The last week has seen the relative calm that the world saw after 9-11 get shattered. Terrorism has reared its ugly head bringing death and destruction to innocents.
So long as the terrorism is in far away Kashmir or the North East (where is that) – or even in Iraq, it is an event happening outside our individual universe or sphere or attention. But, when it happens in a Mumbai, or a New York or a London, or indeed a Bali or an Ayodhya – the fragility of our sense of security becomes even more apparent.
London was a place that i lived in for almost a decade. Ii loved that city and its people are amongst the nicest that you can ever meet. There is a sense of multi culturalism in that city that you don’t find elsewhere in the rest of Europe. People are different, yet they belong. I hope that the terrorist attack does not destroy this spirit. But, very likely it will. The Mumbai Blasts followed by the Mumbai riots – saw severe rents in the fabric of Mumbai society. After a decade all seems to be ok on the surface but the fault lines are there.
Ayodhya is much the same. A decade after the destruction of Babri Masjid – and the subsequent riots that it caused, we have a gang of terrorists who try to attack the temple site. Had they succeeded, there may have been a backlash. Afterall, the extreme right in India is looking for a cause to bring its minions together. And, this may very well have ended up being the lightening rod that attracted different strands of madness together.
In both cases, it is alleged to be the work of “islamic” terrorists – the reason why the term islamic is in quotes is because if the person was truly islamic, s/he couldn’t be a terrorist.
I am not sure about citizens of Mumbai, or London or New York or anyplace where we value freedom, kowtowing to terror. Most people I know were back at work, the day after the last bombing in Mumbai (2003).
However, the actions of the terrorists is going to put their co-religionists and other ethnic minorities in danger. Because, across the world right wing religious/nationalist movements have reared their head. A form of rightwing nationalism that merges religious fervour and national pride. A dangerous combination on any day. And far more potent in the time of deep insecurity amongst citizens. These kind of attacks are going to be siezed by these right wing movements to curtail liberty of immigrants. And it becomes a viscious cycle.
In a away, I agree with Teesta Setelvad who says in sabrang:
Communalism Combat, SAHMAT and the National Campaign in Support of Democracy condemn the attack on the Ramjanmabhoomi complex by unidentified persons this morning and appeal to all to maintain peace and calm. This incident reveals a serious lapse in security. Those who have perpetrated this crime need to be investigated and punished. However all persons in authority, political leaders and leaders of all organisations need to be held responsible to the Indian Constitution and Indian law so that an atmosphere of hatred and venom is not spread by those interested in whipping up communal sentiments all over the country.
Such an incident poses a challenge to the secular fabric of the country. Transparency needs to be followed in investigation. The media needs also to respond responsibly to information when labels like ‘terrorist’ and ‘jehadi terrorist’ are used intentionally by some organisations. Above all, this should not become an occasion for venom and hatred against minorities clouding our public sphere once again.
i have been reading the response to this quote in blogdom. The trouble with taking quotes out of context, in this kind of a situation, is extremely dangerous. My first reaction when i read the truncated quotes in other Indian blogs was, Teeeta Setelvad needs one tight slap. But, then i went to the sabrang site – and really speaking she has said nothing that is wrong.
There needs to be time to heal fractures in society. That is assuming we don’t want terrorism to win. Because if we succumb to terrorism, by allowing visible minorities to be attacked in response to the terrorists’ activity, then the terrorists have won.
also read Haroon Moghul excellent response – Thomas Friedman is either a bigot or an idiot – to the incredibly blinkered Thomas Friedman article – Muslim Problem, Muslim Solution.
Enjoyed the post! Well said.
Koran clearly teaches that the Kafirs are “Satan’s party” (Koran 58:11-22) for your reference. As you said that true islamist are not at fault, Since you seem to be know more about koran than islamist so your comments? Why do you have no objection in Teesta Setelvad’s advocacy in not calling attackers of Ayodhya as terrorists and who do you think they are? forget about jehadi terrorist label, we can’t refer them in a way unless it is proven in investigation.
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Harini, please don’t help spread the myth that’s being assiduously spread by the likes of the Shiv Sena, when you say “The Mumbai Blasts followed by the Mumbai riots …”
The riots happened in December 1992 and January 1993. The blasts happened on March 12 1993 — 2-3 months later. Yet a decade on, I’m astonished at how many people have come to believe that it happened the other way around: the “blasts followed by the riots” as you say.
I know — and have evidence for — how the Sena has been trying to broadcast this inversion of history — and they have reason to do it. The sad thing is to realize how successful they have been,
My apologies on this. i should have checked.
I was out of the country for an entire decade 1995 thro to 2004. So for me it was more news than personal experinces. And news that is consumed and fuzzied. Hence, the error. You are of course right – the riots preceded the blasts.
Most of my ‘memories’ of the riots and the blast are culled from experiences of family and friends who lived through the riots.
These include neighbourhood patrol, of ordinary citizens doing ‘para’ to protect their neighbours and their sense of community, my brother and his two friends (both muslims) making their way back home during the riots, of people who were close to the sena, people close to the congress.
the story that i heard which linked the riots to after the blasts was primarily this. Not really the Sena line – but erroneous all the same!
Mumbai was relatively peaceful after the blasts. And then the sena pramukh went into a meeting with his shakha pramukhs and threw green bangles at them. called them eunuchs. and the next day mumbai burnt.
this is a story i heard from a friend whose father was in the sena. the link therefore – for me was sena going on rampage after the blasts to prove a political point rather than anything else. And much like Advani, the Rath Yatra and Ayodhya – the point was proven. The Sena won the municipal and then the state elections.
but point noted – will not repeat it.
Harini, thanks. I know what you are saying, I’ve met people who have spread the same stuff. And I sometimes feel similarly out of touch with events from the decade I was out of the country (the ’80s).
If you haven’t already, you may want to look at this.