Author:
Publication: Siliconindia.com
Date: September 14, 2011
Is it ironical when United States terms India's
indigenous terror as Hindu terrorism as its President Barack Obama preaches
a noble concept of 'Terrorism has no religion'. Amidst heated arguments on
the controversial topic of 'saffron terrorism' in the country, the latest
U.S. Congressional report on India says militant Hindu nationalist groups
are planning on launching domestic terrorist attacks. The report, however,
acknowledge that 'Hindu Terrorism' has became a new and highly controversial
phrase in India's national language.
The independent and bipartisan wing of the
U.S. Congress, CRS prepares periodic reports on various issues of interest
to the lawmakers and the India report was made public by the Federation of
American Scientists (FAS). "Even more recent are overt signs that India
is home to militant Hindu nationalist groups intent on launching domestic
terrorist attacks. In September 2008, seven people were killed by two bomb
blasts in Maharashtra's Malegaon, a hotbed of Hindu-Muslim communal strife,"
the report said. "Many Indian observers warned of the danger of a 'militant
majoritarianism' among Hindu nationalists that threatens to rend the secular
fabric of the nation," reports PTI quoting the CSR study.
The term Saffron Terrorism entered into the
public discussions following the 29 September 2008 western India bombings
that killed 8 persons and injuring 80. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram
gave the spark as he alarmed the chiefs of State police forces, security and
intelligence officials of the new threat of 'saffron terrorism.' "There
is this recently uncovered phenomenon of saffron terrorism that has been implicated
in many bomb blasts of the past," he said.
According to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks,
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi reportedly told U.S. ambassador Timothy
Roemer that saffron terror worries him more than the terror groups such as
Lashkar-e-Taiba. It quotes Rahul as saying, "there was evidence of some
support (for the LeT) among certain elements in India's indigenous Muslim
community, the bigger threat may be the growth of radicalized Hindu groups,
which create religious tensions and political confrontations with the Muslim
community."
Sonia shared no different view as her son
and said the RSS is sowing the seeds of hatred in the minds of a new generation
and says, "This is the biggest danger for us."
However, Congress' outspoken leader Digvijay
Singh objects the use of saffron terror' phrase and says, "I have objection
to the use of caste, colour and religion to describe terror." "It
can be called 'sangh terrorism' instead of saffron terrorism," he clarifies.
Home Minister's remark was received with severe
criticism from the main opposition BJP and the Hindu radical outfit RSS. BJP
President Nitin Gadkari said, "A criminal or a terrorist does not belong
to any religion, or caste nor does terrorism have a colour. By using the term
'saffron terrorism' the Home Minister P. Chidambaram has insulted Indian culture."
L K Advani lashed out at the congress government
for the use of such a frame and said terrorism should not be tagged to any
particular religion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi asked
from an apology from the Prime Minister for the use of saffron terrorism and
said, "Is not there a saffron flag on a temple? Would you call it a centre
of terrorist activity? Swami Vivekanand, Dayanand Saraswati, Shankracharya,
Swami Ramdas and others who have sacrificed for the country wore saffron clothes.
Are you calling them terrorists? Every Congressman will have to answer this.
And the Prime Minister has to apologies to the people of the country for this."
Spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar said,
"There is nothing like saffron terrorism. A saint can never be a terrorist,
but the possibility of an extremist being active under the guise of a 'sadhu'
cannot be ruled out."
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury feels the necessity
to change the mindset of associating terror with religion. "There is
need to change the thought that terrorism is religion-based," he said.
The U.S. report on Hindu terrorism came in
as a surprise for many as it reflects a different picture of India to the
world. Attributing terror attacks to religion, regardless of the color or
caste, should be discouraged.
