Dr Ram Puniyani, noted social activist and Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Dharma-nirapeksha March (ABDM) stated that terrorism was a by-product of politics of opportunism. It has no religion but social, political and economic disparities produce terrorists. The Al-Qaeda terrorism is a product of United States of America which created it to fight Soviet forces in Afghanistan. Islam, on the country, abhors terrorism.
Speaking at Anti-Terrorism Day function organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Nagpur Chapter, at ISSI Hall, Dr Puniyani said, when Al-Qaeda activists targeted World Trade Centre, it was termed as Islamic terrorism. But why the western press does not brand violence perpetuated by Irish Republican Army in Ireland as Christian terrorism or LTTE violence in Sri Lanka as Hindu terrorism, he asked.
The Muslim population in the country is 13.4 per cent of population but in communal riots 80 per cent of deaths are from the minority community. Similarly, before any major bomb blasts the country has witnessed genocide, where members of a particular community were targeted, Dr Puniyani said.
India is secular because of our values. And our values are enshrined in Indian Constitution namely justice, democracy, liberty, fraternity, equality and socialism. To understand India one must study Darashikoy’s book which states India is mixture of two oceans, Hinduism and Islam. But sadly due to Muslim fundamentalism, the RSS policies are finding support base.
G. Hasnain Kaif, President Nagpur Chapter JIH, presided and Rizwan-ur-Rehman, Member, Advisory Council, JIH, Maharashtra, was guest of honour. Anti-Terrorism Day was organised to mark second anniversary of blast at Irrigation Colony in Nanded, where pipe bombs were being assembled.
Dr. Suresh Khairnar, Convenor of the ABDM said that a Fact Finding Committee proposed to take the case of terror strike at the RSS headquarters in Mahal, Nagpur, to the courts to ascertain the veracity of the police claim that the three felled persons were Fidayeen terrorists.
He said the issue facing the common man in the country is getting sidelined owing to communal atmosphere. We would like to devote our energies on finding solution to their problems. But sadly the prevailing atmosphere, where in one particular community is being labelled as terrorist, made us uneasy. What is the objective and who stands to benefit from it, the people should understand.
Earlier, Rizwan-ur-Rehman spoke about JIH and its policies. Summing up the views, Hasnain Kaif said USA is the only country to have used chemical, biological and nuclear weapons to kill innocent people all over the globe. We have seen it in Libiya, Vietnam, Korea and now Iraq.
He said the Naxal Movement, ULFA, Bodo, are not termed as Hindu terrorism. He wondered why only Islam is being targeted.