Save India from Communalistic Politics
Communalism in Secular India
This was a title of a book by Mr. M. J. Akbar soon after the massacre and chaos of 1993 (the post Babri Mosque Demolition Era) as I refer to it.
As a teenager then I was deeply affected by what was happening and I started reading to find the answers to the many questions that arose in my mind… I still continue till date.
Babri Masjid / Ayodhya was followed by the shameless and ruthless massacre in Gujarat in February 2002 and in a way one led to the other. Wanting to find out what ‘communalism’ meant and why religion had become such a huge inseparable part of politics in India was the burning question.
The term “communal violence” in the Indian context refers to violence between religious communities (mainly between the majority and the minority i.e. the Hindus and Muslims). However, in context to the Gujarat incidents, observers have pointed out that the term “communal violence” is inappropriate to describe events that transpired in Gujarat in 2002. “The events in Ahmedabad do not fit into any conceivable definition of a communal riot. All evidence suggests that what happened there was a completely one-sided and targeted carnage of innocent Muslims, something much closer to a pogrom. Moreover selective violence that was perpetrated was done with remarkable precision, suggesting meticulous planning over a protracted period, rather than the spontaneous mob frenzy characteristic of communal riot.” Sahmat, Ethnic cleansing in Ahmedabad: Preliminary report, 2002. Similarly a fact-finding mission led by Kamal Mitra Chenoy said, “the events in Gujarat do not constitute a communal riot … the bulk of the violence that followed (the incident at Godhra) was state-backed and one-sided violence against the Muslims tantamount to a deliberate program”. Chenoy et al, Gujarat carnage 2002, 2002. 2 In this report, the phrase ‘right wing Hindus’ or ‘Hindu groups’ refers to those that support the ideology of Hindutva, a political ideology which sees India as a nation exclusively of Hindus and regards Muslims as a threatening ‘enemy’. ‘Right wing Hindus’ or the extremists are often members of organizations affiliated with this ideology including the RSS, BJP or Bajrang Dal.
Mumbai Riots and the communal carnage that might follow:
With their back to the wall and the real prospects of losing power what would the Pakistan army do other than resurface with all their strength with the 'India bogey' which apparently has been their lucky charm all along in the last couple of decades and along with that start communal trouble in India. A scenario conveyed to the Indian government, but frankly one did not expect it to happen so quickly.
The Indian political establishment is indirectly responsible for the Mumbai carnage by the terrorists, now and all the times earlier. For after every terrorist outrage, our political leadership of both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party has been vociferous in stressing that the peace process with Pakistan will continue and not be derailed by terrorist violence. Thus, the terrorists, both from across the border and their henchmen in India, have been testing the limits of Indian patience and tolerance.
The handlers of local terrorists from across the border know well that India has failed to fashion a response to the strategy of 'a thousand cuts to bleed India for a thousand years.' The empty threat of Operation Parakram and the defensive response during the Kargil War have proved to the Pakistanis that Indian rage is impotent. We lack the military muscle and the wherewithal to launch the kind of counter insurgency or counter attack on our esteemed neighbour, or rather what we lack is the political gumption to stand up for what is beneficial to the public at large and are always worried about what the world at large primarily the Big Brother of us all is likely to think and react. This is the second failing of the Indian government, starving the Indian security forces of funds and equipment for decades.
The citizen of this country that pays so much of tax, the least that such a citizen can expect out of the government is security. One wonders what is the legal recourse (if any) when the government and its actions / inactions are a threat to life of the public at large.
But we cannot deal with terrorism unless we tackle the domestic roots of this menace. Let us not delude ourselves and believe that all these terrorist acts are possible without local support and sympathy. One would not be surprised that while the tools for the blasts may have come from Pakistan, locals may well have carried out the actual act.
But a Gujarat-like reaction and communal riots would be precisely what the terrorists want. It would be foolish if Indians react that way. Infact that part of the minority community that is truly against these acts of terrors and who are the true patriots should become pro-active and hunt these sympathizers of terrorism down. This is the only way that terrorism can be controlled. Like fish without water, terrorists cannot operate without popular support. Consideration of faith should not come in the way of citizens doing their duty. This apathy would be a monumental folly on their part.
Elsewhere in the world when such incidents happen, you will find blaring sirens from ambulances and police vehicles, stretchers, trained volunteers and doctors. Everything in a matter of minutes.
One can understand our lack of preparedness if the incident had taken place at a remote place. But it happened in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. It happened in a city, which has been high on the target list of dreaded Islamic terrorists. And don't forget that every one in the government and outside knew about it.
The menace of terrorism in politics continues in many states like Gujarat with the likes of Narendra Modi continuing office. So much so that when he visits other states (for e.g. a recent visit to Mumbai) the people of that state are worried as to the contents of his speech, whether inflammatory or passive.
I believe as a political science student I was once taught that the ‘people deserve the government they get’. I wonder on this issue a lot. The answer of course is a yes and a no. Yes because there are so many people who refuse to vote for lack of a clear choice, ( all are bad and each one worse than the other) and those who vote for all the wrong reasons ( money, power, position etc).
ROOT CAUSE OF ALL PROBLEMS
Overpopulation is the root cause of all the problems whether poverty, unemployment or security. This has mainly hampered the growth and development in Mumbai in the last five years or maybe more. The slums are growing at an alarming pace, and the governments being as impotent as ever in taking a drastic step in stopping migration into this city. The city is spruced up once in a while when visited by some political leader or the other.
No one wants to injure their political career by ordering demolition of the slums and those celebrities who stand up for them and protect them should be held responsible for all the mayhem created by way of floods or security hazards. A couple of days a leading news paper carried an article that the slums were causing a danger to the Mumbai pipeline, pray what action is our Chief Minister going to take on that aspect one wonders !
This was a title of a book by Mr. M. J. Akbar soon after the massacre and chaos of 1993 (the post Babri Mosque Demolition Era) as I refer to it.
As a teenager then I was deeply affected by what was happening and I started reading to find the answers to the many questions that arose in my mind… I still continue till date.
Babri Masjid / Ayodhya was followed by the shameless and ruthless massacre in Gujarat in February 2002 and in a way one led to the other. Wanting to find out what ‘communalism’ meant and why religion had become such a huge inseparable part of politics in India was the burning question.
The term “communal violence” in the Indian context refers to violence between religious communities (mainly between the majority and the minority i.e. the Hindus and Muslims). However, in context to the Gujarat incidents, observers have pointed out that the term “communal violence” is inappropriate to describe events that transpired in Gujarat in 2002. “The events in Ahmedabad do not fit into any conceivable definition of a communal riot. All evidence suggests that what happened there was a completely one-sided and targeted carnage of innocent Muslims, something much closer to a pogrom. Moreover selective violence that was perpetrated was done with remarkable precision, suggesting meticulous planning over a protracted period, rather than the spontaneous mob frenzy characteristic of communal riot.” Sahmat, Ethnic cleansing in Ahmedabad: Preliminary report, 2002. Similarly a fact-finding mission led by Kamal Mitra Chenoy said, “the events in Gujarat do not constitute a communal riot … the bulk of the violence that followed (the incident at Godhra) was state-backed and one-sided violence against the Muslims tantamount to a deliberate program”. Chenoy et al, Gujarat carnage 2002, 2002. 2 In this report, the phrase ‘right wing Hindus’ or ‘Hindu groups’ refers to those that support the ideology of Hindutva, a political ideology which sees India as a nation exclusively of Hindus and regards Muslims as a threatening ‘enemy’. ‘Right wing Hindus’ or the extremists are often members of organizations affiliated with this ideology including the RSS, BJP or Bajrang Dal.
Mumbai Riots and the communal carnage that might follow:
With their back to the wall and the real prospects of losing power what would the Pakistan army do other than resurface with all their strength with the 'India bogey' which apparently has been their lucky charm all along in the last couple of decades and along with that start communal trouble in India. A scenario conveyed to the Indian government, but frankly one did not expect it to happen so quickly.
The Indian political establishment is indirectly responsible for the Mumbai carnage by the terrorists, now and all the times earlier. For after every terrorist outrage, our political leadership of both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party has been vociferous in stressing that the peace process with Pakistan will continue and not be derailed by terrorist violence. Thus, the terrorists, both from across the border and their henchmen in India, have been testing the limits of Indian patience and tolerance.
The handlers of local terrorists from across the border know well that India has failed to fashion a response to the strategy of 'a thousand cuts to bleed India for a thousand years.' The empty threat of Operation Parakram and the defensive response during the Kargil War have proved to the Pakistanis that Indian rage is impotent. We lack the military muscle and the wherewithal to launch the kind of counter insurgency or counter attack on our esteemed neighbour, or rather what we lack is the political gumption to stand up for what is beneficial to the public at large and are always worried about what the world at large primarily the Big Brother of us all is likely to think and react. This is the second failing of the Indian government, starving the Indian security forces of funds and equipment for decades.
The citizen of this country that pays so much of tax, the least that such a citizen can expect out of the government is security. One wonders what is the legal recourse (if any) when the government and its actions / inactions are a threat to life of the public at large.
But we cannot deal with terrorism unless we tackle the domestic roots of this menace. Let us not delude ourselves and believe that all these terrorist acts are possible without local support and sympathy. One would not be surprised that while the tools for the blasts may have come from Pakistan, locals may well have carried out the actual act.
But a Gujarat-like reaction and communal riots would be precisely what the terrorists want. It would be foolish if Indians react that way. Infact that part of the minority community that is truly against these acts of terrors and who are the true patriots should become pro-active and hunt these sympathizers of terrorism down. This is the only way that terrorism can be controlled. Like fish without water, terrorists cannot operate without popular support. Consideration of faith should not come in the way of citizens doing their duty. This apathy would be a monumental folly on their part.
Elsewhere in the world when such incidents happen, you will find blaring sirens from ambulances and police vehicles, stretchers, trained volunteers and doctors. Everything in a matter of minutes.
One can understand our lack of preparedness if the incident had taken place at a remote place. But it happened in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. It happened in a city, which has been high on the target list of dreaded Islamic terrorists. And don't forget that every one in the government and outside knew about it.
The menace of terrorism in politics continues in many states like Gujarat with the likes of Narendra Modi continuing office. So much so that when he visits other states (for e.g. a recent visit to Mumbai) the people of that state are worried as to the contents of his speech, whether inflammatory or passive.
I believe as a political science student I was once taught that the ‘people deserve the government they get’. I wonder on this issue a lot. The answer of course is a yes and a no. Yes because there are so many people who refuse to vote for lack of a clear choice, ( all are bad and each one worse than the other) and those who vote for all the wrong reasons ( money, power, position etc).
ROOT CAUSE OF ALL PROBLEMS
Overpopulation is the root cause of all the problems whether poverty, unemployment or security. This has mainly hampered the growth and development in Mumbai in the last five years or maybe more. The slums are growing at an alarming pace, and the governments being as impotent as ever in taking a drastic step in stopping migration into this city. The city is spruced up once in a while when visited by some political leader or the other.
No one wants to injure their political career by ordering demolition of the slums and those celebrities who stand up for them and protect them should be held responsible for all the mayhem created by way of floods or security hazards. A couple of days a leading news paper carried an article that the slums were causing a danger to the Mumbai pipeline, pray what action is our Chief Minister going to take on that aspect one wonders !
posted by dontpissme at 12:43 AM
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