The politics of hate

Reaction of the Indian leadership and media on 26/11 has not been of utter surprise to many that are watchful of the return of communal and divisive politics of India. The Indian leadership and media have often demonstrated statesmanship and responsibility on special occasions but Pakistan is an exception for them. There is a consensus of one billion people on issues related to Pakistan, Islam, nuclear, terrorism and Kashmir. This is not a coercive consensus but a voluntary one, created through the political processes and democratic practices. The outburst of its leaders and the media shows the mindset driven by the Bania-Brehman ruling and leading force, which is only 14 percent of the total population. New Hindutva extremist organisations have gained strength in Maharshtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Utter Pradesh and the Malegaon blast probe shows the hidden face of Hindu militancy and what is being termed there as 'reverse terrorism' against Muslims. With elections nearing, the activities of extremist organisations, some of them recently on surface of the political scene have increased. The patronisation by the political forces, even being mild and tolerant otherwise is already there to get clear political gains. Lot of new extremists men, women and organisations have been openly advocating the killings of Muslims in which women like Pragya Singh and Thakur, organisations like Rashtriya Jagran Manch (RJM) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) got prominence after the Indore riots. Thakur the new Sadhvi, often compared to Uma Bharti known to make inflammatory speeches against Muslims and inciting their killing is not just one example being eulogised by the political activists. Very few in the international media know that with new women emerging as key players in inciting communal passions and of Hindutva in India are the catalysts in worsening the fragile edifice of the Indian society based on caste system. Planned attacks against Muslims in the name of "reverse terrorism" have created new faces of terror in India, completely ignored by the West and the US. Only few names of Hindu extremist outfits, created during the last 20 years would be an eye-opener for the world media, giving a dirty look to Pakistan on Mumbai attacks. Malegaon bomb blasts, one of the bad spots on the face of Indian democracy and secularism, exposed the Indian army's role already being questioned for years in Kashmir for rape, disappearances and even obliterating the Sikh village before a high profile visit of the US president. The actual culprit Lt Col Sri Kant Prohat was dealt in an easy way by the chief minister of Maharashtra by ordering an enquiry. The remarks of the enquiry officer, Director CBI Vijay Shankar who retired soon after, were however quite significant when he said, "The unresolved Malegaon blast was one of the toughest cases I had handled." The mystery compounded, when the first victim of the Mumbai mayhem was the police officer Karkare, who was conducting investigations into the Malegaon tragedy after Shankar's retirement. The ghost of anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan politics in India is up again with more fanfare and glamour of Hindutva. The proponents of 'economic union' with Pakistan are busy in suppressing Muslims of South India now, after reducing the socio-economic status of the vibrant Muslims of the north. The Muslims of India's financial capital have been pushed to dons and in the hands of the underworld. Now in the city of billionaires, Shabana Azmi, being a Muslim cannot purchase a house of their choice. The city is providing safe haven for a political terrorist like Raj Thakeray and his mercenaries of hate. Thakeray junior, following the footsteps of his uncle, Bal Thakeray, in his quest for political space has revised the politics of hate and killing. Strangely Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP's L K Advani are afraid of visiting India's celebrated symbol and cosmopolitan, to challenge the newly born Hindutva cub. All the five central ministers and the President of India hailing from the state are sitting on the sidelines watching with strange passive approval to the politics of hate in South India. The story of India's so-called 26/11 is not that simple, that few armed youngsters arrived at the coast of Mumbai and the blue water navy, capable of striking sea pirates near Somalia coast just two weeks ago, was sleeping. The resignations of the home minister and national security advisor show resilience of the Indian political system which Pakistan is lacking, but lot more is to be done by the largest democracy of the world, in the interest of its minorities and the peace of South Asia.

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