An Inchoate Paradise

Disenchantment with Indian identity has spurred insurgency in ravishingly beautiful North East India.   

North East India! How does it feel to be referred in such an expansive way and clubbed together as if there is no unique identity? This is crux of the problem. How many people of India can recollect names of states inhabiting north east part of India? It would take a highly informed person to name the states and their capital cities. In a first of its kind survey by North East India Image Managers (NEIim), a voluntary group of communication professionals, it was found that 87% of working professionals can't name all the states in this region. Almost 52% of people had a negative image about this region perceiving it to be underdeveloped and plagued with insurgency. If this is the perception of people who have access to all means of media imagine the awareness level of the common masses.

Crucible of Insurgency

Analysts have been going on and on about the two main internal security threats that India currently faces religious extremism and left wing extremism. This is apt because of impact and reach of these blights to affect large parts of our country. A nation enamoured with numbers we are completely oblivious to the trials and tribulations being faced by North East parts of India. Currently various insurgent outfits operate in seven north eastern states which are referred to as Seven Sisters of North East India. This region is the melting pot where migrants from South East Asia settled in search of livelihood and fertile land. These states along with recent addition of Sikkim constitute about 7% of India’s area and only about 3.8% of India’s total population. Siliguri corridor in West Bengal state a narrow strip of land about 200 km long and width varying between 30 km and 60 km connects this region to the Indian mainland. It shares its borders with countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, China Myanmar and Nepal. People inhabiting these states are of Mongoloid descent and look different from average Indian making the assimilation challenging. With almost 220 ethnic groups comprising of 160 different tribes & an equal number of languages makes this one of most diverse region in the world. Geographical isolation strengthened the belief of a step motherly treatment and people here developed angst against the Indian State. Hilly terrain & inaccessibility of large tracts of land led to less development. As a result more than 80 % of the population lives in rural areas which is far more than the national average? People were sceptical with the notion of a unified state hence harboured a tendency to seek independence. Varied population mix comprising of various tribes, ethnicity & religions contributed to emergence of groups which championed a particular class of people. These groups either fought amongst themselves for dominance or waged a war against the Indian State. Things were compounded due to migration from other regions like in Tripura where Bengali settlers arrived in huge numbers or in Assam where migration happened mostly from Bangladesh. Currently insurgents are active in the states of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura. Sparse population translating into minute vote bank the region has traditionally occupied less mind space of the Indian Government. This contributed to emergence of identity politics sometimes violently espoused by insurgent groups.

Exotic Discrimination

Due to recurring insurgency and less development people from this region travelled across the country in search of livelihood and employment. Besides large numbers of students go to major cities to pursue better education. The people are hardworking and conscientious, willing to accept challenging job prospects. They are mostly found in the service industry right from air hostesses to running their own beauty parlours and restaurants. Not to mention many of them excelling in sports, media and other professions. But it is still a long haul because even today due to their facial features these people are routinely discriminated. They are maliciously referred as “Chinese” or by the more derogatory term “Chinki”. This ethnic slur became so widespread that the Government had to recently bring it under the ambit of Prevention of Atrocities Act. Women from this region are most vulnerable and are exposed to heightened risk of molestation and rape. Surprisingly many Indians attribute “loose morals” to women from here which is not only reprehensible but exposes a deviant mindset. According to a report by North East Support Centre & Helpline (NESCH) almost 78% of the North East population in the city of Delhi has been exposed to various forms of harassment, molestation and hate crimes. The situation may not be that alarming in other cities of India but widespread discrimination does exist and has to be acknowledged. This took an ugly turn in the aftermath of Assam riots in July 2012 that broke out between indigenous Bodo people and Muslim settlers. These riots created a fear psychosis among north eastern people residing in other cities and anticipating violent reprisals sparked an exodus. Bangalore city witnessed maximum exodus of almost 35,000 people and smaller numbers fled from other cities like Chennai, Pune and Hyderabad. Intermittent violence and harassment in their daily lives caused this underlying fear to be amplified resulting in the flight of people back to their homes. On one hand it represents a failure of law and order machinery to tackle hate crime creating a feeling of being an unwanted alien. On the other hand it represents failing of our social mores to respect diversity and accord basic courtesy to a fellow human being.          

Union of Minds

          

These people need simple acceptance as Indians and not to be discriminated against as if they are aliens. Needless to say respect of fellow human beings is a pre requisite for building a harmonious national identity. This is not a difficult proposition for the just cause of national integration and can be achieved with implementation of few positive steps which are need of the hour.

Awareness: As succinctly put by Ms. Binalakshmi Neparam founder of Manipur Gun Survivors Network an organization rehabilitating women whose lives have been affected by the armed conflict and tries to alleviate their trauma and suffering http://www.womensurvivorsnetwork.org/ “I studied history for 5 years, but there was not a single chapter on the history of the North East” Dissemination of information through education, media and government will create awareness about our own brethren in the remote north eastern part. Isn’t it surprising that Indians are aware about the various freedom fighters from the mainland but can’t name one freedom fighter from the North East. The truly inspiring story of Rani Gaidinliu who plunged into freedom struggle at the tender age of 13 is hardly known to Indians. She was imprisoned for life at the age of 16 and got freedom only when India became independent in 1947. Similarly the brave teenager Kanaklata Barua fondly called “Birbala” was shot dead while leading a peaceful procession during the Quit India movement of 1942. Like these brave girls there are other freedom fighters that are still unknown to the majority of people. This can be addressed by incorporating special chapters on North East’s contribution in the field of history, arts and culture in schools and colleges. Media also needs to sensitize itself to special requirements of this region and not gloss over them like another piece of statistic. Equal prominence has to be given to pressing problems of this region rather than focussing only on the mainland and major metros. Flooded Mumbai or Delhi in monsoon elicits wide coverage in national dailies and prime time television. Conversely the entire Brahmaputra valley flooded for days together goes unnoticed. Government communication is a powerful tool which has resonance all across the country. Aspects of cultural diversity and rich heritage of this region needs to be amplified time and again to generate a feeling of belongingness.

Infrastructure: Special emphasis needs to be given to infrastructure development in this geographically diverse region. Government has set up the Central Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and the North Eastern Council (NEC). However sustained efforts are required for efficient utilization of funds for socio economic development without disturbing the fragile ecosystem. Community way of life and respect for nature is ingrained in these parts and development policies have to take cognizance of this reality. Development in isolation without considering the local factors will spell death knell of the rare biodiversity of this region.  As per the 2004 National Common Minimum Programme of Government of India http://www.pmindia.nic.in “The Government is determined to tackle terrorism, militancy and insurgency in the northeast as a matter of urgent national priority. All northeastern states will be given special assistance to upgrade and expand infrastructure. The Northeastern Council will be strengthened and given adequate professional support.” Intent of the Government is there but even after a decade the efforts have not fructified because of ineffective implementation of the policies meant for accelerated development. It must be emphasized that infrastructure and economic development are the key to ushering in peace and stability in this region.

Law and order: Being perceived as aliens in your own country not only creates anguish but can be very disconcerting also. Police administration has to take an impartial stand in dealing with racial crimes. Delay in investigating such cases not only weakens resolve of the victims but also emboldens the accused. Minor incidents if left lingering create a fear psychosis which ultimately results in the exodus that happened recently. Legal redress and timely guidance for tackling hate crimes will foster a secured social environment. The formation of the North East Support Centre & Helpline in Delhi is step in the right direction. It provides help to all victims of sexual and racial harassment. It assists students and others from North East region by providing them with counselling and legal help in fighting discrimination.

                                  

Security: All aspects even development of this region is viewed through the prism of security threat perception. The fact that it has an international border in excess of 5,400 km while being connected to Indian mainland by mere strip of 30 km the geo political significance of this area is not lost on anyone. This unenviable position of a land locked region surrounded by neighbours who are not on the best of terms with India need not deter us from evaluating options for securing peace. Application of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which gives sweeping powers to Armed Forces and inhibits citizen rights has further alienated the people. Mention must be made of a peaceful hunger strike undertaken by a brave Manipuri lady Irom Sharmila for more than 12 years for repeal of the AFPSA Act. It symbolizes a herculean spirit employing peaceful means to resolve armed hostilities. Unfortunately it also brings to the fore Indian Governments tepid response to such a heroic struggle. There have been various representations for repealing AFPSA Act from North East India. Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee in 2004 and the Second Administrative Reforms Commission have recommended repealing the AFSPA Act. The Act was applied to contain insurgency but a rethink needs to be done if it is more of a hindrance than a facilitator. The insurgent groups do not enjoy wide popular support among the native people. Most have graduated from being grievance redress pressure groups to ordinary criminal gangs. This law and order problem has to be tackled on a war footing with enhancement of equipped manpower and adequate infrastructure support. Local factors like inaccessible terrain, hostile neighbouring countries, and international no man’s land must be considered while formulating a broad strategy to counter insurgent threats. Ground realities of this region are palpably different from Jammu & Kashmir where popular sentiment does exist for idea of independence whereas people here are more than willing to be a part of Indian mainstream.

Political representation: Smaller states with sparse population mean less representation at the national level. As a consequence the political class have failed to effectively put forward their case. Barring a few exceptions the leaders from this region are hardly known at the national level. Lack of political will has exacerbated this problem to the extent that people are disillusioned with the political leadership. Efforts should be made by Central Government to involve capable leaders from this region in nation building process so that they are nationally recognized. It will generate a sense of pride and self respect not only in the leaders but also in the people. This is bound to eliminate apprehension in the minds of people that they are not part of the national mainstream. When due respect is accorded the process of integrating minds will be hastened.   

Paradise regained

Imagine an area which is lush green with vegetation amidst the undulating hills overlooking the mighty Himalayas. Endowed with rich flora & fauna and having forests spanning across the range from tropical, temperate to the alpine. With its diverse culture & unique lifestyle this region can become a veritable traveller’s paradise. This Eden on earth is waiting for just the opportune moment to bloom like a “red vanda” one of the rare and beautiful orchids found here. Its high time genuine efforts are made to allay the apprehension and bring back the prodigal daughters of North East within the Indian fold.           

India – A Bumbling Giant

India a democratic country since independence is wrecked by internal dissensions that threaten to derail its economy & widen disparities in an unequal nation. 

15^th August each year brings fond memories of flag hoisting ceremonies, cultural programmes and parades in schools, colleges, commercial & Government establishments. On eve of Independence Day the President addresses the nation & on Independence Day the Prime Minister addresses the nation from ramparts of Red Fort. Address to the nation gives an opportunity to Government to announce new plans, launch new programmes and pay homage to freedom fighters & people who laid down their life serving the nation. However this year address to the nation is more likely to be a cautionary tale rather than a pep talk which will invigorate the citizens of India. Challenges awaiting the Indian nation in its 67^th year of independence have grown tremendously from the time India regained freedom from British rule. Immediately after independence the moment was full of opportunity and promise of unfulfilled national desires to be satiated. The enemies on horizon were mostly external however scenario has turned piquant in last few decades and today internal security has come to occupy a centre stage as never before. So how does a democratic country uninterrupted by blight of military rule or dictatorship face off to the prospect of “internal enemies” of the state?

Unrequited Nation

India is a highly disparate country with swathes of extreme poverty juxtaposed with islands of affluence. It’s symptomatic of a culture where you had Rajah’s lording over the teeming masses toiling for their daily bread with hunger & pestilence snipping at their heels Post independence, fruits of development were not equitably distributed among the populace. On one hand you have India clocking second highest (22.2%) growth in high net worth individuals (HNWI) in Asia-Pacific region one of the fastest growing HNWI market in the world as per recent World Wealth Report 2013 www.worldwealthreport.com On the other hand India has almost 29.8% of its population deemed income poor  (2009-10) and over 53.7% of the population multidimensional poor (2005) as per United Nations Development Programme www.undp.org. This lop-sided development gap is unbridgeable in near future and is the underlying cause for creating fissiparous tendencies in our society. Contributing factors like culturally prevalent development imbalances of marginalized sections of our society play a complimentary role in fanning these flames of animosity. This cocktail of a poor population exposed to obscene wealth has the capacity to implode entire growth story of India.    

Dance of Democracy  

India continues to face external threats from its vexatious con-joined twin Pakistan & an increasingly bellicose China flexing its military might to burnish its credentials as a global super power. However internal threat to India’s growth story is likely to have a more insidious effect than a spectre of a full blown war.  As it is military misadventure or war is a distant possibility in the new world order where economic might scores over military might. These internal hotspots need to be analyzed & addressed so that they don’t mar the show of a resurgent India. Broadly the two main threats confronting India today can be categorized as under.

Religious Extremism :- As per Pews Research Centre’s forum on Religion & Public Life http://www.pewresearch.org/ India is home to the second largest Muslim population in world but they constitute a minority of just 14.4% of India’s total population. The grievances of remnant Muslim population post partition of India never found proper articulation as majority of educated & rich elite had opted with their hearts for the new nation of Pakistan. Those remaining in India out of choice or otherwise were bewildered and were easy prey for the minoritism pandering politicians who view Muslims only as a captive vote bank. Perceived grievances along with inadequate representation in nation building contributed to fringe elements coming to the fore and a siege mentality gripped the community. Politicians across the political spectrum felt no compunction in hobnobbing with Muslim fundamentalists for their personal pelf. Fundamentalists were encouraged and sane voices in the Muslim community became subdued. Extremist thoughts became main-stream and moderate minds withered. To add to this cauldron of simmering discontent were the inimical intent of Pakistan which began right since partition with Kashmir being a rallying cry for injustice to Muslims in India. Kashmir an anachronism in Indian union being the only Muslim majority state has periodically grappled with religious extremism. Pakistan based terror groups have contrived to create a pure & alien Wahabbi version of Islam as against the historically prevalent harmonious Sufi strain. Hounding of minorities the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits & Sikhs increased with incessant killings and tensions ratcheted to such levels that minorities fled fearing for their lives. The ploy was to set up an ‘Ummah’ state in India with connivance of the unsatisfied local population. As is wont in media it would be a fallacy to bracket this as Islamic terrorism since there is nothing Islamic about terror acts being perpetrated by these extremist organizations. It is only by using the fig leaf of Islam that these extremists seek to gain respectability and acceptance in society to achieve their geo-political ends. Pakistan was and still remains the main patron of religious terrorism in India aided & abetted by their “non-state actors”. These non-state actors are not some shadowy groups located in hill ranges of Karakoram but are prominent organizations that operate with impunity from cities of Pakistan in spite of being banned worldwide. The Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari is on record admitting that terrorist groups were created to achieve its foreign policy objectives and claimed now they have turned rogue. The question remains which is the state to which these non-state actors report – the civilian government, the Pakistani Army the de facto ruler or the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence its powerful intelligence agency. Pakistan’s conundrum of a state within a state is the main reason the country has evolved as top terror exporter in the world. The continuous supply of motive, men, and money for carrying out terror attacks in India has been the avowed stated policy of all these supposedly Islamic organizations. Prominent among these which are involved in terrorist activities against India are Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI), and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) besides a host of other fringe groups. These groups are responsible for carrying out some of the worst carnages like the 1993 Mumbai bombings, 2005 serial blasts in Delhi, 2006 train blasts in Mumbai, 2008 Jaipur bombings, 2008 Mumbai massacre etc. This earned India the dubious distinction of fourth most affected in the world by terrorism according to Global Terrorism Index. With a view to provide legitimacy to their claim that terrorism is purely an indigenous phenomenon Pakistan propped up the now banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). In its latest deadly avatar it has morphed into a Jihadi sounding Indian Mujahideen. This outfit has been responsible for some of the recent attacks perpetrated like 2011 Mumbai serial blasts and the latest 2013 bombings in Bodh Gaya where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment.  However all logistics for terror acts are provided by Pakistan for which balkanization of India remains the ultimate aphrodisiac avenging their vivisection in 1971 with the birth of Bangladesh.

Left Wing Extremism :- As somebody aptly quipped “Gandhians with Guns” the Naxalites or left wing insurgents evoke a romantic notion of a idealist taking on an unjust society for greater good of the “have not’s”. This facile description denotes the goodwill these merchants of death enjoy among the liberal gentry. It’s ironic to know that these idealists are progenitors of a mayhem that affects 182 districts in 20 Indian states out of a total of 640 districts in 28 states as per reply filed by Ministry of Home Affairs in lower house of Indian parliament on 22^nd November 2011. It’s no wonder that Indian Prime Minister described them the biggest challenge to our national security. It originally began as a struggle for rights of landless labourers, marginal peasant’s, tribal’s & depressed classes and got transformed into a mindless armed insurrection against the state. In a macabre twist the worst affected by this cycle of violence were the same people who these idealists wanted to empower. It bloomed as a revolutionary movement in 1967 inspired by people’s war of Mao Zedong in Naxalbari in West Bengal state of India and has now degenerated into a violent uprising against the state and its machinery. Intimidation and threats were used as the primary weapons for recruitment besides the aggrieved people who joined to avenge social and personal injustices. By targeting local government and police officials, institutions, schools and health centres in their areas of influence the leftist extremists create a governance vacuum so that the local population comes under their sway. In the process they are responsible for the fruits of development not reaching these vulnerable pockets and enhancing their backwardness. As reiterated earlier the India we inherited from British had large pockets of land where there were no administrative footprints. With industrialization & development demanding more land, minerals & forest wealth the lower sections of society marginal peasants, forest dependent tribal’s & farm labourers came under increasing pressure. This was the fertile ground in which Maoists or Naxalites started reaping their rich harvest of “people’s soldiers”. Their roll call of killings is equally chilling with almost 1500 killings in the last 8 years along with rampant destruction of government property & infrastructure. To be fair even though the Maoists have their areas of influence they were never able to create a mass base and with their incessant killings they have further alienated the general population. It’s surprising while carrying out attacks on civilian population or security forces the Naxalites are ruthless but when targeted seek refuge under pretext of human rights violations. This ruse of upholding fundamental rights doesn’t hold water when faced with barbaric savages. It’s with conviction we can say that Maoists will never be able to overthrow the Indian government but their propensity to strike at will is a huge deterrent to India’s economic progress. It’s imperative that they are effectively contained at the earliest. 

Besides the above two main threats there are various ethnic insurgents that operate in north east India. Geographical isolation led to the belief of a step motherly treatment and people here developed angst against the Indian state. These groups either fought amongst themselves for dominance or waged a war against the Indian state. However being restricted to only their area of influence the threat perception has not reached a national level.   

Countering “People’s War”

Challenges to the Indian Union are many and varied but are not insurmountable. Recent examples being insurgency in Punjab state which reached its zenith in the 1980’s was rooted out by a resolute administration with an iron hand. This was balanced with recognizing valid aspirations of Sikh community and assuaging hurt feelings caused due to Army action necessitated by extremists taking refuge in Golden temple. Terrorist’s fire power was matched by the security forces that were given a free hand by the Government. Situation is largely peaceful today and democratic process is thriving with jettisoning of the demand for an independent Sikh nation of “Khalistan”. Mizoram Peace Accord of 1986 paved way for peaceful resolution of the secessionist movement in Mizo areas of Assam, The movement was born in aftermath of a severe famine in 1959 to protest Government inaction which resulted in large number of deaths. After decades of militancy the insurgents realized that an armed struggle was futile and Indian government rose to the occasion and Mizo Accord was signed. Formation of separate state of Mizoram enabled local population to participate in the administrative process of their community which was getting subsumed in Greater Assam state. Key steps for effectively countering threat from extremists whether home grown or foreign are as under.

Political Will :- The politics of appeasement which results in mere tokenism rather than any socio economic advancement of the community needs to be discarded. Efforts should be made to realize genuine aspirations of communities which are feeling neglected. The Justice Rajinder Sachar report highlighting developmental backlog in Muslim community is a good example. Rather than pandering to Islamic fundamentalists and indulging in ‘Iftar diplomacy’ which contributes zilch to the Muslim cause effective implementation of this report will go long way in ameliorating backwardness among the community. Instead of vociferously championing flippant issues that arouse atavistic passions political parties should focus on implementing the Sachar committee recommendations.  This indeed would be a yeomen service to overall advancement of the Muslim community. Kashmir the eternal bugbear of India was effectively handed over on a platter to religious extremists by a weak kneed response of Indian Government. For fear of offending perceived Muslim vote bank the actual minorities there Hindus & Sikhs were exposed to machinations of extremists. Their aim being establishing an Islamic state and eventually get it to cede from the Indian Union. Even today Article 370 while awarding special privileges effectively bars Kashmir from becoming part of India growth story with deficit in governance hall mark of the state. Rule of law should not be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. In Assam the recent spat between Hindu tribal’s & Muslim settlers was triggered due to incessant illegal migration from Bangladesh changing the demographic character of the region. In Tripura insurgency took birth due to huge migration of Bengali speakers making local people a minority in their own region. Strong political will to take decisive action is a prerequisite so that the issue doesn’t conflagrate into a sore that keeps on bleeding the nation.

Augmenting Security & Intelligence Network :- Counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations are key to tackle extremists who have a healthy disregard for human lives. However our frontline of defence against these insurgents the security forces suffer from weak infrastructure and lack of professional training, On top of it a resource crunch has prevented recruiting the desired numbers as per our requirement. According to IndiaSpend a non-profit journal analyzing open data to foster better governance http://www.indiaspend.com currently there is a shortage of 5,00,000 police men. In spite of this dire situation we have 47,000 police personnel exclusively deployed to protect VIP’s. The 2006 police reforms as directed by Supreme Court of India are still lying unimplemented by the political establishment. They don’t want to dilute their stranglehold on the police forces and make them independent and professional. All these factors definitely affect morale of the police force and results in improper tackling of situations that require quick & adequate response while facing an unforgiving enemy.

Timely and accurate intelligence is the key to any successful operation irrespective of the theatre of operation. Whether tackling Naxalites in jungles or terrorists in cities advance intelligence can be the difference between success and failure. It will not be farfetched to say that Indian intelligence has been found wanting, resulting in recurring attacks on our cities and key institutions. Post the 2008 audacious attack on Mumbai the government belatedly woke up to requirements of modern counter terrorist operations. The recent Sukma attack in Naxalite infested Chattisgarh state brought home the realization that Naxalites have developed an intelligence network to carry out big strategic strikes. Better co-ordination among the central intelligence agencies with their state counter parts and timely sharing of intelligence inputs with on field forces will go a long way in remedying the worsening situation. On the basis of timely intelligence data our forces will regain the upper hand in fight against extremists that has been lacking in spite of our superior fire power.

Advantage India           

India being a democratic country there are legitimate forums for grievance redress and taking up arms is not the solution. All round development is the touchstone which will go a long way in eliminating disquiet in minds of unsatisfied communities. If Indian citizens have reasonable opportunities to increase their standard of living then the contrarian thought process will be curtailed. Internal threats can be effectively countered but time has come for India to evaluate its options about the external elements bent upon raking up imaginary bogeys. 

Originally published in    Fair Observer    on 16th August 2013 www.fairobserver.com

India: A Perfidious State

Ishrat Jahan: This name will be etched in bold black letters in the annals of Indian history as to how political correctness has corroded the very edifice of our great nation.

Fact File: Ishrat Jahan a 19 year old college student was killed in an encounter with police on June 15, 2004. The encounter took place on a road connecting the cities of Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar in Gujarat state of India. Three other bodies were recovered which were identified as Javed Ghulam Sheikh Alias Pranesh Pillai, Zeeshan Johar & Amjad Ali Rana. Javed Sheikh was a Hindu who converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman & the other two were Pakistan nationals.

Claims & Counter Claims: The police claimed that the victims were shot dead in an encounter but a judicial enquiry concluded that the encounter was not genuine and the four were killed prior to the date of the encounter. According to police the four were part of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) one of the most active anti-India Islamic terrorist organization operating out of Pakistan. LeT is banned by major countries across the world like USA, UK, EU and Russia. It carried out some of the most audacious & dastardly terrorist attacks like the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, Mumbai 2008 carnage besides recurrent attacks in Kashmir and other parts of India. This LeT module was tasked to carry out terrorist activities in India and was targeting to attack the Somnath temple, Akhshardham temple and Siddhi Vinayak Temple. The police also claimed that the module was planning to eliminate the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi targeted by Islamic terrorist organizations being responsible for the 2002 Gujarat communal riots.

Genesis: Incidentally the 2002 Gujarat riots were triggered when a train carrying Hindu pilgrims returning from the sacred city of Ayodhya was set on fire at Godhra station by Muslim mobs. It resulted in the death of 58 people including 25 women & 15 children. Ayodhya is the ancient city where Hinduism’s revered deity Lord Ram was born. The disputed structure now known as Ram Janmabhoomi/Babri Masjid is the place where according to Hindus Lord Ram was born and a temple commemorating this was demolished to construct the Babri Masjid. This structure is the cause of conflict between Hindu & Muslim communities since the time the British ruled India.

There is no denying the fact that the four people killed were LeT terrorists since the Home Ministry, Government of India has clearly stated so in an affidavit filed in Gujarat High Court. The point to ponder is why the sudden interest in hoisting a killed terrorist as a beacon of human rights violation.  

Ishrat Jahan was an innocent college student hardworking & sincere. She was gunned down in cold blood by Gujarat cops, which is a blot on the human right credentials of a free & democratic country like India where individual rights are enshrined in our constitution. In India it’s good to mouth such lofty statements and be considered a conscientious citizen and if you are young you will be considered “fashionably liberal”. Leave aside the fact that most people confuse liberals with leftists which is a fallacy to be explored separately.

   

The above statement is likely to convey an impression of a vindictive state police machinery taking liberties with individual rights. Nothing could be more further from the truth. Truth is the ultimate victim and not Ishrat Jahan in this travesty of human rights as being practiced by a perfidious state tottering on the brink of a moral collapse. This moral decline has been preceded by an equally embarrassing economic slide which threatens to dislodge India from its comfortable perch in the BRICS bracket.   

When Ishrat Jahan was shot dead in 2004 the knives were yet to be sharpened for the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who is now the ruling party Congress’s bête noire. What was simply a routine case of extra judicial killing of criminals & terrorists which are routinely carried out in India this became a full blown case of protecting innocent Muslims from the marauding hordes of Hindutva hardliners patronized by a communal BJP Gujarat Government. Just to give a perspective the so called encounter killings in neighbouring Maharashtra state ruled continuously by Congress Party since 1960 interrupted only twice for short period between 1978 -1980 & 1994 -1999 are well documented & even celebrated in celluloid by our normally devoid of original ideas Bollywood film industry. In fact there were special police officers acting as encounter specialist with a competition ensuing amongst them of who is a better “striker”. Each of these police officers aspired for the magic figure of 100 kills with only one having attained this while the rest languished in the range of 50 to 80 kills. Of course now these special killing machines have been defanged as it’s out of fashion & politically incorrect to snuff out lives of anti-nationals, criminals & terrorists.

If this is the scene in Maharashtra ruled Congress the all India statistics also depicts a dismal picture. According to the National Human Rights Commission of India, the state wide count of encounter killings during 2008-2011 was as follows: - Uttar Pradesh (111), Manipur (60), West Bengal (23), Tamil Nadu (15) and Madhya Pradesh (15) the total recorded cases being 369.

So with this surfeit of encounter killings which is a recurring theme year on year across states why this intense scrutiny only on Ishrat Jahan’s encounter one wonders. The only fathomable reason is that it is a convenient stick to beat the incumbent Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi. Once entrapped he can then be labelled as a “Hindu” communalists currying favour with the Muslim masses enticing them to vote for the Congress party for emotional reasons rather than on any plank of development. The minders in Congress party have realized that Narendra Modi is no ordinary BJP leader. He is a charismatic leader who has dazzled the bureaucrats & businessmen alike with his development agenda, farsighted policies & almost missionary zeal to strike out on his own with his new catchy slogan “India First”. Even in tragic circumstances like the Bhuj earthquake, Surat floods & the now recent tragedy Uttarakhand floods, Modi has shown how able governance can rebuild lives of people and provide succour in the face of nature’s wrath. His chant of development as opposed to the mantra of inclusive development mouthed by the politically correct politician’s increasingly resonates with the youth of the country. He evokes extreme passions on both sides of the political divide. His volunteers on social media can drown out any competition within a couple of hours. His utterance on any national issue is bound to raise the hackles of the ruling coalition. He acts decisively and ostensibly favours no religion or community although he belongs to a Hindu backward class which are now the new political nabob’s of a politically conscious India. Congress realizes Narendra Modi is the single biggest stumbling block in their bid to capture power in 2014 general elections. He evokes extreme fear in them because he champions a much bigger constituency than Congress and that is Indians who want development & progress. In such a scenario the traditional political calculations of caste & community tend to fail. Hence they have tried to get him embroiled in various court cases on account of the 2002 Gujarat communal riots which were a regular feature in Gujarat before him and all across India. The way the 2002 Gujarat riots have been projected it would seem as if this is the only riot to take place in India after independence. Indian government aided by intellectually bankrupt leftists & academicians have actively canvassed for Narendra Modi to be barred from visiting other countries notably US & UK. It’s a shame that these western democracies lay out a red carpet for Islamic dictators with human rights record that would put even Chairman Mao to shame and ban a democratically elected head of Indian state. It’s actually a no brainer why the blood hounds are after Narendra Modi.

The more insidious part of this charade is that we have managed to elevate an ordinary Islamic terrorist as a symbol of human rights violation. Why was a 19 year old innocent girl so interested in studies roaming around with two Pakistani nationals who were Lashkar-e-Taiba foot soldiers sent to foment mayhem in India which incidentally has been a consistent foreign policy of a recalcitrant Pakistani polity right since independence? To top it the Pakistani terrorist David Coleman Headley conveniently blessed with a white Caucasian ancestry that was enough to hoodwink Indian authorities identified Ishrat Jahan as a LeT suicide bomber. In a rare Taqiyya even Lashkar-e-Taiba immediately after the encounter blundered that Ishrat Jahan was its activist. Of course once the implications were clear they immediately recanted.

All these corroborative evidences would have enabled any government to decide the case purely on merits. But the witch hunt launched by Congress to implicate Narendra Modi in this communally twisted saga has eliminated any chance of a free & fair probe into killing of a terrorist. The debate on killing of a terrorist even in normal times would not graduate beyond cursory mention on prime time television leave aside the sustained campaigning as seen in the case of Ishrat Jahan. Congress in its age old wisdom of pandering to the baser instincts of Muslim minds thought it prudent to champion the cause of an Islamic terrorist. It’s ably supported in this game plan of “Catch Modi” by a pliant media ever willing for government handouts & assorted do-gooders with an agenda.          

This internecine one-upmanship has now been elevated to a level that the ever willing handmaiden of the Government - Central Bureau of Investigation is actively targeting police officers from the Gujarat cadre as also officers in the Intelligence Bureau who were involved with providing Intel on this case. That the morale of the police force and Intelligence Bureau is going to suffer is a given thing but now the constabulary will think twice before acting on Intel even about dreaded terrorists for the fear of reprisals from a vengeful Central Government. It is ironical that rather than decorating the police officers for eliminating criminals & terrorist who have no regard for rule of law & kill innocents ruthlessly, the state is hounding them chasing the chimera of minority vote bank.

This vitiated air has left most of the media commentators dumbfounded since speaking straight would expose them to the taunt of being communal. Being communal in Indian context means either speaking for the Hindus or most of times speaking the plain truth. This unholy nexus of fundamentalist Islam backed by hungry for vote banks politicians is the bane afflicting India in this century.

  

Originally published in    Fair Observer    on 19th July 2013 www.fairobserver.com