BEYOND PREJUDICE AND HATE

The row between ruling Congress and the main Opposition party BJP on involvement of RSS affiliates in terror attacks is hotting up. The first spark was lighted by Digvijay Singh when he hinted

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August 17, 2022

The row between ruling Congress and the main Opposition party BJP on involvement of RSS affiliates in terror attacks is hotting up. The first spark was lighted by Digvijay Singh when he hinted at the involvement of RSS affiliated Hindutva extremists in the murder of Hemant Karkare, who had brought to light the real terrorists and conspirators behind Malegaon bomb attack. The subsequent investigations have revealed astonishing facts about the Hindutva adherents’ hand behind Makkah Masjid, Ajmer and other blasts. Intelligence people are professionally trained to feel and know the real culprits behind a crime. They become such experts who can smell and detect crimes. Crimes of terrorist and communal nature have done immense damage to peace and tranquillity in the plural society of our large country, and have created an atmosphere of fear, hatred, suspicion and tension. The main victims of this atmosphere have been the Muslims who are blamed for every terrorist act. The famous quote from the BJP in this regard has been “All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims.” Promotion of such hate-filled thoughts has made the Muslims convenient butts of suspicion and easy targets of discrimination. It has developed a general perception among the majority Hindus that Muslims are trouble shooters and a burden on the country. To quote a fair minded Hindu Human Rights activist, the general Indian has been taught to think that Muslims are a liability and one Muslim less is one problem less. One need not stress how dangerous this thinking is for a democratic multi-ethnic country like ours. The civil society must insist and our media must focus on breaking the destructive stereotypes which have been meticulously nurtured by the peddlers of hate to marginalise the Muslims who have been at the receiving end for the last seventy years and have been denied a respectable life as equal citizens of multi-religious India.

No doubt a thorough and comprehensive probe into the involvement of Sangh Parivar or its affiliates in acts of terror is the need of hour. We require something more than that. All acts of terror should be impartially investigated by a commission comprising at least three former judges of Supreme Court and all innocent young men belonging to the Muslim community who have been languishing in jails for long years should be released on bail and be allowed to speak out their mind before media and public. Unfortunately, a larger section of media was prejudiced against the Muslim youth and instead of making independent investigation has been repeating the police version thereby conducting a media trial, doing injustice to their reputation and status.

RSS and BJP should clean their minds from hatred and understand the need to go beyond petty politics of Muslim-bashing and policies of hate. The intelligent Indian is no longer ready to remain a victim of paranoia, prejudice and hate.