The Great Divide On Terror
By M Shamsur Rabb Khan
17 January, 2011
Countercurrents.org
Ever since the 1993 Mumbai terror attacks, there has been one-way focus on Indian Muslims as suspects or accomplices or culprits, and all the opinions, editorials, analyses, statements, and investigations have been directed to this end due to which Hindutva groups and individuals, who exploited the handiwork of Muslim terrorists to get away with the heinous crimes and escaped the scrutiny of investigating agencies. Till date, the views of RSS, BJP, VHP and Shiv Sena are astonishingly on the same line in spite of the fact that various agencies like Maharashtra ATS in 2008, Rajasthan ATS in 2010, CBI in 2009 and 2010 and NIA in 2010 and now have come up with evidences and statements, pointing fingers of suspicion at Hindutva terror groups. Also, the arrests of Dayanand Pandey, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Srikanth Purohit in October 2008, Devendra Gupta and Chandrashekhar in May 2010, and Swami Aseemanand’s confession in December 2010, there is stubborn denial from these two organisations.
So when the news of Aseemanand’s confession hit the headline, BJP President Nitin Gadkari, like L K Advani and Rajnath Singh who were belligerent in extending favour to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in 2008, came out in defence of Aseemanand and charged the UPA government of vote bank politics. Earlier, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat announced that Hindu and terrorism are two contradictory words. However, Gadkari is right when he pointed out the contradiction between the earlier probe that suspected the involvement of LeT in the Samjhauta Express blast and the current revelation of Aseemanand. But this contradiction, as pointed out earlier, is the outcome of a single focus of probe that investigating agencies have blindly followed and targeted wrong groups and individuals as terror suspects in Mecaa Masjid and Ajmer Dargah blasts till Hemant Karkare cracked the Malegaon bomb blast in 2008. Even mild voices raised by individuals in favour of Muslim suspects for a fair trial, or questions asked over the fake encounters were dubbed as anti-national.
One unreasonable logic that Hindus cannot be terrorists, as is being propagated by both RSS and BJP, is seemingly a contradictory statement in itself when they have, time and again, said emphatically that terrorism has no religion. Then, why are these two organizations too reactionary and denying vehemently if terror suspects belong to RSS? Why can’t they say arrested men are not Hindus? If those patriots, as Gadkari went to the extent of calling as such, that are projected as trouble causers are proved to be real culprits, then his, along with other sympathizers of Hindutva terror, political career would be in deep trouble. Whether Gadkari’s criticism of slain Mumbai ATS chief Hemant Karkare or Narendra Modi calling him desdrohi, leaders of right wing parties, in their emotional support to Hindu terrorists, have totally ignored the security of the country.
Though Hindutva terror exists, as corroborated by more than half a dozen instances of bomb blasts in various cities like Bhopal, Pabna and Malegaon since 2002, in which Hindutva groups have been found to be involved, both RSS and BJP have tried to indulge in playing majority card via accusing Congress of vote bank politics. If the Congress is playing minority card in search for Muslim votes, then it will have to pay even heavier price. And instead of asking for a deeper probe into the Swami Aseemanand’s confession as well as the alleged involvement of other arrested men belonging to Hindutva terror group, BJP is too quick to display double standard, totally unmindful of their stand, ideology and statements on terrorism. If terrorism has no religion, then why can’t RSS expel Indraesh Kumar from the organization till his innocence is proved? But for RSS and BJP, defence of Hindutva terror suspects seems more important than the national security.
Very sadly but surprisingly, there has been a clear divide on war against terror in India. Along with leaders of right wing parties, media have been the most powerful propagator of disseminating message after every terror strike that hit on Indian soil: whether in live reporting or on the spot coverage or in-depth analysis when Muslim youths were paraded blindfold and highlighted as terror suspect. But in case of Hindutva terror revelation, the same zeal and stamina is deploringly missing. We don’t hear anchor’s shouts like Aatankgarh for Indore as it labelled for Azamgarh post-Batla House encounter of September 2008. Even organizations like Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) and South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) and experts like B Raman and Parveen Swami, among others, have hardly done any meticulous research on Hindutva terror.
Like Islamist or jihadi terror emanating from Pakistan and its sympathizers in India, Hindutva terror is based on the philosophy of retaliation in the name of dharma. However, in planning and politics, Hindutva terror is one step further: it has utilized the services of army personnel and official access; and it has put on the garb of patriotism and conspired to design bomb for bomb policy in order to transfer the crime on Muslims. But like Islamist terrorists, Hindutva terrorists are ruthless in prosecution since they have no compunctions in bombing holy places like mosques and dargahs. In actualizing its covert strategy, Hindutva terrorists have hit two birds with one stone: keeping the issue alive to corner the Indian Muslims, it has facilitated the arrests of hundreds of innocent persons and put a permanent terror tag on the community.
Post-Aseemanand revelation, in ignoring the national security challenge posed by Hindutva terror, both RSS and BJP are trying to send a wrong message. If we assume their accusations against CBI and ATS as politically motivated, then we should not forget that these agencies have prosecuted Afzal Guru and Ajmal Kasab. But by accusing the security agencies both RSS and BJP are toeing exactly the same line that they opposed when Muslims asked for inquiry into Batla House encounter. Instead of attacking the security agencies, both RSS and BJP should go for introspect and examine the charges on the merits. And instead of supporting Hindutva terrorists that cost L.K. Advani the last general elections for priori defence of Sadhvi Pragya, Gadkari and Bhagwat are in a state of pre-determined stand on terrorism that stop them looking at the other side of the coin. Rather, a fair BJP or RSS would have asked for a fair trial for all those arrested on terror charges irrespective of their religion. And unless they show equal concern for Muslims falsely arrested on charges of terrorism, their emotional support to Hindutva terror is nothing but partisan politics based on the great divide on terror.
In this great divide, there is a danger that it may prevent us from gauging, leave alone, countering, the severity of threats posed by Hindutva terror. More so, it will be difficult for India to say with pride that there is difference between Indian and Pakistani stand on terrorism. Pakistan state supports terrorism, while India does not. Solution, therefore, lies in fair and relentless pursuit of investigations. Else, India will be running on the same track on which Pakistan has created marks of self-destructions.
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