Author: Sunita Vakil
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: May 2006
The killing of 32 Hindus in the Doda district
of Jammu and the eruption of violence in Vadodara may not be two sides of
the same coin, but both are doubtlessly reprehensible acts that demand condemnation
in the strongest terms. Yet, both have evoked starkly different responses.
While the Vadodara incident received top media coverage amplified by photographs,
the massacre of Hindus in Doda and Udhampur managed to evoke passing media
attention.
The implications of this selective reaction
are quite significant. In a country where it is considered "secular"
to have different policies for different religions, the large-scale killings
of Hindus for get mostly ignored.
The Government too practises double standards
when it comes to religious beliefs. While it was inspiring to watch Union
Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal do his bit by offering condolences
to the Vadodara victims, nothing of the sort was done to soothe the frayed
nerves of the Doda carnage survivors. This is notwithstanding the fact that
the latter was of a far greater magnitude. It is also, too, well known that
the UPA Government does not react except in cases where Muslims are involved.
The Doda massacre has once again brought to
light the vulnerability of the people of Jammu & Kashmir; it stands to
reason as to what steps the Centre has taken to protect the Hindu community.
Despite repeated pleadings by villagers for Army pickets in the area, no action
was taken to set up a security apparatus. Instead, the guard was further lowered
by reducing the strength of para-military forces after the installation of
a new Government.
Many "secularists" flinch from acknowledging
the fact that terrorism in the Valley is essentially a war by Islamists against
Hindus. In a State where the victims are targetted on the basis of religion,
terrorists have indeed returned to target the minorities with the sole aim
of ridding the Valley of all Hindus. The soft policies of the UPA Government
towards terrorism has emboldened the terrorists and helped them consolidate
their bases.
While it may be good to pursue the peace process
to its logical conclusion, it is also of topmost priority that India be aware
of the ground realities. The Government has to provide adequate security to
people living in sensitive areas to instil a sense of belonging in them.
