Zabiuddin Ansari’s story holds up a mirror to a society made dysfunctional by communal fissures
Late on the night of 26/11, over a voice-over-internet line that linked the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)’s control room in Karachi to its assault team in Mumbai, Zabiuddin Ansari read out the words that had sent 10 men across the Arabian Sea to kill 164 people in a city they had never seen.
“We want all the Muslims in Indian prisons to be released,” Mr. Ansari said. “Muslim states should be handed back to Muslims. The army should be withdrawn from Kashmir, and Kashmiris given their rights. The land on which the Babri Masjid stood should be handed over to Muslims, and the mosque should be rebuilt.” He condemned India’s “two-track policy” on Muslims: “the government pats us on the back, but its administration hits us on the head.”
For many Indians, he is the face of a malevolent and mindless evil. His manifesto, however, holds up a mirror to a society made dysfunctional by communal fissures. Mr. Ansari might have been nurtured by the LeT, and patronised by Pakistan’s intelligence services — but he was just one of dozens of young men from his milieu who made the decision to join the jihadist movement, for reasons entirely made in India.
From talk to terror
In 1993, a stocky teenager made his way from the small mountain hamlet of Hanslot, near Thana Mandi in Poonch, to the great seminary of Dar-ul-Uloom Falah-e-Darain at Tarkeshwar, in Gujarat. Muhammad Aslam Sardana — “Aslam Kashmiri” to his friends — had been packed off by his family in the hope that a rigorous religious education would still his rebelliousness. The mountain pastures around Thana Mandi had begun to become training grounds for Kashmiri jihadists, and Mr. Sardana’s parents did not want their son to end up in an unmarked grave.
For the next nine years, his teachers kept his nose to the Koran; he earned the clerical titles Hafiz and Qari. The clerics at Tarkeshwar encouraged little else: even a surreptitious visit to a movie theatre outside the seminary’s high walls could earn severe punishments.
But the Dar-ul-Uloom’s walls, though, couldn’t block out the searing political winds that were sweeping through India in the early 1990s. The Babri Masjid had been demolished in 1992, and the murderous nationwide communal violence that followed radicalised thousands of young men. Mr. Sardana, his contemporaries recall, used to tell contemporaries that jihad, not clerical study, was necessary to help Islam in India survive. He spoke of contacts with the Lashkar, and sometimes promised to take volunteers to train in Poonch.
Muhammad Amir Sheikh, the son of a watch-repairman from Maharashtra’s Beed town, was one of the few impressed by Mr. Sardana’s message. Ever since he turned four years old, in 1981, Mr Sheikh had studied at a madrasa, just like his two brothers. He met with Mr. Sardana in 1995-1996, during a six-month stint at the Dar-ul-Uloom that was ended by illness. Mr. Sardana’s radicalism appeared to have an abiding influence on him.
Back home in Aurangabad, Mr. Sheikh began to earn a living running the “Tawakkal Tawa Spot,” a popular, if improbably named, street-side Chinese restaurant. He also became increasingly involved with the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). “Islam is our nation,” he declaimed at its 1999 convention in Aurangabad, “not India.”
The Aurangabad jihadists
In 2001, a series of events conspired to give those words weight. Following the demolition of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by Afghanistan’s Islamist regime, SIMI took out processions hailing Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar as a hero of the faith. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) capitalised on the opportunity, and burned copies of the Koran. Riots broke out across the country, the most widespread violence since December 1992. Mr. Sheikh was arrested on charges on rioting in Aurangabad; he remains listed in police records as a fugitive in the case.
Then, in 2002, India’s worst anti-Muslim pogrom in decades began in Gujarat. The lives of ten of thousands of Muslims changed for ever. The lives of the small group of SIMI volunteers Mr. Sheikh had gathered would also be transfigured.
Mr. Sardana and Mr. Sheikh met for the first time in years after the riots, at an annual convocation for the Dar-ul-Uloom’s students. The conversation turned, once again, to the prospect of finding volunteers to train with the Lashkar in Poonch. Mr. Sheikh, by his account to Maharashtra Police investigators, pleaded ill-health and family responsibilities. In 2005, though, he brought Mr. Sardana to Aurangabad, to meet with a small group of SIMI radicals he thought might be interested in signing up for jihad training.
Three of the six young students — Mirza Fahd Beig, Nisar Ansari and Asad Ansari — who investigators believe met with Mr. Sardana on that visit, left for Poonch. Beig was killed by the Indian Army soon after, in an encounter at Hil Kaka. For years, his family insisted that he was working as an electrician in Dubai; their hope has only waned. The other two men are presumed to have made it to Pakistan; no one, though, knows for certain.
For months after, the Aurangabad group was torn by dissension. The deaths lead some to charge Mr. Sheikh with being a police informer, even a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent. Mr. Sheikh himself seemed to begin to have doubts about the project. In August 2005, he travelled to Poonch to meet with Mr. Sardana’s Lashkar contacts. Faced with pressure to travel to Pakistan, he again cried off, saying his marriage was imminent. His travelling companion, Bilal Abdul Razak, was rejected by the Lashkar; the professional calligrapher’s thick spectacles made him unfit for soldiering.
Leadership of the group, following these failures, was taken up by Zabiuddin Ansari. The son of an insurance agent, and the only brother of four sisters, Mr. Ansari had grown up in modest circumstances. He graduated as an electrician from the Indian Technical Institute (ITI) in Beed, and worked briefly before joining a graduate course at the Government Degree College in Aurangabad. There, he gravitated towards a splinter group of SIMI radicals, his anger fuelled like those of so many others by the 2002 violence in Gujarat. Investigators believe Mr. Ansari, along with his close friend Fayyaz Zulfikar “Kagazi,” travelled to Kathmandu in the autumn of 2005, and met with senior Lashkar commanders to take their plans forward.
On the afternoon of May 9, 2006, those plans became public: based on information provided by the Intelligence Bureau, Maharashtra Police pulled over a truck carrying 16 assault rifles, 4,000 rounds of ammunition and 43 kilograms of plastic explosive, packed inside computer cases. Fahd Sheikh, who was in the vehicle, was held; a string of arrests followed. Mr. Ansari, who had been following in another car, escaped. For his part, Mr. Zulfikar had caught an Iran Air flight to Tehran that morning, and has not been sighted since.
What NIA says
Now, National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources say, Mr. Ansari has been filling them in on what happened between then and the night of 26/11: a journey by train to Kolkata; a land-crossing into Bangladesh; a Pakistani passport that led him through Bangkok to Karachi; six months in a Lashkar training camp near Muzaffarabad.
Mr. Ansari remained in touch with Mr. Sardana until 2009, when the Poonch resident was held by the Delhi Police. Intelligence sources say an intercepted call between the two men first led them to conclude that the Maharashtra-accented voice in the Mumbai control room was Mr. Ansari’s.
This, we know: Mr. Ansari isn’t the only young man to have made the choices he did after 2002. Irfan Moinuddin Attar, from Kolhapur, died in a shoot-out on the outskirts of southern Kashmir’s Tral town in May 2006. Gujarat’s Ayub Damarwala lies in an unmarked grave somewhere south of the Pir Panjal range. Dozens of others, unknown to Mr. Sardana and Mr. Ansari, joined the urban terrorist networks that came to be known as the Indian Mujahideen.
Zabiuddin Ansari, a bit-actor in 26/11, was no different from these young men. Indians need to reflect, though, on the politics of hate that gave him a part on the stage in those nights of maximum terror.
praveen.swami@thehindu.co.in
Keywords: Zabiuddin Ansari arrest, 26/11 attacks, Mumbai terror attacks, Abu Jundal arrest, India-Pakistan relations
As someone mentioned in above comments: Does the Babri mosque
demolition or injustice to minorities factor (supposedly prevalent in
India) also explain the radicalization of youths in Pakistan?
There are bomb blasts and suicide attacks almost on the daily basis in
Pakistan and that too against the civilian targets, what would explain
that? They are neither minorities over there nor their victims are
culprits of Babri mosque demolition.
Fact remains: Terrorists are not driven by any holy-cause. Killing is
not the means to an end to them rather it is an end in itself. PERIOD.
I am sick of this kind of articles justifying the actions of
murderers, a thinly veiled attempt of making cult-heroes out of plain
terrorists!
Respected Mr. Swami writes as if Babri-mosque demolition is THE cause
of radicalization of some muslim youths and hence their actions
(murders)should be seen in the light of perceived 'injustice'.
Going by author's logic, should not the Gujarat riots be an act of
wicked 'justice'? After all, 60 innocents were burned alive in that
train by a violent mob. What if tomorrow some radicalized Hindu youth
start killing innocent muslims because of 26/11 Mumbai attacks that
were planned and mastermind by Mr. Zabiuddin Ansari, would the author
find them any less of murders?? No, it is NOT. Nothing justifies
killing innocents. Absolutely nothing!! If injustice has been done to
someone, approach courts; approach media; raise your voice in civil
society.
Apology to terrorism will pay the way for more terrorism. Mr. Swami
needs to understand that wrong in one riot can't be made right by terror
activities. Riot needs to be condemned and more importantly perpetrators
need to be booked and punished. Justice should be the ruling principle
than secularism or communal-ism. It is the duty of an honest journalist
to call spade a spade. Terror activity by anyone needs to looked through
victim's eye and should not try to suggest that wrong in Gujarat gives license to do wrong in Maharashtra.
Economic backwardness of muslims is what has led to muslim youths seeking solace in the distorted version of relegion, faulting the state for not having looked after them and fighting against the state in name of relegion. Large impoverished families (multiple wives, numerous off springs) fail to succeed economically and lead to such social disasters !! A uniform civil code, better control over relegious schools and better education about family planning to control population is a must !! Before concluding - when mentioning Gujrat riots as the source of muslim anger, why do most authors fail to recall the 59 people who died (burned alive) in the train, a week before the riots ?
Inclusivity implies co-operative give and take. Its not one side give and other side take.
Can we work together towards a single civil code?
Are the minorities even willing to consider that their prophets teachings may be irrelevant now?
If they are vocal and propagandists when it comes to demanding their rights, can they be the same when it comes to acknowledging their shortcomings?
The lack of forthrightness is causing a lack of trust. Without trust, we cannot have compromise, inclusivity and growth.
All religions claim they propagate peace, brotherhood, equality and similar positive and laudable objectives. However, as the English saying goes, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" how each religion is viewed is from the perspective of what is practiced. No need to elaborate which religion to-day is most feared than respected. Logical and authentical arguments can be advanced for any kind of violence! Devout and GENUINE muslims who live by the SPIRIT of the Prophet's teaching alone can remove the adverse image of muslims all over the world.
There is no doubt that events like Babri Mosque demolition and Gujarat could lead to radicalisation of Youth. But at some point of time the community itself has to be blamed for radicalition,it is not only the external factor that leads to youth going astray. If that would have been a case Dalits should have a violent uprising,but dalits are trying hard to be in the mainstream with government support
Radicalization & ensuring violence, of any religion root from the conflicting state of religion & nationalism, assisted by modern communication devices which have shrunk the world. Individuals feel more united with person of same religion in some far land rather that supporting their next door neighbor, if latter happens to be of different community.
Actually the bits and peices that the writer tries to put together to get some meaning clearly seem to misfit. The links are broken at times. However, he may think that such are in context. But there are numerous other things left out and only a particular issue getting focus. The elephant will not become a small snake, if we only look at its tail and consider it to be complete view! There are numerous other things about Islam and Darul Uloom that find no mention and which can be positive and constructive. This way, neither the image of Muslims nor Islam is appropriately presented and great injustice is done to the core around which everything revolves.
Praveen Swami is right that "the politics of hate" is a distraction that occupies too much of our time. We need to crack down on people such as Zabiuddin Ansari. Attacking our fellow Muslim citizens, particularly those who live in slums, or breaking down old buildings is not what we need to be focusing on. We need to develop a disciplined, unified way of thinking so we can ruthlessly combat the hate spewing out of our neighbouring country. We need a strong, modern police and army. We need to create a fair society, a strong government, a vibrant economy. We need to create a country that inspires. We need to reduce the risk that Muslims in our country are lured by outward pressures by making sure that they have other, more positive options that make it worth serving their motherland. We need to reflect on how we can make these things possible.
India cannot be just defined in terms of the mosque demolition and Gujarat riots alone. For most indians those are sad chapters in our history. But justification of extremism based on these incidents is not acceptable. Its simply inexcusable. Thousand of hindus lost their lives too. What would become of the society if everyone took to terrorism. PS is not known for his discretion anyway. As an Indian it pains me to see the Indian media taking sides with a heartless terrorist.
People like Swami who talk of all possible 'root causes' of terrorism
fail to admit to the biggest 'root cause' - which is the ideology of
hate that propels terrorists. Every tribe in the world has been at the
receiving end of unfairness at some time or the other. By Swami's
logic all others (like Tibetan Buddhists, Punjabi/Sindhi non-muslims
displaced during partition, Jews in Arabia etc etc) should also have
all produced terrorists in the same numbers.. Apologists for terrorism
are as bad as terrorists themselves, for they camouflage evil with a
false cloak of reasoning and explanation.
Article is good but not completely true. Every youth has to take responsibility of their life and must not become tool for radical crooks. If they become desperate to have virgins in heaven and they don't care then there will be unmarked grave always waiting for them.
If Mr. Sardana’s parents did not want him to end up in an unmarked grave, they should I have send him to a secular public school anf not "great seminary of Dar-ul-Uloom Falah-e-Darain at Tarkeshwar, in Gujarat".
There are millions of people belonging to all religions including Hindu and Muslims who are
subjected to the same persecutions as the terrorists - the difference is money power being
made available to create a terror wave
History has taught us that extremism is evolved from one's suppression,
injustice caused to them, extreme fanaticism and saddism.let it come
from any of these ways, their feelings of suppression may be justified,
but when they take the terrorism as their way, they just don't deserve
any of the sympathy or the heroic sign from anyone. the article explains
what led them to choose their path, but they are not heroes for what
they did.
Two unconnected events have happened in history which had a common effect in the world in general and India in particular. One is the idea of radicalization of Islam 150 years back. The other one is the seeds of suspicion unwittingly planted by Pandit Nehru in the heart of a Bombay based barrister Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah that Muslims will never get their rights in Hindu India. That idea lead to the partition of India on religious line. The offshoot of that concept is Pakistan is for Muslims and India is for Hindus. This lead to the largest mass migration and communal riots in modern history where thick friends for generations have become murderous enemies overnight. Neither Nehru nor Jinnah have foreseen this cataclysm. What they have not foreseen also is the perennial enmity of two neighboring nations at war with each other and radicalized Indian Muslims looking to Pakistan for problems internal to India like demolition of Babri Masjid and Gujarat pogrom. Yes, Praveen is not wrong.
A one sided article... if the author's reasoning is valid, how is that Kashmiri Hindus who have been ethnically cleansed have not taken a simialr course... its pathetic that such articles are being published in a national newspaper!
Mr Swamy,
If circumstances are the culprits for violence, then there are so many reasons to create havoc in our country. But it's not our culture which propagates eye for an eye theory.Somehow in our country few cultured people along with The Hindu always finds faulty with majority and never see a wrong doing from minority
A terrorist is a terrorist. Be it a Hindu / Muslim or Naxal !! What's the point in idolizing him like a 90s Hindi movie.
Nobody takes up arms for fun! Everybody has his own reason - LTTE, Naxals, even Hitler for that matter!Please stop sensationalizing such acts and treat him as he deserves to be!
Mr. Swami,To make your point you conveniently skipped over the reason that the "Gujarat Pogrom" happened. Were the muslim perpetrators of the burning of the train of Hindu pilgrims protesting a point? And was it okay for them to do it? Why is SIMI interested in the Bamiyan Buddhas rather than the uplift of the Indian Muslims? What has Mullah Omar ever done for the Indian Muslims? This idea of radicalisation should be re-examined from a fresh perspective.
Another point - Mr. Ansari had already participated in a SIMI riot in Aurangabad before the Godhra riots. So the Godhra riots had nothing to do with his radicalization. The real point that should be made the lack of social mobility and educational avenues for Muslim youth (and for that matter Northern Indian Hindu or Sikh youth). A Madrasa education does not help in getting a job and putting food on the table. That feeds the animosity of the "have-nots" towards all the evils in society (In this case perceived Hindu dominated)
We as a nation have to realise that the two Cs Communalism and Corruption will destroy India if we don't tackle it head on. Just like we have taken on Corruption, now we need a movement to tackle Communalism.
Very recently we have groups like VHP led by Praveen Togadia demanding that India be declared a Hindu state. At other times he has given anti-minority hate speeches. And despite having multiple cases booked against him he still travels freely. People like him radicalise the majority community which leads to counter-radicalisation among the minority communities leading to weakening of the social fabric.
Lets learn from our past mistakes, improve ourselves as a society and like Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan before who took on Communalism, lets take it head on now. We need a Anna Hazare movement against Communalism
It is Mr. Swami that needs to reflect upon his choice of selective use of data points to weave his narrative. The average Indian, whatever be his/ her religious persuasion, is perhaps the most tolerant, and is definitely more tolerant than the average global citizen - centuries of peaceful coexistence of a multitude of faiths, and the fact that India has provided asylum to victims of religious persecution for centuries is proof of our tolerance and secular ethic that we as Indians do not celebrate much, or at all for that matter.
There is less here, as I see it, for Indians to reflect, and more for our policy makers to
reflect on how we can stem radicalization of our youngsters.
There is no room for radicalization in a secular society. It is high time that all
religious schools from all faiths are brought under federal oversight, and are
mandated to have a common curriculum, with faith based education being only an
addendum and not the centerpiece of one's education.
But he should also analyse what were the factors that led to the rise of the BJP & VHP and militant Hindusim. What happened in the 1990's however unfortunate also had a history behind it. The same factors that he sights for the radicalsiation of Muslim youths were also the factors that led to the rise of militant Hinduism. Any one who has visited Gujarat in the 1980's (especially Ahmedabad) will tell you that the state was always on a communal tinderbox waiting to explode.
Nice article mr parvin Swami.
I want to quote from the article itself.
"In 2001, a series of events conspired to give those words weight. Following the demolition of the Buddhas of Bamiyan by Afghanistan’s Islamist regime, SIMI took out processions hailing Taliban chief Mullah Muhammad Omar as a hero of the faith. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) capitalised on the opportunity, and burned copies of the Koran. Riots broke out across the country, the most widespread violence since December 1992"
From this snippet itself we can see that whatever is happening in india or tany country in that matter.
The bottom line remains the same we will have few people who will take any oppurtunity to disturb the communal harmony for there personal gains.
I agree with mr swami that 1992 or 2002 triggred some sentiments in certain community and we are facing the repucussion of that but let me assure this with present educational and psychological background we cannot change much.
And that is why Late Mahatma Gandhi is more relevent now than he was before 1947. Many people see adversities, but they do not turn lawless person. If Muslims are victims, then Hindus are more victim (and from centuries). Some valid questions from Mr. Senapathy must be answered by Mr. Swami. Overall, not a well timed article.
First and foremost, religion and god for me are personal matters. Time and again, we see articles in the media propounding a cause and effect relationship between radicalization of religion and BabriMasjid and Gujarat incidents. I think it is a lame excuse given by sections of media and some political establishments because, radicalization existed even before 1996. But the bigger question is, why has the Hindu religion not radicalized so much in spite of excesses by some Muslims in Indian History. We know Somnath temple has been looted so many times by rulers belonging to one religion. But we do not see any indication of radicalization of Hindu religion as a result of these acts. Even today, when we see atrocities on one section by another section of the society, we sympathize but never remember having looked at it from a religious angle. But why is the question. I am in no way suggesting that we take a path of radicalization of religion but looking for answers to my question.
As long we derive our identities from concepts like nation, religion, tribe, clan, caste,
family.... , we will kill each other. Politicians will exploit us to gather votes. This is
human nature. Religion and its software is programmed very early in childhood. Only
the truly intelligent have the insight to be free of this scourge.
As always, Praveen Swami has struck the nail on the head. No matter what those who eulogise the BJP and the Hindutva agenda say, Islamic radicalisation in India is today being caused from within, due to the direct actions of the RSS, BJP, VHP etc. Ever since they demolished the Babri Masjid, they have been sowing seeds of hatred across the country which would only naturally foment retaliatory emotions in some Muslims. The actions of these misguided Muslims has lead to their more unfortunate and deliberate marginalisation in India. Even the law-abiding Muslims have to put up with the shameless discrimination from those Hindus who consider themselves to be patriots. In Mumbai, Muslims are denied accomodation. Things such as these make them feel not wanted. Still they are pushed to the edge. Mosques are demolished for no logical reason. I am a Hindu. And I say that it is the Hindu extremists from the RSS and VHP who are destroying India.
All violence is reprehensible. In general weak minds are easiest to succumb to violence. The religious and intolerant minds are provoked at the drop of a needle. And when you have a country where people take pride in their religious identities, where the concept of Nationalism is invisible, where reason is subdued by the ignorance of religious demagogues, what you get is a house divided and being burnt by its own members.
One's identity is one's country and not any religion. This simple fact has not seeped into the consciousness of Indian people.
It is time to do some soul-searching.
I like Mr. Praveen Swami's prolific writing. I wonder how Mr. Praveen
Swami only get all these information. Some time his writings bring some
information that not known to even the so called terrorists. Immediately
after his writings, most of the Muslim haters records their voice with
hate. We only ask 'Let Justice Prevail' not the General Public Conscience. Mr. Praveen's writing could sold as 'FICTIONS' and it could
be Best Selling Fiction in India. Well done! Mr. Praveen Swami!
My heart really sinks when i read such articles.
Mr Swami-what about radicalisation of muslim youth in pakistan, middle east, USA, UK , and other european countries.
is it again due to the right wing Hindu parties,Babri masjid issue, Gujarat riot, Mr modi etc.or due to similar issues locally.
if so, how come all there activities are so efficiently coordinated and funded meticulously?
is there a central leadership who has got an active and dynamic agenda and executing this?
please report on those as well.
otherwise these sort of articles runs the risk of appearing one sided
Muslims need to rediscover their own religion.Muslims are in a state
of war with their sorroundings only because they have long lost the
inner peace and wisdom that Islam professed.There is nothing sad here
as the Prophet (PBUH) had himself professed such a future wherein
Muslims will be attacked from all directions.A person cannot be a
"true" Muslim just by his name, birth or outward attire or actions.The
Prophet(PBUH) had clearly mentioned that the true enemy of a Muslim is
his ego.Unless that ego has been tamed and controlled a Muslim is no
different from any other human being.
The author has indeed pays homage to a mass murderer. Playing social
injustice card is the trump card of a sick mind.
those people who only read their culture and history from the eyes of our so called historians and imported white rationalist do not know who we are. they only talks about economic jargon and secular or communist Disney world that never exist. even we are ashamed to speak in our languages. we are treated as mob encircled in a constitutional boundary and designed to rule by the powers those are destroying the national character of our people. such is the mental bankruptcy that we can not see how we are treated in our country. we are son of soil and we are full right to make our nation solid and repulse the elements that are making us weak from outside as well as inside. do not heed the theories see and try to understand yourself why we are subjugated for so many years ? before harping on the country love know whats the meaning of motherland. dont be get so foolish. even if u cant understand look at all civilizations and countries who believe in their true character and culture.
I agree with the comments of Mr.Anand and the analysis of Praveen Swami.But does any one in power listen to such things? The Constitution does guarantee equality before law but do the law enforcers observe it? It is here that the seeds of rebellion against the system are sown,insensitively and ,perhaps,unintentionally.
Mr. Swami its really a nice written article with good choice of words and also looking both sides of the coin.But I can see a lot of assumptions in this article Like: Lashkar-e-Taiba,and the role of SIMI.I doubt if some organization like LeT is existing.Its only a government and media created group.These groups are existing only on papers.And the group SIMI is existing like Shiv Sena and RSS, but the role you people are making for this group is wrong.I doubt this weak group(SIMI) can create any trouble even to a mosquito.Still if these so called paper groups are existing and creating trouble to the nation then the evidence should be produced like the connections,the financial transactions and all the proofs, and then the Muslims should be given right to execute them in public in broad daylight.But the fact is we don't have faith to the system, because we are nowhere in the society.In police 0.5%,politics 1-2%,investigating agencies 0%,judiciary 0%,in jails 40-50%.Thanks to the system
According to Mr. Swami, Mr. Sardana was sent to the seminari in Gujarat by his parents to curb his rebelliousness. Or was he sent there by his LeT patrons to widen LeT's recruitment base. His successful recruitment of Mr. Sheikh within 2 years of his arrival in Gujarat as narrated by Mr. Swami reveals his real mission in joining seminari in Gujarat. There was no need for Mr. Swami to whitewash Sardana's black intentions in joining the Seminari because even that being so, it is clear that Sardana's mission was made easy by Babri Masjid demolition and his recruits' commitment to jihad enhanced by Gujarat riots. BJP / RSS is equally responsible for the communal divide but why is Mr. Swami attempting to whitewash the activities of LeT by portraying it as parental anxiety about Sardana's rebelliousness?
Injustices done to many muslims certainly have angered many Indians
and muslims in particular and many must have said let's kill all those
who are doing this but not everyone joined Let because you always have
a choice, those who made the wrong choice ended up getting killed or
jailed and their families tainted for life. Its up to you to decide
whether you want to be a puppet of pakistan's terror strategy against
India or fight against this grave injustice through non-violent means.
If the muslim youth decides that SIMI or IM or LeT is the way to go
then they are not helping the cause and certainy not helping
themselves because not every muslim can become terrorist and But if
they decide to take constitutional route for teaching a leason to all
those traitors who did godhara and the riots afterwards then this way
others will also be inspired to follow suit and demand justice for the
wrongs done to them. Once you become a terrorist, there is no
justification for it afterwards.
Please understand issue is not that simple. There are enough grey
areas. Muslims once ruled this country and to be honest Hindus never
accepted or lets say grudgingly had to live along side them as they
had little or no choice. If I am correct Akbar was the only Mughal
ruler who was widely accepted by Hindus. Other Mughal rulers were
intolerant towards Hindus. I am not sure about authenticity of Ram
temple where Babri Masjid stands now but the whoever built it could
have built the Masjid right next to the temple in question. No, but he
had to build it in the very location of the temple even if there are
doubts of its existence. Enough temples have been looted and destroyed
by Muslim rulers. We have evidence. Many Muslims today were once
Hindus. Its true as I know enough Muslims to prove it. Many Muslims
now have a feeling that they should be ruling this country as they
once did or let us say this idea is being planted in them by vested
interests.
India is a secular country for many thousands of years. The Hindutwa movement ripped it apart. For their sinister actions, the innocents suffered. While whole hearted efforts are required to bring back the youth turned into militants through educational, employments and cultural opportunities, the political leaders should eschew using religion for political purposes and should show some Indianness.
A very good piece. An eye-opener for those who would like lasting peace
in India. Peace cannot be built on injustices. Politics of hatred has
long lasting impact and more than the direct foot-soldiers the inciters
and organizers are responsible for the death of innocents in an act of
terrorism.
Dear Mr Swami, you are making heroes out of traitors.Outrageous!
A motivated media, including the socalled 'secular' minded sections of
political parties are out to malign, tarnish, condemn Mr.Modi and
project every Non-Muslim as a 'communal' person!! These are self-
proclaimed secularists who derive pleasure, fame,popularity by
criticising, unjustly or unfairly the silent majority of other faiths.
They have no courage to even whimper when a misguided section from the
Muslim minority perpetrate all types of crimes. If they were equally
zealous in condemning this as they do, of other right-wing misguided
elements, we can perhaps say, it is fair. But it is always one-
sided!!!! Until the nation can do away with 'religion' (or practise
one's religion behind closed doors) India would never progress.
Coming to the point that Mr. Praveen Swami raises, Radicalisation will keep happening if you get financial support for it, especially in the case of Islam as we are witnessing throughout the world. There is no part in the world where you don't have dissent. The financial angle is fulfilled by our dear neighbour Pakistan.
A very well researched and well written article. This is what happens when man lives in
the past. Hindu fundamentalists and Islamic fundamentalists are not dissimilar. Hindus
should strongly condemn any kind of terror raised in the name of Hinduism. Advani's
demolition of the Babri Musjid defamed India.
Well stated. While a substantial segment of India is working towards
economic progress, we are faced with two issues. Corruption and
rampant communalism. Leaders like Anna Hazare have come forward to take on corruption, but we do not have anyone taking on the communal forces. It is a matter extreme regret that those who were involved in the demolition of Babri Masjid, and the riots that followed, and those who were responsible for a decade long sustenance of forces of hatred (1992-2002) resulting in the events in Gujarat remain completely free in the eyes of the law.
Until the cancer of hatred is removed, and until those who instigated communal forces stop wielding power with impunity, we will see many more of the unfortunate incidents rise to the fore.
I hope with his deep and penetrating study of terrorism, jihad etc,
Praveen Swami is not in danger of being radicalised
Praveen Swami, you have made a cult hero out of a murderer. There are other muslim youths who have embraced the way of the nation while being devout muslims. You can find them in Government, Armed forces, Universities and scores of other places contributing to the national cause. Few misguided youths trained by Pakistan does not constitute the Muslim population of India.
Last but not the least, Hindu as a newspaper has been at every opportunity finds fault with Gujarat administration (indirectly Mr Modi) for the carnage that took place after Godhra. Don't forget the carnage was triggered by the Godhra incident.
This is another gem from Swami. There is very little doubt that radicalization of Muslim Youth happened in the Nineties because of the crazy policies of the BJP Governments in Gujerat and the Centre. Neither the carnage in Gujerat nor the Babri Masjid plunder make India proud. Instead, India gave birth to enemies from Within, who merely looked for help from anyone anywhere. Therefore, to blame Pakistan for all our woes, is merely an expedient. India has changed. The BJP has been forced to drop its Hindutva agenda or perhaps moderate it.Pakistan has become a failed State and at the same time, young Indian Muslims are starting to focus on gaining from the growth story. India must not allow terrorists to be born through our own insensitive and unfair actions. We must be inclusive and do whatever it takes to make Muslims feel at home
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