The Hindu Business Line : And now, giving bombs a label

It is preposterous to term a bomb blast the result of a ‘Muslim’ or a ‘Hindu’ bomb as the damage to life and property has no colour barrier. Whenever terror strikes, both communities need to condemn it strongly and work together to prevent further incidents.

The mixed reactions to the religious identity of the Malegaon blast suspects, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh (in picture) pale into insignificance over the charges being traded by political parties over the issue.

Rasheeda Bhagat

All hell has broken loose after the arrest and investigation of a serving army officer, a sadhvi and a self-styled Hindu godman for their alleged involvement in the Malegaon bomb blasts in Maharashtra on September 29. The Sangh Parivar is perhaps recovering from its initial shock that Hindu names could also be linked to terror strikes as, till now, many of its leaders had kept reiterating the mantra: “All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims.R 21;

Now, BJP leaders and their allies from various Hindu outfits such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS, have turned their ire on the Maharashtra ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad), as well as the Maharashtra and the UPA governments and charged them with deliberately maligning the Hindu community by selective leaks.

The RSS has also been stunned by the disclosure that Lt Col Shrikant Purohit, one of the main accused in the Malegaon blasts, had conspired with Dayanand Pande, on whom narco tests were recently concluded in Bangalore, and others, to eliminate two top RSS leaders.

According to the ATS investigation, at first pooh-poohed by the saffron outfits but later accepted, the RSS General-Secretary, Mr Mohan Bhagwat, and another senior leader Indresh, had attracted the fury of the plotters for their enthusiastic involvement in the RSS’ ‘Muslim outreach’ programme.

Last week, the BJP leadership stepped up its rhetoric on the Maharashtra government’s attempt — backed by the Centre, in its reckoning — to malign the Hindu community by linking its sadhvis and swamis to terror plots. This led the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to telephone the Opposition Leader, Mr L. K. Advani, and dispatch the National Security Adviser, Mr M. K. Nayaranan, to brief the latter on the investigation results.

Since then, the RSS has gone on record to admit that two of its top leaders were indeed targeted. While the investigation and the law of the land will take their course to punish the guilty, this episode highlights how highly polarised the country has become today.

Disturbing response

As the ridiculous phrases “Hindu terror versus Muslim terror” or “Hindu bombs and Muslim bombs” are flashed before the nation, deeply disturbing is the response to these developments in both the Hindu and Muslim “camps”.

The majority community, or at least those who claim to speak on its behalf, is outraged at the attempt to give a religious slant to the findings in the Malegaon blasts. The very same people who, till recently, blamed the UPA government for being ‘soft’ on terror, given the half-hearted or sluggish investigations of bomb blasts, are now pointing fingers at the sudden alacrity in investigating the Malegaon blasts.

On the other hand, sadly and disturbingly, in the Muslim camp there is some kind of relief, if not jubilation, that some Hindu names too are being added to the list of those who commit heinous crimes and target innocent civilians through bomb blasts.

The BJP and other Hindutva leaders, suddenly on the back-foot, say that religion should not be linked to terror. A fair enough demand, except these are the very people who have for long years demanded action against “Islamist terrorists”.

The Indian Muslim community, which has helplessly watched the accusing finger pointed in its direction after every bomb blast, and has in recent times come forth to condemn each heinous bomb blast in which innocent lives have been lost, is too stunned even to demand that the Hindu community or its leadership should now come forward and say it condemns the criminals involved in the Malegaon blasts.

And this is the essence of the tragic situation in which India finds itself today on communal polarisation. It is preposterous to term a bomb blast as the result of a “Muslim” or a “Hindu” bomb because the blood shed by any bomb is human blood, which is neither saffron nor green. Whenever terror strikes, or its perpetrators are apprehended, both the communities need to raise their voices to condemn it and vow to work together to prevent terror incidents or help the investigation to nab the perpetrators.

But in an era where the citizens are deeply divided over their communal identities, and fail to take the initiative to jointly fight a global menace such as terror, because ultimately both the communities are victims of any bomb blast, politicians naturally grab the centre-space to score points.

The anger and the sense of disbelief in the Hindu community and the sense of vindication in the Muslim community over the religious identity of the Malegaon blast suspect, pale into insignificance over the charges the Congress and the BJP and the allies of both parties are exchanging over this issue.

Politicians make hay…

While Mr Advani is accusing the ATS of having tortured Pragya Singh during her interrogation — this could enrage a section of Hindus and influence their vote — the BJP President, Mr Raj Nath Singh, has categorically proclaimed that “a Hindu cannot be a terrorist”.

The Shiv Sena has gone one step ahead; it is toying with the idea of inviting Lt Col Purohit to be one of its candidates during the Lok Sabha polls. The Party has no time for such niceties as awaiting the result of the investigation.

Sena activists, more known for their proficiency in digging up cricket pitches, pulling down film posters and burning cinema halls, and beating up “North Indians” in Mumbai, have, for a change, showered flower petals on some of the Malegaon accused as they were produced in court. Is this their way of encouraging more attacks on Muslim areas? Isn’t it a matter of shame that there is such public support of the accused in a terror case?

The Congress leadership, on the other hand, is reading homilies to the BJP not to “politicise” issues as sensitive as an investigation into a terror strike.

But none of its leaders can find the voice to come out and boldly say that while till now the Muslim community had been demonised for the numerous bomb blasts, here is a case where Hindus could be guilty too. It cannot do so because it fears a Hindu backlash in the ongoing Assembly elections in six States.

Strangely enough, the Malegaon investigation has made the whole terrorism issue so avoidable, that in core States such as Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, where the Assembly election exercise is on, top leaders of the two main parties are staying clear of mentioning it at all!

One wrong word could spell disaster in the election outcome.

Kashmir polls

In these gloomy times, one silver lining was that the second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir saw a voter turnout of 62 per cent. This is in stark contrast to huge crowds raising slogans for azadi in Kashmir barely two months ago, following the brouhaha over the land allotment for Amarnath pilgrims.

Let’s not forget that those who turned out to vote did so because they believe in democracy and in many areas even risked their lives by defying the boycott call given by separatist leaders.

After all, much more than those in Malegaon, Jaipur or Bangalore, it is the people of Kashmir who have lived their lives under the shadow of terror, violence, and much worse.

(Response may be sent to rasheeda@thehindu.co.in)

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