Paris Attack: Why India Should Be Worried
By Rakesh S
17 November, 2015
Countercurrents.org
The terror attack on Paris on 13/ 11 is no doubt one of the brutal attacks on humanity in the recent times. This is the second attack of such kinds on the Paris soil in a span of 10 months, a place which boasts of ‘multiculturalism and free movement of people’. Does that mean that there is a serious problem within the social fabric of Paris. Experts, who study terrorism feels that the Paris attack is different from the attacks on World Trade Centre in New York and Mumbai, where the involvement of external actors were evident. According to reports circulating in media, as many as three of the seven suicide bombers were French citizens. Many reports suggest the growing number of ISIS sympathizers in Europe. When the world is condemning the cowardice act of ISIS and the leaders across the globe are brainstorming on how to root out terrorism from the global map, a very little attention is being made to the current political context in which such attacks happen.
The tangled history of France with the Muslim world, their military intervention in Syria, the symbolic measures taken against Muslims, such as the 2010 ban on wearing face-veils in public etc. were some of the analyses being played out repeatedly in the media, as the trigger points for the terror attacks happening in France. However there is not much mention about the rise of far right in France. There is a notable presence of extremist and nationalistic feeling in the ideological and political landscape of France. It has surely weakened the cultural fabric of France. The involvement of French nationals belonging to a particular segment throws some light in that direction. It has been argued that the policies of the previous government have allowed the ground for extremist thought to freely spread in the public space. As a result, there is a rising popularity of the National Front party which embraces right-wing brand of politics. Mar Le Pen, the leader of the National Front was quick in her response to get political mileage out of the attack , she told the reporters that "Islamist fundamentalism must be annihilated, France must ban Islamist organizations, close radical mosques and expel foreigners who preach hatred in our country as well as illegal migrants who have nothing to do here,". Political analysts feel that, National Front party will use the recent attack as a ground for bolstering its support in the coming elections. For a moment, let’s imagine the NF will benefit electorally from this, but one should not forget at the cost at which this will be achieved, or does the recent attacks already signals the hidden fractures existing in the much celebrated idea of ‘multiculturalism’.
There is a growing debate that, the Islamic State would not be able to make a powerful presence in India. The multiculturalist and pluralistic nature of India has been cited as the reason for the same. Indian multicultural policies have its deep roots in its constitutions. The social intermingling over the years has generated immense amount of trust and confidence across different sections of the society, to ensure a peaceful environment. That is one of the important reasons for outright rejections of various terrorist outfits. No terrorist outfit has been successful in making a significant presence in India. In such a historic backdrop, there is no doubt about the Islamic State failing to make any dent, however India cannot afford to ignore the dark clouds existing over the secular fabric of the nation, especially in the aftermath of the terror attack in Paris. There is no doubt that the past few months have seen a change in the political climate in the country. There is growing skepticism about the growing ‘atmosphere of intolerance’ in the country. The present government has been criticized for its silence on the growing intolerance in the country. It will be unwise to dismiss it as a mere figment of the imagination. Multiple events across the country are a testimony to the fact that, such a situation exists in real. India’s gradual descent into majoritarian fundamentalism is alarming. This could spell danger, particularly in a multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic country like ours. The growth of anti-secular and any form of right wing extremism is a threat to the pluralistic fabric of India. President Pranab Mukherjee was right in reminding us that the core values of India’s civilisation that celebrate diversity, plurality and tolerance should not be allowed to wither away. He remarked that ‘these values have kept us together over the centuries. Many ancient civilisations have collapsed, but the Indian civilisation has survived because of its core civilisation values and adherence to them”.
Diversity is our strength and it is one of the reasons why India has been proudly resilient to any form of terrorist network. If we manage our society properly, India is not going to have a terrorist problem of the dimensions like in France and in other European countries. It is not that India is immune to all possible influence, there is potential danger but that potential danger is substantially contained by the very secular nature of our country. The fundamental understanding of diversity has enabled us to deal with minority groups in our country. But today there are worrying signs suggesting that the secular fabric is under threat. India cannot afford to ignore the current mood of Hindu Triumphalism, if it has to continue enjoy the confidence of various minority sections. Example across the western nations indicate that, if there is an extraordinary polarization of society for whatever causes, then there will some kind of widening of the recruitment base of the extremists and terrorists..
In such a situation, the present government needs to ensure that the pluralistic fabric of India is preserved. It should not allow the fringe elements to take the centre stage. The government should make sure that, the party or its members are not involved in creating an ‘atmosphere of intolerance’ and painting ‘shades of authoritarianism’. Multiculturalism is the essence of Indian society and it should be preserved in all possible order to bring all section of the society in the mainstream.
Rakesh S is a research student at Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. He can be contacted at [email protected]