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http://www.newstoda ynet.com/ 2006sud/06jul/ 1307ss1.htm
<b>Bumptious UPA secularism vs. Jihadic terrorism </b>
V SUNDARAM
With high-tech precision, eight explosions in rapid
succession struck a busy commuter railway in the city
of Mumbai on 11th July evening, killing 190 people,
injuring many more, and turning the rush hour into a
grisly tableau of carnage. This is the seventh major
instance of a terrorist attack in the city of Mumbai
during the last 13 years. On March 12, 1993 a series
of Bomb blasts ripped through 13 places in the city
killing 257 people and injuring over 700 people. On
December 2, 2002, two persons were killed and 31
injured when a powerful bomb exploded in a Municipal
Bus outside Ghatkopar suburban Railway Station. On
December 6, 2002, 25 people were injured when a bomb
exploded in a Food Plaza at Mumbai Central Railway
Station. On January 27, 2003, 30 people were injured
when a crude bomb exploded outside Vile Parle Railway
Station. On March 13, 2003, 11 people were killed and
66 injured when a powerful bomb exploded in a Ladies
Train when it was entering Mulund Railway Station in
the peak hours. On August 25, 2003, two blasts
occurred one after the other at the Gate Way of India
and Saveri Bazar killing 46 people and injuring more
than 160. Adding to the misery, thousands of commuters
found themselves stranded, unable to find a way home
or even to call their families to say they were all
right, because phone lines were jammed or run down.
<b>Our helplessly hopeless Prime Minister Dr.
Manmohan Singh has won for himself an immortal place
in world history</b> by describing the public response in
Mumbai and elsewhere as 'the people's relilience and
resolve to triumph over the evil designs of the
merchants of death and destruction' . By coming out
with such pious nonsense, he and the UPA Government
have lost the battle against Islamic terrorism even in
the first round.
The Daily Pioneer in a historic Editorial has
rightly commented: 'Does the UPA regime have the
courage to confront them? Only an effete and
irresolute Government will simply suggest that the
people must fight and win the battle against Islamist
terrorism while those in power wring their hands in
abject despair or, worse, refuse to act in any manner
that may be seen as not being in consonance with an
astounding policy of appeasement whose scary contour
has now come to include pandering to radical
Islamism'.
I was listening to Dr. Manmohan Singh over the
Television talking to the nation <b>after the truly
secular, non-communal, non-saffronized Mumbai bomb
blasts</b>. Within two minutes I switched off the
television. <b>Our Prime Minister can put an army of one
million to sleep in a matter of seconds.</b> In this
context, I recalled what stirring message the US
President George Bush gave to his nation over the
television on the evening of September 11, 2001 in a
measured and forthright manner: 'We will make no
distinction between the terrorists who committed these
acts and those who harbour them.' <b>In India, terrorists
who commit these acts enjoy minority rights and those
Muslims who harbour the terrorists have the Government
incentive of Haj subsidies</b>. Whereas, Bush was not
worried about losing his Muslim votes in America in
the next elections while making his heroic
declaration.
The UPA Government decided to put on a mock
show of official sympathy when they made a royal visit
to Mumbai yesterday. I cannot resist quoting the
brilliant words of Saisuresh Sivaswamy in this
context: 'On the streets of Mahim, close to where we
work, the MAJESTY OF THE INDIAN STATE was on full
display as Congress president Sonia Gandhi accompanied
by Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Railway Minister
Lalu Yadav drove past, en route to the blast site. My
colleague counted 38+ cars in the motorcade that swept
past, as other traffic on the road was kept frozen in
place by the security phalanx. It was truly an
impressive sight - <b>only, I couldn't help thinking, it
was put on for someone who doesn't hold an office of
authority</b>. While the man who does, simply reviewed the
security situation in the face of the Srinagar and
Mumbai blasts, and directed that New Delhi's security
be beefed up. <b>This was the majesty of the Indian State
on display yesterday. I could have wept.' </b>
Bal Thackeray, the Shiv Sena supremo, has
rightly stated that the pusillanimous policy of the
Congress-led Central Government towards Pakistan is
solely responsible for these bomb blasts against the
innocent people of India. He has added: 'The Centre is
busy operating bus services to Pakistan and Islamabad,
on its part, is busy pushing terrorists into India. I
have been calling for a tough policy towards Pakistan,
but I was ridiculed'. In his context he also said 'Now
another dimension (of terrorism) has been opened in
the form of illegal immigration from Bangladesh'.
There is reliable documentary evidence to show
that the criticism of Bal Thackeray is well-founded.
Recently, Amir Mir, a former editor of the Weekly
Independent and now bureau chief of Gulf News in
Lahore has written: 'Pakistan's relationship with
radical Islamic terrorism remains dangerously
ambiguous. Historically, military leaders, including
General Musharraf (have) openly used the Taliban and
terrorist groups in Kashmir to advance Pakistan's
strategic objectives'. This dangerous trend has to be
carefully monitored and dealt with an iron hand. What
the media needs to be reminded of is the statement
made by <b>Mohammad Amir Shakeel Ahmed as long ago as
1999 at a conference of Students' Islamic Movement of
India (SIMI) that his nation is not India, but Islam. </b>
<b>The logic of effective governance lies in
this: When an enemy directs terror at any
nation-State, it is expected to hit back with maximum
force and carry the fight into the enemy camp.</b> Just to
be in possession of overweening power by itself is not
enough. But it has to be deployed strategically
against all the enemies known and unknown. <b>All our
nuclear weapons, our missiles, our tanks, come to
nought when we don't have the steel in our soul to
defend ourselves and our subjects at any cost, in
spite of all terror</b> and however long and hard the road
may be. Has the Indian State ever shown this type of
political courage and will after independence? The
answer is a categorical 'NO'.
The Nation-soul destroying UPA Government in
authority today is all the time engaged in a peace
process with the very neighbour who is out to
dismember India through any and every means available
to it. It is not therefore surprising that terrorists
continue to attack India with impunity? I would appeal
to the UPA Government to take the following steps
immediately on a war footing to defend the people of
India against the forces of Pak-sponsored terrorism.
a) To immediately recall the Indian High
Commissioner in Pakistan as a mark of protest against
the continued help and patronage being extended by
President Musharaff to all the Islamic terrorists in
India;
b) To summon the American Ambassador in New
Delhi and to make it clear to him that India is not
North Korea or Iraq to be toyed with immunity by the
United States;
c) To take immediate action to reintroduce the
POTA as demanded by L.K. Advani, Leader of the
Opposition;
d) To take immediate action for declaring
India as 'HINDUSTAN'. Hindustan will be as legitimate
as Pakistan. If Pakistan is not legitimate, then
Gandhi and Nehru should not have agreed to the
partition of India and the creation of Pakistan.
<b>I fully endorse the views of Dr. Babu Suseelan
that 'Jihad terrorism is not over the policies of US,
Israel, and India, or due to globalization, social
change, poverty, economic deprivation or lack of
self-esteem, but rather the ideology, the
cognitive-behavior processes of Jihad Muslims.</b>
Terrorism, bombing, beheading and suicide murder are
symptoms of a deep-rooted pathology stemming from
their 'addictive thinking' on Islam. The Islamic
'addictive thinking' convinces jihad terrorists that
attack on infidel would restore Islamic pride and
prove to the infidel world that Jihad warriors are
full of confidence and Islamic pride. The root cause
of jihad terrorism is to be found in the defective,
dangerous dogma that binds Jihad Muslims around the
world together. The Jihad Muslim's thinking process
and behaviours are sanctioned in Islam. <b>What is less
understandable is how and why mindless liberals fall
prey to so much distorted thought.' </b> <i>{including some jingos}</i>
Terrorism can be tackled only by a resolute
retaliation, a retaliation so decisive and swift that
a powerful message which can be understood can be
transmitted everywhere. The key component in the war
against terrorism lies in the response of
counter-violence. For, violence or force is the only
language terror perpetrators and terror cuddlers
understand. To dither in impotence and inaction will
be folly, historic blunder if the recurrence of such
events has to be prevented. A Government is not
legitimate merely because it exists. We must try to
find ways to starve the terrorists of the oxygen of
publicity on which they depend. <b>If a government is not
capable of protecting the lives of innocent citizens,
it has no right to govern. </b>
<i>(The writer is a retired IAS officer)</i>
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