A
Prelude To Malegaon Bomb Blast
By Aleem Faizee
06 October, 2006
Countercurrents.org
Few
months back one morning when we woke up there was an small news in some
Urdu newspapers stating that some Hindus belonging to Bajrang Dal and
RSS were killed in the blast which occurred because of some explosives
in their own house in Nanded.
As the matter was about to
cool down when again the Urdu press reported that this was not an ordinary
incident but people killed in the blast were active members of RSS and
Bajrang Dal and they were actually making the bomb and because of some
mistiming this blast had occurred.
Not only this, fake beard,
Muslim scalp, Kurta and outfits used by Muslims along with maps and
diaries containing details of the mosques were also seized by the officials
at the same place.
Because of the sensitiveness
of the matter Urdu press solemnly reported all these details and asked
for immediate inquiry of the whole incident. Non-Urdu print and electronic
media literally ignored the whole thing as if nothing had happened.
On the other side, people
allegedly, at official and non-official level tried hard to cool down
the whole incidents but they miserably failed in their attempts and
the demand for independent inquiry gained momentum led by none other
than local Muslim MLC. It was then that English media reported the whole
incident and the matter came in full light with electronic media once
again ignoring the whole incident.
The demand continued to grow
and as if the officials and sympathizers of RSS and Bajrang Dal were
afraid that their conspiracies would be exposed soon it was then that
a huge arm haul was found in Malegaon and Aurngabad. Immediate arrests
were made and full coverage by all sects of media for ten fifteen days.
Apprehensions were made about the involvement of “some MLA or
MLC” and fingers are allegedly pointed at the same MLC who was
at the forefront demanding the probe of the Nanded incident.
It was alleged that the arm
haul in Malegaon and Aurngabad and the consequent arrests were the attempt
to cool down the Nanded incident on one side and the warning to the
people who were continuously demanding the probe.
But they did not budge from
their demand and one day we came to know that the police had failed
an attempt to attack RSS headquarter in Nagpur by “Muslim Terrorists”.
Allegedly it was also cited as an attempt to warn the whole Muslim community
who were demanding the probe of the Nanded incident. This was further
confirmed when Justice Kolse Patil along with several other organizations
and NGOs found that the encounter in Nagpur was actually fake and it
was deliberately planned to malign the already tarnished image of the
whole Muslim community.
Reports also came that when
some MPs tried to raise the demand for probe of the Nanded incident
they had been forcibly stopped and had been told that “ you are
talking of Nanded, don’t you know what happened in Malegaon and
Aurngabad?”
In between attempts were
continually made to incite communal violence and as a last endeavor
Statue of late wife of Balasaheb Thakre was maligned in Mumbai and,
as a tradition, this act was also attributed to Muslims. Not only that
they miserably failed in their attempt to incite the communal tension,
they backtracked from their stand of the Muslim involvement when the
matter was put to discussion in the assembly and state home minister
hinted at some clues about the architects of this act.
But just when it was thought
that Muslim community will come clean of all these acts, Mumbai trains
were targeted and around 200 people died in one of the most heinous
act of terror. People in general and Muslim community all over in particular
were in shock and grief not only because of this act but also because
of the fear that might follow after.
In spite of this they did
whatever was there in their hands to assist the victims and the injured
with a spirit that can only be expected from “humane” which
poor Muslims are never termed as. Muslims in Mumbai did their job well
without expecting any praise or honor and “terrorists” again
failed in their attempt to disrupt the communal harmony but they did
succeed in putting the whole Muslim community under suspicion. The blind
and indiscriminate arrests were made and it seemed that the whole Muslim
community would be put on trial.
Also, the perpetrators of
these terror acts did succeed in widening the gap between Hindus and
Muslims that was came to light when that famous and painful SMS roamed
all over India that “ Ok. Not all the Muslims are TERRORISTS but
why all TERRORISTS are Muslims?”
Now people believed that
all Muslims are TERRORISTS. Half the work was done but still lot of
work was to be done. They have still not succeeded in inciting any major
communal violence, which was necessary to gain advantage in the coming
election.
It was then that Malegaon,
famous for communal impatience (because this city had around 75% of
Muslim population and Muslims “wherever they live they only incite
violence, they do not know how to live in peace.”) had been chosen
for the attack and it was shattered on Friday, September 08, 2006 in
the afternoon while people had just completed their Friday prayers.
This news came at around
01:50 PM and immediately spread across the city that serial blast has
occurred at Qabrastan on the eve of Shab-e-Barat where lakhs of people
were expected in the night.
More than 30 people had died
and the people who had injured in this drastic act could cross hundred.
The perpetrators failed again
but what followed after this is the history in itself if one observes
more than 100 years’ history of Malegaon.
While people of Malegaon
in general and Muslims in particular must be congratulated that they
defeated the perpetrator of this heinous crime in their aim of disrupting
the communal harmony of this Power loom city, some section of the media
and press were busy spreading the painful rumors that these are the
acts done by some Muslim fundamentalist group.
All the Muslims are continually
demanding with their fellow secular non-Muslim friends that impartial
and independent inquiry should be made about not only Malegaon blast
but all terror acts on Indian soil then why government of India is afraid
of independent inquiry is a question in the minds of plenty of people.
When the fascists in India
can kill Mahatma Gandhi, that too, when the saint had just completed
his prayers how can they spare fellow Indians (that include Hindus and
Muslims both) to achieve their goals?
Aleem Faizee
is a journalist and he can be reached at [email protected]
Comment
On This Article