Casting aside all preconceived prejudices for fellow human beings to come together as a race to ban against intergalactic species. Casting aside all preconceived prejudices for fellow human beings to come together as a race to ban against intergalactic species. In the absence of said species, all prejudices conveniently return to the human race. Two people are arguing at a stop light about the others road rage. An intergalactic space craft lands in the middle of the road. Suddenly, the humans ban against the outside specie and put all differences aside. These people are said to be intergalactic rednecks, or suffer from intergalactic redneckism “Utusan Malaysia’s call today for Umno to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties, based on the lie and canard that the DAP is intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership, marks the culmination of a two-year anti-1 Malaysia campaign by Utusan Malaysia. |
Some of the recent developments have put the premier Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, better known by the acronym RSS, and its many offshoots, in a very awkward position. It has to hectically defend itself on the charges of terrorism and the anticipated ban. May be the issue has a political bickering in the midst of the ongoing power struggle between the ‘secular’ India and a ‘Hindu’ India, of which Muslims and other minorities are just not the silent spectators but they themselves have been turned into the tug of war and the target of persecution from both the sides; however, it is the RSS’s sour responsibility to emerge clear on the board. The noose of investigation is getting tighter for a section of its present or former rank and file and if it fails to plead innocence it might be proscribed once more.
You judge the response from the crowd.
“Utusan Malaysia’s call today for Umno to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties, based on the lie and canard that the DAP is intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership, marks the culmination of a two-year anti-1 Malaysia campaign by Utusan Malaysia.
Casting aside all preconceived prejudices for fellow human beings to come together as a race to ban against intergalactic species. Casting aside all preconceived prejudices for fellow human beings to come together as a race to ban against intergalactic species. In the absence of said species, all prejudices conveniently return to the human race. Two people are arguing at a stop light about the others road rage. An intergalactic space craft lands in the middle of the road. Suddenly, the humans ban against the outside specie and put all differences aside. These people are said to be intergalactic rednecks, or suffer from intergalactic redneckism |
“This is irresponsible and anti-national politicking at the gutter worst — trying to pit race against race in plural Malaysia based on lies, calumnies and falsehoods ... this is the old politics of race which must give way to the politics of Malaysian multi-racialism,” added Lim.
Not just Muslims, Lt Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit and his Abhinav Bharat also targeted Christians in several locations including Kandhamal in Orissa, North Karnataka, Pune, Jabalpur and Bhopal. And that Malegaon blast accused and Purohit’s key aide Sameer Kulkarni was allegedly behind the killing of two Christians in Orissa in August 2008.
This revelation comes in the Military Intelligence (MI) report of the Army based on the interrogation of Purohit, himself one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast and a key link in the Hindu extremist network.
The report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, said that Malegaon blast co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh confronted Purohit during his joint interrogation by MI, the Maharashtra ATS and the Intelligence Bureau at a safe house in Khandala on October 30, 2008.
“She mentioned that the Army officer had met her on October 5, 2008, and confessed to have orchestrated the Malegoan blast, killing of two persons in Orissa in August 2008 and arson in North Karnataka. The officer admitted to having made such statements to Sadhvi Pragya but attributed these outbursts to his boasting about the Malegaon incident. But, later, during the same confrontation he admitted that this outfit had killed two persons in Orissa through Sameer Kulkarni, a full-time activist of Abhinav Bharat,” the MI report stated.
Sameer Kulkarni was called Chanakya by Purohit, a generic name given to those part of the military wing of Abhinav Bharat.
“Responsible for covert operations, the RSS activist was instrumental in breaking influential RSS and VHP workers towards Abhinav Bharat. He is known to be associated with the core group who had undertaken the IED blast in Ajmer in 2007. In March 2008, he accompanied Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange to Purohit’s residence in Panchmarhi. Police records confirmed his involvement in anti-Christian riots in Pune, Jabalpur and Bhopal. Lt Col Purohit admitted that on behalf of Abhinav Bharat, Sameer killed two Christians in Orissa in August 2008. This act indicated that Lt Col Purohit wanted to establish an organisation with aggressive anti-Christian stance,” the MI report said.
That Abhinav Bharat had become the hub of ultra right Hindu forces is evident from the fact that extremist organisations like Sreeram Sena and Hindustan Rashtriya Sena wanted Purohit’s organisation to merge with their outfits.
“During December 22, 2007-January 2, 2008, Lt Col Purohit participated in a meeting called by Swami Aseemanand at Anil Mahajan’s house in Pune. The meeting was attended by Vilas Pawar of Sreeram Sena, Karnataka, Pramod Muttalik of Hindustan Rashtriya Sena, Bharat Rateshwar aka Bharat Bhai of Gujarat, Dr Seetharamaiah of Andhra Pradesh, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar. During the meeting, Swami Aseemanand made an attempt to merge Abhinav Bharat with existing organisations but consensus could not be reached,” the report stated. (courtesy: The Indian Express)
This revelation comes in the Military Intelligence (MI) report of the Army based on the interrogation of Purohit, himself one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast and a key link in the Hindu extremist network.
The report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, said that Malegaon blast co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh confronted Purohit during his joint interrogation by MI, the Maharashtra ATS and the Intelligence Bureau at a safe house in Khandala on October 30, 2008. “She mentioned that the Army officer had met her on October 5, 2008, and confessed to have orchestrated the Malegoan blast, killing of two persons in Orissa in August 2008 and arson in North Karnataka. The officer admitted to having made such statements to Sadhvi Pragya but attributed these outbursts to his boasting about the Malegaon incident. But, later, during the same confrontation he admitted that this outfit had killed two persons in Orissa through Sameer Kulkarni, a full-time activist of Abhinav Bharat,” the MI report stated.
Sameer Kulkarni was called Chanakya by Purohit, a generic name given to those part of the military wing of Abhinav Bharat.
“Responsible for covert operations, the RSS activist was instrumental in breaking influential RSS and VHP workers towards Abhinav Bharat. He is known to be associated with the core group who had undertaken the IED blast in Ajmer in 2007. In March 2008, he accompanied Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange to Purohit’s residence in Panchmarhi. Police records confirmed his involvement in anti-Christian riots in Pune, Jabalpur and Bhopal. Lt Col Purohit admitted that on behalf of Abhinav Bharat, Sameer killed two Christians in Orissa in August 2008. This act indicated that Lt Col Purohit wanted to establish an organisation with aggressive anti-Christian stance,” the MI report said.
That Abhinav Bharat had become the hub of ultra right Hindu forces is evident from the fact that extremist organisations like Sreeram Sena and Hindustan Rashtriya Sena wanted Purohit’s organisation to merge with their outfits.
“During December 22, 2007-January 2, 2008, Lt Col Purohit participated in a meeting called by Swami Aseemanand at Anil Mahajan’s house in Pune. The meeting was attended by Vilas Pawar of Sreeram Sena, Karnataka, Pramod Muttalik of Hindustan Rashtriya Sena, Bharat Rateshwar aka Bharat Bhai of Gujarat, Dr Seetharamaiah of Andhra Pradesh, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar. During the meeting, Swami Aseemanand made an attempt to merge Abhinav Bharat with existing organisations but consensus could not be reached,” the report stated. (courtesy: The Indian Express)
Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Sunday (April 17, 2011) attributed simmering Hindu-Muslim tensions to a deliberate rewriting of history to project Muslim rulers as intolerant and bigoted, whereas ample evidence existed to show the reverse was true.
The judge also said that Indians were held together by a common Sanskrit-Urdu culture which guaranteed that India
Justice Katju said the myth-making against Muslim rulers, which was a post-1857 British project, had been internalised inIndia Institute ofObjective Studies
Dr. Pande, who summarised his conclusions in a lecture to members of the Rajya Sabha in 1977, had said: “Thus under a definite policy the Indian history textbooks were so falsified and distorted as to give an impression that the medieval period of Indian history was full of atrocities committed by Muslim rulers on their Hindu subjects and the Hindus had to suffer terrible indignities under Islamic rule.”
Justice Katju said Dr. Pande came upon the truth about Tipu Sultan in 1928 while verifying a contention — made in a history textbook authored by Dr. Har Prashad Shastri, the then head of the Sanskrit Department in Calcutta University
Further research by Dr. Pande showed not only that Tipu paid annual grants to 156 temples, but that he enjoyed cordial relations with the Shankaracharya of Sringeri Math to whom he had addressed at least 30 letters. Dr. Shastri's book, which was in use at the time in high schools across India
Justice Katju said the secular-plural character of India
Earlier, a resolution passed at the conference urged the government to forthwith set up an Equal Opportunity Commission as recommended by the Rajinder Sachar Committee.
The resolution said: “The conference resolves that inclusive growth is not possible without equal opportunities being given to all sections of society, particularly minorities and other marginalised communities.”
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have demanded that Datuk Seri Najib Razak take action against Utusan Malaysia for stoking racial tension and “blatantly” challenging his 1 Malaysia policy of inclusiveness.
Zaini also said that the Chinese community helped each other economically and stood together unwaveringly to protect their culture, language and vernacular education.
Utusan called on its owners Umno today to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties — claiming DAP was intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership.
“What Umno needs to do now, in this pressing time, is to launch a wave of racial unity — 1Melayu, 1Bumi. Launch 1Melayu, 1Bumi immediately with other Malay parties,” assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan wrote in the Malay daily earlier today.
DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today that Utusan’s latest “anti-national” call proved that Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept was not a serious nation-building campaign but a big vote-getting sham involving “1Malaysia T-shirt, 1M Tupperware, 1M mineral water, 1M burger, 1M email a/c and other new-fangled 1M paraphernalia yet to be conjured up by 1M fortune hunters.’
“In making the irresponsible anti-national call today, Utusan Malaysia has in fact put Najib to the test — whether he is prepared to bring Utusan Malaysia into line and discipline those who are blatantly challenging his 1 Malaysia policy or whether he is an Umno President who is not in full charge of Umno, ceding real Umno power to the Umno kingmakers lurking in the shadows,” said Lim in a statement today.
In his Cuit column, Zaini said that DAP slogans in the recently concluded Sarawak state election called for Chinese voters to change the Malay-led government, adding that they already controlled everything and were now aiming for political power.
In his column, he said that the Chinese community was a united force whose “brotherhood” was unmatched by any other race in the country.
He said that despite their different political stances, Chinese voters would unite when the time came to decide the fate of their community.
The senior DAP figure has called the campaign “anti-national politicking at its gutter worst.” — file pic
However, he provided no facts to substantiate the claim that the Chinese community was such a united force.
Zaini said that while DAP has united the Chinese politically, Malays have so far done nothing in response.
“Utusan Malaysia’s call today for Umno to spearhead a 1Melayu, 1Bumi movement involving all Malay parties, based on the lie and canard that the DAP is intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership, marks the culmination of a two-year anti-1 Malaysia campaign by Utusan Malaysia.
“This is irresponsible and anti-national politicking at the gutter worst — trying to pit race against race in plural Malaysia based on lies, calumnies and falsehoods ... this is the old politics of race which must give way to the politics of Malaysian multi-racialism,” added Lim.
He said that the DAP had never been a political party for the Chinese but a party for all Malaysians, and that it was the first Pan-Malaysian political party with branches not only in Peninsula states but also in Sarawak and Sabah.
According to Lim, DAP’s success in the recent Sarawak state elections was the result of 33 years of hard political work by Malaysians and Sarawakians who believe in a just and equal society for all, and not just for any one ethnic group.
He also challenged Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties to state their views on the matter.
PAS MP Khalid Samad echoed Lim’s views and said that Utusan editors should be charged for sedition.
“They should be charged for saying seditious matters, inciting racial tension.
“What they are saying is factually wrong ... DAP’s struggles are not for just the Chinese, they are fighting for a just and transparent government,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The Shah Alam MP charged that it was Umno who were “obsessed” with “race-based issues” and that fears of the Chinese overthrowing a Malay-dominated government were part-and-parcel of Umno’s “propaganda” to stay in power.
PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang said that Utusan’s editorial content showed Umno’s inability to adapt in a “multiracial” society.
“That is how they want to visualise everything ... everything is a big conspiracy against Umno.
“This is just a façade to stay in power,” Chua told The Malaysian Insider.
The Kaleem-Aseemanand encounter in a Hyderabad jail and its unimaginable fallout, as appeared in media, have brought an unprecedented moment in Indian history, a moment that could prove to be one of the rarest turning points of our time if we could take the opportunity in the right earnest. The two alleged terrorists, one Muslim and other Hindu, implicated in the same sort of cases and, supposedly the fierce enemies of each other, happened to meet behind the bar and caused a strong blow to the communal politics in the country just by a sheer touch of humanity. It is the time to reckon what for is there a communal divide in the country when it has no real worth in human life at all ? There is a need to further explore the idea how history brings forth the vanguards of change, how history takes its own bizarre tolls?
Some of the recent developments have put the premier Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, better known by the acronym RSS, and its many offshoots, in a very awkward position. It has to hectically defend itself on the charges of terrorism and the anticipated ban. May be the issue has a political bickering in the midst of the ongoing power struggle between the ‘secular’ India and a ‘Hindu’ India, of which Muslims and other minorities are just not the silent spectators but they themselves have been turned into the tug of war and the target of persecution from both the sides; however, it is the RSS’s sour responsibility to emerge clear on the board. The noose of investigation is getting tighter for a section of its present or former rank and file and if it fails to plead innocence it might be proscribed once more.
The irony is that the RSS and its many affiliates are not distancing themselves from the conspiracies of ‘civil war’ which were apprehended to be hatched for creating ‘abhinava bharat’, a new India, through ‘cultural cleansing’ and total subordination of Muslims and others. Fortunately, the sordid vision has been caught in the budding stage of a camouflaged terrorism on the part of some radical Hindu groups, thanks to the dispassionately trend setting investigations of late Hemant Karkare and his team. The debate on the so-called ‘saffron terrorism’ and the implication of some RSS workers in a number of bomb blast cases have been publically decried by the RSS as the Congress malevolence against the ‘Hindu’ leadership. Even from the recently held Goa summit, where all prominent RSS leaders assembled for reflecting on the current situation, and the Gauhati national executive meeting of the BJP, strangely enough, the blame was imparted on ‘the Muslim appeasement’ as the cause of ‘persecution’ of RSS cadres.
It is understandable that no one can be regarded as guilty unless proven so beyond any point of doubt by the court of law and, therefore, one’s well wishers and sympathizers are justified to publically and legally defend the one whom they consider innocent. The RSS group also enjoys the same right for its associates, especially when, as an organization, it itself is not, and also should not be, the party to any alleged terrorist activity. However, there is a need to recall the days when Muslim youths were implicated in similar cases, mostly by framed or alleged evidences. The outcry was high against the so-called ‘Islamic terrorism’. Most people in the country believed it to be a real thing. In spite of the fact that out of 175 banned organizations from a cross section of society only 40 were having Muslim background, still ‘terrorism’ somehow became ‘Islamic’. The witch-hunt for every ‘potential’ Muslim hardliner, whether he is involved in any extremist activity or not, was witnessed by the Muslim community for a long, long time. It had been repeatedly pointed out, ‘Though all Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims’. Harsher laws for dealing with ‘terrorism’ were espoused. Violence perpetuated against Muslims in Godhara and against Christians in Kandhmal was justified on one or the other pretext, even while ignoring the friendly advice of Raj Dharma of the erstwhile prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the former case. Hundreds of Muslim youths, who could have otherwise contributed for the well being of their families and for the country, were put behind the bar; many of them are presently waiting for justice in Gujarat jails.
Surely, the RSS cannot be solely blamed for whatever some sections of Muslims, Christians and Sikhs are facing today. There are others who often need their persecution as the ’need of the time’. May be there were a few real culprits from these communities who fell prey to some international conspiracies and to their own personal vengeance against the prevalent communal persecution in the country, but in most of the cases there has always been a clear sign of innocence, still the Hindu leadership directly or indirectly strengthened their plight. Recall all the statements appertained to terrorism in the last two decades; no doubt, those from this leadership comprise most of the tonnage of words on the issue. Now, there is a turnaround. History is playing its game. ‘Islam’ has been replaced by ‘saffron’, ‘Muslim terrorism’ by ‘Hindu terrorism’. The proverbial statement can now be pronounced like this “Though all RSS people are not terrorists but all terrorists (arrested recently) are RSS men”. If this historical organization claims impairment by media trials, Muslims have faced still a worse situation a few months back since they do not have any match with the political clout enjoyed by the RSS in the establishment. If the RSS leaders feel that investigating agencies are leaking ‘sensitive’ information to media the same was the situation earlier as well. You cannot enjoy a wrong thing while forgetting that some time it could befall on you as well.
There are Hindu activists who would be passing through the same sleepless nights as several Muslim families a few days back and even now. Just imagine had the acts like TADA and POTA still promulgated, all those Hindu radicals arrested by the police would have been automatically got convicted by the mere evidence of their confession in police custody itself and whatever extracted from them through police remand would have become a legal proof in any court of law; they are actually saved from that comfort of the prosecution since these draconian laws had got revoked in spite of the insistence of the Hindu leadership. Those who repeatedly banned a Muslim organization during their reign and feel to demand similar undemocratic prohibitions on other Muslim organizations from time to time are facing a looming possibility to test the same agony. The RSS activists always speak in terms of a retrogressive history but now they are on the verge of the revenge of history. History runs a callous cycle of events, no doubt.
There can be hardly any denial that India has come of a long way since the colonial tactics of communal divide as an instrument of power retention but some political movements and parties feel it to be an easy ride to power. Indian people, especially the youth, are now wise enough to chaff the populist issues from the issues of development. They are voicing against corruption, casteism and communalism as the three chronic ailments of Indian society. They are voting for progress and real ground level work. Now a younger generation, liberal and open-minded, is going to predominantly influence the power politics. In such a situation any communal card of this or that party is not going to entail much political gain.
It should be deeply and seriously taken into account that basically there are four major political ideologies having some valid inroads among people; secularism, communism, Hindutva and Islam. They can compete with each other for a political space apart from a social one. It should be left to the wise people of the country to support them or not. There should be some rules of the game. Any foul play would be disastrous for the entire country. Recourse to violence and unfair means would always be counterproductive. The instruments of secularism and communism are often being used to unreasonably weaken Hindutva and Islam. Hindutva and Islam play against each other through the thin cover of secularism. In this context organizations espousing Hindutva have the democratic right to work and function. But, no one should be allowed to take law in his own hand whatever clout one enjoys in society. This can only harm the Indian nation (it is something not akin to a ‘Hindu’ nation as the RSS people chose to call).
When the RSS says that accusation of ‘Hindu terrorism’ is fake and a politically motivated malice, and rubbish it as a Congress design for ‘Muslim appeasement’, it subtly concedes and endorses that the same sort of ‘design’ could have been operative against Muslims as well, perhaps for ‘Hindu appeasement’ especially in states where the BJP voted to power. If the police, ATSs, SITs, NIA and IB can be said as inclined to witch-hunt of RSS cadres, there is a strong possibility that the same sort of perpetration has been in practice against the Muslim youths as well. The RSS and its rank and file did not oppose such wrongs earlier, rather it is considered by many Muslims as the cause behind such persecutions of their kiths and kin. The RSS people cannot take the two-way advantage of a self-created situation. They cannot tacitly support or become instrument to a worsening situation of civil rights against other communities and complain the same when it rebounds. They cannot abuse Karkare for investigating against a Hindu radical and call him a great hero of the land when he is believed to be assassinated by a Muslim youth. So, one has to accept any of the two scenarios, either the police and investigating agencies are puppets of political lords now and earlier as well in case of Muslims or they are doing their sore job of maintaining social peace and law and order. Presumably, if the law enforcement has not allowed the alleged Muslim perpetrators inclined to violence, how it can be supposed to allow the alleged Hindu radicals doing the same.
The Kaleem-Aseemanad encounter must open our eyes. It should bring home the futility of communal hatred as the philosophy of power struggle. Here a Muslim boy behaved as a selfless human being, and a Hindu saintly person, allegedly running for rooting out Muslims, has to surrender his soul seeing the boy’s bizarre behavior. This is the touch of humanity. Many such times came earlier as well but sporadically and locally. Maulana Sajjad Nomani narrates that when there was a communal flare up in Kanpur just after the demolition of Babri Masjid and some Hindus happened to bear the major brunt of the situation, apprehending worsening of the situation as a consequence he rushed with a team of Muslim youths for donating blood to the injured people. This changed the entire scenario. A similar incident happened when there was a bomb blast in Varanasi a few years back. Some Muslim youths associated with Samajwadi Party went to the hospital and donated blood to the wounded persons. As a consequence, the situation did not turn to be a communal strife. A few years back there was a stampede in the Chamunda Devi temple of Jodhpur Fort in Rajasthan where hundreds of Hindu pilgrims were rescued by the Muslims of the nearby localities; and, then came the book on Jinnah by Jaswant Singh the trustee of the temple. Muslim Kashmiris’ emergency help to Amaranth pilgrims several times is part of the Indian history. May be the Indian society is fraught with incidences of such gives and takes, in most of the localities, especially in critical times, but we hardly take a heed. We consider such examples as rare and extraordinary and fail to raise society on a better footing by generalizing them. Our hate and vengeance against each other, mostly perpetrated and propagated for ulterior motives, throws us to the nadir of beastliness.
Here is the potential turning point for the RSS to rethink its methodology; and, surely there is a lesson for others as well who are engaged for an ideological change in the country. First of all it should come forward to unequivocally oppose just not ‘terrorism’ but ‘all shades of terrorism’. It should leave the fate of those who might or might not have been involved in terrorist acts but are presently facing police investigations and legal proceedings for the same, to the court of law. It should first pressurize the BJP-led governments to sincerely review terrorist cases for protecting the rights of innocents and unintended individuals leading to relief and release of those who are not really involved in any serious crime and see the nation standing behind it in case of any persecution of its cadres by any one. It should join hands for upholding human rights of others so that any violation of rights of its cadres could be checked. It should see that when the so-branded Muslim/Islamic terrorism was in debate the Muslim leadership undertook nation-wide campaigns through their different banners for mass awareness and building an atmosphere against violence in the name of religion. They impressed upon the community that Islam does not endorse rather calls it a sin to harm innocent people. Now it is the turn of the RSS to rise to the occasion and champion the cause of peace and harmony. Its silence on the gravity of the issue or taking recourse to simplistic diversionary tactics would only bring the reckoning time nearer.
Some of the recent developments have put the premier Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, better known by the acronym RSS, and its many offshoots, in a very awkward position. It has to hectically defend itself on the charges of terrorism and the anticipated ban. May be the issue has a political bickering in the midst of the ongoing power struggle between the ‘secular’ India and a ‘Hindu’ India, of which Muslims and other minorities are just not the silent spectators but they themselves have been turned into the tug of war and the target of persecution from both the sides; however, it is the RSS’s sour responsibility to emerge clear on the board. The noose of investigation is getting tighter for a section of its present or former rank and file and if it fails to plead innocence it might be proscribed once more.
The irony is that the RSS and its many affiliates are not distancing themselves from the conspiracies of ‘civil war’ which were apprehended to be hatched for creating ‘abhinava bharat’, a new India, through ‘cultural cleansing’ and total subordination of Muslims and others. Fortunately, the sordid vision has been caught in the budding stage of a camouflaged terrorism on the part of some radical Hindu groups, thanks to the dispassionately trend setting investigations of late Hemant Karkare and his team. The debate on the so-called ‘saffron terrorism’ and the implication of some RSS workers in a number of bomb blast cases have been publically decried by the RSS as the Congress malevolence against the ‘Hindu’ leadership. Even from the recently held Goa summit, where all prominent RSS leaders assembled for reflecting on the current situation, and the Gauhati national executive meeting of the BJP, strangely enough, the blame was imparted on ‘the Muslim appeasement’ as the cause of ‘persecution’ of RSS cadres.
It is understandable that no one can be regarded as guilty unless proven so beyond any point of doubt by the court of law and, therefore, one’s well wishers and sympathizers are justified to publically and legally defend the one whom they consider innocent. The RSS group also enjoys the same right for its associates, especially when, as an organization, it itself is not, and also should not be, the party to any alleged terrorist activity. However, there is a need to recall the days when Muslim youths were implicated in similar cases, mostly by framed or alleged evidences. The outcry was high against the so-called ‘Islamic terrorism’. Most people in the country believed it to be a real thing. In spite of the fact that out of 175 banned organizations from a cross section of society only 40 were having Muslim background, still ‘terrorism’ somehow became ‘Islamic’. The witch-hunt for every ‘potential’ Muslim hardliner, whether he is involved in any extremist activity or not, was witnessed by the Muslim community for a long, long time. It had been repeatedly pointed out, ‘Though all Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims’. Harsher laws for dealing with ‘terrorism’ were espoused. Violence perpetuated against Muslims in Godhara and against Christians in Kandhmal was justified on one or the other pretext, even while ignoring the friendly advice of Raj Dharma of the erstwhile prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the former case. Hundreds of Muslim youths, who could have otherwise contributed for the well being of their families and for the country, were put behind the bar; many of them are presently waiting for justice in Gujarat jails.
Surely, the RSS cannot be solely blamed for whatever some sections of Muslims, Christians and Sikhs are facing today. There are others who often need their persecution as the ’need of the time’. May be there were a few real culprits from these communities who fell prey to some international conspiracies and to their own personal vengeance against the prevalent communal persecution in the country, but in most of the cases there has always been a clear sign of innocence, still the Hindu leadership directly or indirectly strengthened their plight. Recall all the statements appertained to terrorism in the last two decades; no doubt, those from this leadership comprise most of the tonnage of words on the issue. Now, there is a turnaround. History is playing its game. ‘Islam’ has been replaced by ‘saffron’, ‘Muslim terrorism’ by ‘Hindu terrorism’. The proverbial statement can now be pronounced like this “Though all RSS people are not terrorists but all terrorists (arrested recently) are RSS men”. If this historical organization claims impairment by media trials, Muslims have faced still a worse situation a few months back since they do not have any match with the political clout enjoyed by the RSS in the establishment. If the RSS leaders feel that investigating agencies are leaking ‘sensitive’ information to media the same was the situation earlier as well. You cannot enjoy a wrong thing while forgetting that some time it could befall on you as well.
There are Hindu activists who would be passing through the same sleepless nights as several Muslim families a few days back and even now. Just imagine had the acts like TADA and POTA still promulgated, all those Hindu radicals arrested by the police would have been automatically got convicted by the mere evidence of their confession in police custody itself and whatever extracted from them through police remand would have become a legal proof in any court of law; they are actually saved from that comfort of the prosecution since these draconian laws had got revoked in spite of the insistence of the Hindu leadership. Those who repeatedly banned a Muslim organization during their reign and feel to demand similar undemocratic prohibitions on other Muslim organizations from time to time are facing a looming possibility to test the same agony. The RSS activists always speak in terms of a retrogressive history but now they are on the verge of the revenge of history. History runs a callous cycle of events, no doubt.
There can be hardly any denial that India has come of a long way since the colonial tactics of communal divide as an instrument of power retention but some political movements and parties feel it to be an easy ride to power. Indian people, especially the youth, are now wise enough to chaff the populist issues from the issues of development. They are voicing against corruption, casteism and communalism as the three chronic ailments of Indian society. They are voting for progress and real ground level work. Now a younger generation, liberal and open-minded, is going to predominantly influence the power politics. In such a situation any communal card of this or that party is not going to entail much political gain.
It should be deeply and seriously taken into account that basically there are four major political ideologies having some valid inroads among people; secularism, communism, Hindutva and Islam. They can compete with each other for a political space apart from a social one. It should be left to the wise people of the country to support them or not. There should be some rules of the game. Any foul play would be disastrous for the entire country. Recourse to violence and unfair means would always be counterproductive. The instruments of secularism and communism are often being used to unreasonably weaken Hindutva and Islam. Hindutva and Islam play against each other through the thin cover of secularism. In this context organizations espousing Hindutva have the democratic right to work and function. But, no one should be allowed to take law in his own hand whatever clout one enjoys in society. This can only harm the Indian nation (it is something not akin to a ‘Hindu’ nation as the RSS people chose to call).
When the RSS says that accusation of ‘Hindu terrorism’ is fake and a politically motivated malice, and rubbish it as a Congress design for ‘Muslim appeasement’, it subtly concedes and endorses that the same sort of ‘design’ could have been operative against Muslims as well, perhaps for ‘Hindu appeasement’ especially in states where the BJP voted to power. If the police, ATSs, SITs, NIA and IB can be said as inclined to witch-hunt of RSS cadres, there is a strong possibility that the same sort of perpetration has been in practice against the Muslim youths as well. The RSS and its rank and file did not oppose such wrongs earlier, rather it is considered by many Muslims as the cause behind such persecutions of their kiths and kin. The RSS people cannot take the two-way advantage of a self-created situation. They cannot tacitly support or become instrument to a worsening situation of civil rights against other communities and complain the same when it rebounds. They cannot abuse Karkare for investigating against a Hindu radical and call him a great hero of the land when he is believed to be assassinated by a Muslim youth. So, one has to accept any of the two scenarios, either the police and investigating agencies are puppets of political lords now and earlier as well in case of Muslims or they are doing their sore job of maintaining social peace and law and order. Presumably, if the law enforcement has not allowed the alleged Muslim perpetrators inclined to violence, how it can be supposed to allow the alleged Hindu radicals doing the same.
The Kaleem-Aseemanad encounter must open our eyes. It should bring home the futility of communal hatred as the philosophy of power struggle. Here a Muslim boy behaved as a selfless human being, and a Hindu saintly person, allegedly running for rooting out Muslims, has to surrender his soul seeing the boy’s bizarre behavior. This is the touch of humanity. Many such times came earlier as well but sporadically and locally. Maulana Sajjad Nomani narrates that when there was a communal flare up in Kanpur just after the demolition of Babri Masjid and some Hindus happened to bear the major brunt of the situation, apprehending worsening of the situation as a consequence he rushed with a team of Muslim youths for donating blood to the injured people. This changed the entire scenario. A similar incident happened when there was a bomb blast in Varanasi a few years back. Some Muslim youths associated with Samajwadi Party went to the hospital and donated blood to the wounded persons. As a consequence, the situation did not turn to be a communal strife. A few years back there was a stampede in the Chamunda Devi temple of Jodhpur Fort in Rajasthan where hundreds of Hindu pilgrims were rescued by the Muslims of the nearby localities; and, then came the book on Jinnah by Jaswant Singh the trustee of the temple. Muslim Kashmiris’ emergency help to Amaranth pilgrims several times is part of the Indian history. May be the Indian society is fraught with incidences of such gives and takes, in most of the localities, especially in critical times, but we hardly take a heed. We consider such examples as rare and extraordinary and fail to raise society on a better footing by generalizing them. Our hate and vengeance against each other, mostly perpetrated and propagated for ulterior motives, throws us to the nadir of beastliness.
Here is the potential turning point for the RSS to rethink its methodology; and, surely there is a lesson for others as well who are engaged for an ideological change in the country. First of all it should come forward to unequivocally oppose just not ‘terrorism’ but ‘all shades of terrorism’. It should leave the fate of those who might or might not have been involved in terrorist acts but are presently facing police investigations and legal proceedings for the same, to the court of law. It should first pressurize the BJP-led governments to sincerely review terrorist cases for protecting the rights of innocents and unintended individuals leading to relief and release of those who are not really involved in any serious crime and see the nation standing behind it in case of any persecution of its cadres by any one. It should join hands for upholding human rights of others so that any violation of rights of its cadres could be checked. It should see that when the so-branded Muslim/Islamic terrorism was in debate the Muslim leadership undertook nation-wide campaigns through their different banners for mass awareness and building an atmosphere against violence in the name of religion. They impressed upon the community that Islam does not endorse rather calls it a sin to harm innocent people. Now it is the turn of the RSS to rise to the occasion and champion the cause of peace and harmony. Its silence on the gravity of the issue or taking recourse to simplistic diversionary tactics would only bring the reckoning time nearer.
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