The slow peeling of the onion around the involvement of Hindu militants in the Malegaon and Modasa bomb blasts last month in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in September has shown a murky network of religious radicals that may have both implications for India’s politics as well as its anti-terrorist policies.
For years, bombs in India have mostly been blamed on Islamist militants. Even attacks on mosques were often blamed on Islamists seeking to spark communal tensions between India’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims.
Both national and international press have focused on the growing Indian-born Islamist militants who are trying to attack the Indian state.
A widespread crackdown on suspected Islamist militants following the bomb attacks this year that killed scores of people in several Indian cities led Muslim leaders to accuse authorities of conducting a witch hunt and reinforcing stereotypes about their community
But the recent revelations of possible involvement of Hindu militants in some bomb blasts show that the Indian state could be soon fighting a anti-terrorist war on two fronts. Five people were killed in the Malegaon and Modasa blasts that hit the two Muslim-dominated towns within minutes of each other on Sept. 29.
In a thoughtful article in the Mail Today, Manoj Joshi wrote that a series of mysterious and unresolved attacks in recent years that, with hindsight, may have been the work of Hindu militants.
What is also worrying for India are the links of former army officials in the Malegaon attacks. They have been arrested as part of what police say is a “larger conspiracy.” How deep does this Hindu militancy go?
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be uneasy with these revelations, with reports the suspected in the blasts are linked to the BJP youth wing.
BJP president Rajnath Singh has defended one of the accused in the Malegaon. blasts, breaking a party line that saw the party condemn terrorism and allow the law to take its course.
But outspoken comments by Singh are hardly likely to benefit a party that is fighting crucial state elections this year, seen as a dress rehearsal for general elections due by May, 2009.
Only a month ago the BJP appeared to be on the offensive, attacking the ruling Congress government over its failure to stop serial blasts around Indian cities that have killed scores of people.
Now it appears more on the defensive, uneasy about the possibility Hindus are involved in terrorism.
One thing appears certain. As elections approach, the question of how India deals with violence from its Hindu or Muslim militants will come to the forefront.
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you are so true arumbhu (regarding first comment ).
nicely summed up .
- Posted by Hridayesh PushkarThe changes that are taking place in the world like Australian PM apologizing to the abhorigines,Obama getting elected by a majority in US are unnerving the Hindu zealots and are trying by all means to wrest control of the state machinery under the garb of Nationalism. Humanism doesn’t need any Nationalism. Love your neighbour and give due respect to his views,your country will be at peace.But just because you are in a majority and take it upon yourself the task of transformation of the society in your favour is nothing but majoritarian hooliganism and why at all any individual should be barred from taking up any religion he or she likes?
- Posted by arumbhuReligion is nothing but a garb to profiteering be it political, social or economical. Nothing more than that.In the real sense.
If we believe in a Just society why should be able to remove the ugly dirty skins wrapped around our body/soul by the people of previous centuries.Not too exhaustive though.
Religion is the root cause of all evils in the society even if it’s not so at personal level.Real progress will happen only when people get real education and begin to see as new born in a new world and not by aligning themselves with anything that are around them.
Throw the dirty water and the baby too along with the bucket and you will transform. Your transformation is the transformation of the world.Surely someday a world government will be established by our children and none of would be living to see them.How sad it is to fail to establish such in our own period now ?
Open you eyes to reality/possibilities ahead.Our actions based on controlled contrived feelings are just waste of human energy in the big picture and what a colossal loss?
Some of the posts above make me cringe that these are the so called foward looking educated Indians.If India has to become a world power and not be at the mercy of the elitist countries for the coming centuries then it has to rise above religious hagemony.Though I am a strong supporter of democracy I sometimes really feel that we should get a taste of communism like China (which incidently doesn’t adhere to any religion) to get back to our senses.
- Posted by IndianTerrorism is a religion in itself and anybody who believes in ‘tit for tat’ or religious jehad(for any religion)has already converted themselves.And if people get converted by ‘money or fear’ then they really do not have faith or belong to any religion. You show them money they would willingly also become athiest.
End of the day every sane person knows the Muslim terrorists will cut your throat if they could. So let’s stop pretending, Muslims openly boast of how they will forcibly convert the whole world. They use distractions and arguments just to buy enough time…
- Posted by Joe PotterIf you want to pretend on the outside for political reasons, that’s one thing, just be clear in your mind who is likely to cut your throat.
When will we grow up to the reality that Terrorists have no religion…Therez only one God one Religion…Humanity
- Posted by Pallavi Arun VermaWhen will we wake up to the reality that terrorists dont have a religion… There only one God and one life…one faith and one religion..thats Humanity.
God Bless All
- Posted by Pallavi Arun VermaI feel the problem can be solved if the Muslims and Christians stop following pseudo secular parties. They should join the BJP and not shun it and then they will have a voice right inside with Indian Nationalists.
- Posted by kp vidyashankarThe other parties want them as only as a obedient vote bank. It is up to them to act quickly so that there are consensus solutions on all issues.
well not hindus but the islamic terrorists.. which could be hindus, americans, russians…
- Posted by victoria hirkoas said that bomb explosions are blamed on the muslims is nota acorrect statement because in 99%cases culprits were brought to the law and they were the muslims.And coming to the malegoan blasts there are no concrete evidences against hindu organisations so it willbe very e
- Posted by sanjay singh chauhanarly to point a finger towards hindus.BECAUSE A HINDU DOSE NOT BELIEVE IN JEHAD as the muslims does.IT is a real tragedy that hindus are treated as second class citizens in their own mother land by so called secularists ,these black sheeps were out in herds when some antinational animals were gunned down in DELHI recently by DELHI POLICE THERE WAS A LOT OF HUE &cry .INthe end one thing is sure that it is wrong to say that all the muslims are terrorists but it is right that all the terrorists are muslims, it can be seen worldwide.
I have one thing to ask all you guys, why is it that Hindus start blaming Hindus at the earliest given opportunity, even the media too…. but Muslims dont seem to do the same at all. Why is it bad to be an assertive Hindu while everybody else can, with no remorse or regret…..
- Posted by sanjayFriends, Its because of this the way we react to situations its benefitting Politicians to divide and rule the same bludy old formula. Lets stop blaming and fighting each other. Lets try to find the real problem. The real problem is violence, hatredness, misconceptions. Lets hate VIOLENCE and not any group of people (Christian/Hindu/Muslim). Religion is what we believe, its not what we are. We are humans and every human has the right to LIVE. No body has the right to KILL. Incidents like this doesnt KILL religion but KILLs innocent people. Whoever it may be we are all Indians. We are all One nation. Lets try to be in Harmony and PEACE. Afterall who wants VIOLENCE. It hurts everybody.
- Posted by peacemakerthe present day media should be more vigilant of “what it is highlighting”.Comments like the one from Nikhil should not even find a place in any media. Do not encourage anyone to publicly comment on the lines of community ,caste ,creeed……..whatever separates us from being united humans.Instead get involved in doing good ,and encouraging and discourage evil.Discriminate anything on the basis of whether it is “good” or “bad” but on the basis of caste , community, colour ,creed, place,………
- Posted by T R PRASADhindu chauvinsts are now in great problem who claims of being more nationalist than indian muslims, they are now defending the hindu terrorists , some are telling it mysery to save hindu civilization and some results of sterile congress government, who were blaming that govt. in hope of some votes is risking with country’s security and safety, now the same bloodies want to put country totally insecure just to save their sides , the policy is totally changed now , the coward hindu terrorists used to put their doings on muslim heads to defame the community,mind one thing any person dividing the country on the basis of religion, language or region can never be a nationalist , he can be just enimical to the country, the current opposition should know that actions speak louder than words. jaya hind
- Posted by suboor khan…hey dears…….
- Posted by abdul mujeebwhen hatred comes in society.that society ruined……
when neighbours began to view each other in basis of religeon…….then what is the need of bombs…guns.. we all dead…already,
when politicians use religeons to promote their publicity this is what going to happen… dont allow others to devide us,….once Colonial powers did that…and we are still suffering…
please dont fall in the trap of some narrow business minded people…please…….
hi guys i just want to say that there is a solution of the problem. People belongs to all comunities, hindu, muslims etc. have to start respecting each other relegion, as it is directed by both religion’s holy books. only after that we can have a place in our heart for other porsons. stop blamming to others and think only about that country, india and about indians, nothing more than that.
- Posted by M.AhsanStuck in the cage of medieval religions ? and promoting or justifying the activities done either by the muslims of the hindus .. equally both are nonsene…. Its high time u guys should realise the religion difference is all in our head .. why dont we try going beyond it for some time ? And moreover “terrorism” is a religion by itself, Hindus, Christans ,muslims, Indians, Pakistanis, Bangaladeshis etc etc have equal memeberships in that club …. Its high time we take a different look at them !
- Posted by Arin