, no terrorist dare attack. Earlier during election campaign also Narendra Modi had boasted that it needs 36″ chest to face terrorists which Congress does not have. And Ahmedabad had such terrible terrorist attacks and next day even Surat had 18 bombs placed in diamond hub area which fortunately did not explode due to tactical glitch. What face Modi can have now?
He summoned army within half an hour and appealed for peace. One wishes he had shown such behaviour after Godhra train burning. Godhra train burning was as condemnable as the bomb blasts in Ahmedabad in which 49 innocent people lost their lives. But Mr. Modi’s behaviour was greatly different after bomb blast. After train incident he was worried about coming elections and after this bomb blast he already had won elections few months ago.
If Modi had employed his Hindutva rhetoric as he did after train incident one shudders to think what would have happened. How many more innocent people would have lost their lives. Of course credit goes to the people of Ahmedabad that they maintained peace and bore such tragedy with great patience and fortitude. And I am sure the people of Gujarat would have borne the Godhra train tragedy with equal degree of patience and fortitude had Modi not let loose his murdering hordes on innocent Muslims.
It is such a sad commentary on our 21st century secular democracy that it runs on the blood of innocent people and corruption as we witnessed the other day in Parliament on voting for or against the confidence motion. Democracy is based on principle of partnership of people in governance has been hijacked by powerful vested interests who use democratic rhetoric but do exactly opposite, it manipulate people through murder and corruption.
Terrorism is a political response to a political situation. It would be futile to look for its roots in any religion. As Hindutva is not product of Hinduism but that of politics of rightwing Hindu party, jihadis are not product of Islam but of politics of rightwing Muslim political outfits. In principle our secular democracy should keep religion at a distance from governance and politics should be based on secular issues pertaining to people and people alone.
However, in all countries of the world including western countries and much more so in countries of Asia and Africa religion often determines direction of political events. It is indeed a sad commentary on our modern day democracy and the role of powerful vested interests. The communal politics played in our county since nineteenth century resulted in vivisection of India and we are still facing consequences of division of our country. Earlier we understand better it is for us.
Other experts are discussing failure of our intelligence agencies and other factors responsible for such terrible blasts. These are all very important and must be thoroughly discussed. But here I am more concerned with its political side. How far our politics is responsible for such terrorist violence or communal violence or Naxalite violence for that matter. The causes may be different for communal, terrorist or Naxalite violence but the common thread is violence and terrorist violence at that.
No such violence would take place without political failures and gross political injustices. Even after independence and vivisection of our country we never shed communal outlook and communal politics. Our politicians were hardly made of secular democratic stuff. Our administrative machinery was hardly any different. Majoritarianism was seeped through our political nerves. We had no will to secularise our education system. Gandhiji, Nehru and Zakir Husain had painstakingly emphasized structural change in our education system and to thoroughly purge it of its colonial overtones. But we continued with it.
Our administrators were also products of same education system and neither politicians nor administrators were willing to take stern action against those who provoked and executed communal violence. We did not even solve our ethnic problem in north East. The mainstream politicians came from North India and they were simply not sensitive to problems of people of North East. Thanks to our insensitivity the North East also exploded and AASU and later ULFA resorted to violence to focus attention. Though AASU by itself did not resort to violence but soon communal forces hijacked its agenda and there was so much bloodletting in Neli in Assam. Today whole of North East is on fire.
Our politics was never based on social and economic justice and the Naxal problem is outcome of gross socio-economic injustices. We know that either tribals or dalits constitute the core of Naxal movement. They have suffered for centuries injustices at the hands of political and economic elite and caste system dehumanized poor low caste Hidnus. Now modern communication system and dangerous and murderous weapons have enabled them to seek revenge and they feel time has come to seek revenge. We think Naxal violence can be solved through jackboots of our police and thus we create more forces and equip them with more weapons and Naxalite violence does not subside. We are not ready to address their real problems as we do not want to give up our privileges and our hegemony over economic resources.
The terrorist violence is no different. Terrorism can be fought simply by better intelligence and better equipped police. It may help but only to a very limited extent. The problem is much deeper. Our police have failed to trace a single culprit and more and more such terrorist attacks are taking place. It is much more than failure of intelligence. The deep rooted prejudices in our administration and police force is the biggest obstacle in solving this problem apart from our political failure to do justice to minorities and secure peaceful life to them.
All our police force has succeeded in doing is to arrest poor helpless Muslim boys after every terrorist attack and torture them into ‘confessing’ their role. It is happening terrorist attack after terrorist attack. And these boys when they get released on bail dare not speak a word against the police for fear of being arrested again and tortured. For our police the only effective weapon available is torture and torture hardly ever succeeds in bringing out truth. Only a solid work in the form of hard evidence and painstaking investigation with unprejudiced mind can yield some result. Our police is hardly made of such authentic stuff. The greatest barrier for our police in reaching truth is their own a priori assumptions and prejudices.
There is social and political turmoil in our neighbouring countries too and it has its own impact on our country and society. The role of ISI in Pakistan is beyond control of Pakistani politicians. Recently there was announcement that ISI has been given under control of Home Ministry but soon it had to be taken back. The military constituency has much deeper roots in Pakistani politics and civil society does not enjoy real autonomy, much less hegemony.
Thus one thing should be clear to all of us that terrorist problem afflicting whole of subcontinent today (as other parts of the world including western countries) is basically political and cannot be tackled merely as law and order problem. Also both ruling and opposition parties will have to cooperate in solving the problem. We know very well this is not the situation. These parties indulge in mudslinging whenever any such attack takes place. The pet theory of the BJP is to enact POTA like draconic law. Let Mr. Advani answer a simple question whether he has succeeded in solving problem of terrorist attacks in Gujarat even after applying POTA on 100 persons 80 of whom are still in jail under POTA after Godhra train incident. Whether they are guilty or innocent no one knows. They are under POTA for last 6 years.
Such draconian laws cannot solve the problem. It will only add to them and will enable police to arrest more innocent people and torture them. It can be a rightwing party agenda and not solution to the problem. If we love our country let us not politicize problem of terrorism and put our efforts to solve it through sincere means.
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Centre for Study of Society and Secularism
Mumbai: – 400 055.
E-mail: csss@mtnl.net.in
There is a poem taught in Grade I. Its title is : Khud To Dawaat Phodi.. Naam Aur Kaa Bataaya ! (You broke the bottle and blamed someone else for it !!).
Immediately after 1947, the RSS used to throw pieces of beef in the temples, or garland the statue of Gandhi with pieces of beef… and thus a riot would start. Breaking into the homes of sleeping muslims.. raping /abducting their women.. killing their men.. and burning their homes. The police would come after everything has gone up in smoke… to have a look ! Subsequently these burnt homes were occupied by the RSS functionaries… who would bring a dabba or red paint and white paint… and one big black stone.. paint it red.. and a temple had come into being. If there is a tree, then they are even lucky.. a stone is placed and a temple came into being. The stone was used as a short-cut… to grab the property illegally… as the Police looked the other way round.
2. Lets come to the present. I am not taking sides. i want to think logically. I have read about the RSS workeres who were making bombs in Nanded and Parbhani Maharashtra. Some were even caught in the act… but they were not interrogated / apprehended. False bears, etc. were recovered from these guys.
3. RSS is itself planning the bombs… and doing this Nautanki. First kill 50 innocent Hindus. Ignite passions. The ammunition is ready… and so is the cadre. Bring in the killers… you have the public MOOD behind you… the atmosphere is worked up… Now kill 5000 Muslims… Divide the society and create “borders”… (This is a good business. Kill muslims.. rape their women.. burn them.. and occupy their property. The mindset is : killing muslims is okay.. .this way we can occupy their property.. and end our poverty !). Once a society is divided between “us” and “them” (Them.. is necessary.. to arouse fears… the genie… Muslims are this.. muslims are that.. How come the unemployed poor muslim became so powerful that he is shaking the apparatus of the state of India.. heh ! ). Shameless lies. Muslims are the poorest community of India.
3. There should be an impartial inquiry. India must invite unbiased experts from X or Y or Z .. anywhere.. and have these blasts investigated. India will be shocked when the truth comes out. Some day the truth will come out… the fact that RSS was behind all these blasts.. RSS workers wearing kurtas pyjamas.. green shawls.. beards… moving around in this Costume.. and doing the dirty work.. This RSS Nautanki or Maut Ka Khel would be exposed. The Police know it too well. but the police machinery has been infiltrated (just like the ISI is infliltrated by the mulla element). The police are not obeying the constitution and the rules…
Educated Hindus must exopse this bluff… otherwise innocent hindus will die followed by innocent muslims who would be slaughtered….society divided.. borders created… while the politician wins elections and makes money.
RSS leaders must be subjected to Narco tests… for truth to come out… and the enquiry must be conducted by an impartial team. The Indian Police is compromised. It is no more fair and honest. It is a Killer’s Gang in Uniform. We have not forgotten its role in Maliana, UP.. Hashimpura.. Mumbai 1992.. Gujarat 2002.. and the list is long and long…
Irrespective of any side being right or wrong, there is a very palpable fear today. Any loved one can at anytime be killed in a bomb blast, whether in a movie thater, train or hospital. That is something indeed sad. Innocent people dying, and their next of kin bearing the trauma.
Revenge for Gujarat cannot be taken through bomb blasts. If the terrorists were so keen to avenge the riots, they could have hunted down the killers and liquidated them. Militants in other places have been known to do that. Were not some of the perpetrators os the anti Sikh riots in 1984 killed in that way?
The reality is that terrorists are looking for soft targets. And in the process, they are ruining the peace of the whole nation.
well Mr.BLUNT’s comments are too SHARP to pinpoint RSS.
and thank God….. RSS is not blamed for its links with ISI and bombings in Iraq.
Please stop this act of cutting others feet just to make urself taller.
Coming back on terrorism..
I don’t claim to an expert but, from all my observations, experiences of my life till now and going through historical facts, the following conclusion come to my mind.
We, in early days of evolution of life on our earth, existed as humans. Religions came into existence as human population grown and divided among different communities, each with its own ideologies. These ideologies were promoted to people to have faith in that particular religion. Some accepted them peacefully otherwise there were wars fought out to gain supremacy over one another.The latter seems to be the situation now.
Growing fundamentalism and intolerence towards other religions ,puts brakes on one’s thinking process and results in a corrupted mind wandering in our society, like a cannibal creature in human flesh, now called a terrorist.
Terrorism must be condemned not just by words, also through our actions.
Strong political will is need of the hour, to rise above votebank consolidating strategies.
And religion must be kept as a subject of faith only, it should not be divisive factor in an evolving society. People must be treated solely based on their merit and then their economic status and nothing else.
We should not blame each other but rather find a solution.
We must not forget that we are only thinking creatures in this UNIVERSE till date. Lets use our power in a constructive manner for the good of humanity and make this world a habitable place for generations to come.
To me that seems to be the ONLY WAY OUT.
As people with an education level that must surely be in the top 10 percentile, we owe it to ourselves to have discussions that attain that intellectual level.
As a matter of fact, we can make this forum a place where we can use our communication skills to build a rapport and understanding and then transfer this experience to a larger platform on which we operate. Each one can contribute in their own way to nation building
Milind
In management literature there is a book titled “Good to Great”. It says that its not the right skills sets but the right kind of people who make a difference. If some Muslims/Hindus have decided that India is not the country for them (for whatever reason) I think they have all the ligitimate right to seek their life elsewhere. For those who remain and decide that we are all in this together, they will have to work together to make India a better place to live in. Let it be clear that India has never been a “Hindu” rashtra and nor will it ever be. And neither will we impose Shariat in our land and become an Islamic theocratic state. People have to agree to the spirit of modern India – Progressive, Modern and Secular.
Sudie,
I am aware of “Good to Great”. It is in the same genre of books such as “Built to last” and “Success built to last”.
What you are saying is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. Everybody has to work towards a progressive, modern and secular India.
If somebody is looking for the shariat to be imposed, it should be in its entirety, i.e. not just the civil code, but the criminal code as well with the attendant concepts of hadd, taazir and qisas. However, very few would like to do that.
The Muslim Personal Law in India is seriously flawed. Several provisions are un Islamic and it would be sinful to enforce them. They need review by accomplished mujtahids, and not some homespun mullahs.
The comments represent the general desire for peace. Be it Hindu or Muslim. An average guy on the street wants to live in peace. The problem is, when a whole society is hijacked by a few armed gangs. An average hindu does not like what the RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal is doing. It knows fully well, the dirty work they are doing… but… he closed his door and windows. He IS safe. His life, honor and property are safe. But that is the short-term benefit. The RSS is hitting Hinduism at its foundations. So while the average Hindu MAY feel safe temporarily, while the RSS gangs go around raping and killing muslims; in the long term this is a very dangerous game. Once a hindu boy becomes a rapist or a killer – once he has tasted blood and got away with it – he becomes a very different individual. Think about it from the perspective of psychology. Today he has raped a few muslim girls., and killed a few muslims., and got away with his crime. He will develop a false pride “Police Tumhare Saath Hai” blanket will cover his psyche. Ultimately that young man will become a criminal ! Once he is on the way to crime., he may start his criminal history with the “OTHER” (in this case Muslim)., and enjoy the sadism., but a time will come when the difference between “US” and “THEM” will disappear. Then what ? That is the long-term danger. Once RSS turned Hindu youngsters and encouraged them into crime / rape and murder; (all in the name of Hindutva); they cannot be NORMAL again. They are changed for life. This way, they are destroying the Hindu Society from within. Hand over power to Narendra Modi and Togadia., and they will destroy India and Hinduism in a short time. Muslims ruled India for 700 years, and yet left Hindus in a majority. Give Modi and Togadia 25 years of power., and see the havoc they create. They will decimate and destroy Hinduism in 25 years., with their power of hatred. Its a dangerous game. All political parties must unite to fight the RSS. If India lives, the parties will survive sooner or later., but if India dies ???
RSS wants India to die. It is taking Hindus for a ride atop a flying chariot. RSS workers must build roads and bridges. What are they doing ? RSS is an armed gang – the largest terrorist organisation of the world. An unregistered body – a body that does not salute the National Flag – does not honor the constitution of the country – and does not pay 1 rupee in taxes. That is RSS. AN unlawful illegal criminal armed gang… It is using religion and the safforn flag to cover its criminal intent. SOoner or later, this bluff must be called.
There is a way out. SOCIAL JUSTICE. Remove hate speech, prejudice, stereotyping, race crimes and racial / communal violence., Stress on merit, transparency in Governance (remove corruption at the lower levels esp); Respect for law, Quick Justice, Goodness, Love… positive things in life, i.e. . That is the way out. Once the people’s FAITH in the System collapses, then he takes things in his own hands. Why didnt these things happen during Pandit Jawaharlal’s tenure ? It is because people had FAITH… that things would change. What India IS today (2008), is thanks to Nehruvian vision., otherwise RSS would have made it a Hindu Pakistan / Hindu Afghanistan… long back.
Both, Hindus & Muslims are not sure when they are going to become next target of a mindless bomb-quake. But Muslims are sure of the aftershocks.
A constant fear of their son/daughter being made the suspect. ‘Terror’ do not end with the blast, it just begins after every blast for them.
Everyone must learn how to live with bombs & its aftershocks. No matter how loudly you are going to demand for POTA,TADA, Maaro, Pito, Looto… no use. Believe me, no use. We have a multi party democracy, so this may be a price.
We have seen how MPs can be bought with just 03 carores if not 25 carores. Can we forgive them? No. But wait! We are going to forgive all our NETAs simply because we don’t have a 80 GB memory.
The main problem lies in the political will. Just as the Muslim needs to have a strong political will to openly condemn the terrorists, so also the Hindus need the political will to condemn the communal forces operating within their own community.
This growing realization then needs to have media support, so that peaceful thinking can be emphasized rather than terrorist activities.