Author: M Rama Jois
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 2, 2008
URL: http://dailypioneer.com/138558/Inflicting-wounds-on-patriotism.html
Hindus world over have remained loyal to the
country they live in and have never indulged in any anti-national activities.
The term 'Hindu terrorism' maligns the community
The statement made by Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to the effect that assigning the name of any religion to any of the
terrorist activities was wrong, is very timely. The statement is of utmost
importance being in the interest of maintaining the feelings of different
religions and is full of wisdom. This advice by the Prime Minister should
be followed by all political parties and the print and electronic media without
any prejudice. Such a code of conduct is absolutely necessary to be followed
in the interest of unity and integrity of the nation.
However, unfortunately, in respect of an incident
which took place in Malegoan on September 8, 2006, some politicians and the
print and electronic media have been describing the incident as "Hindu
terrorism" and on that basis huge propaganda is being made. After a careful
examination of this kind of propaganda, it is crystal clear that those who
are making such allegation have not realised the enormous injury they are
inflicting on national unity, feeling of fraternity and the desire to live
harmoniously, among the people belonging to different religions.
Before Malegaon there were deadly terrorist
attacks perpetrated by anti-national elements in Jammu & Kashmir, New
Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad and other cities. Apart from mass casualty, there
was also colossal loss to property.
It is the foremost duty of a State to give
protection to its people. The Central and State Governments have been unable
to prevent such activities and afford protection to innocent people. These
incidents have caused mental agony to a large number of citizens. If such
inhuman and anti-national activities caused provocation to a few persons to
retaliate on account of anger and agony, they cannot be dubbed as terrorists.
Malegaon incident is one such retaliation for anti-national terrorist activities.
On the other hand, these are only patriotic
retaliation for anti-national terrorist activities. To describe such activities
as 'Hindu terrorism' is to add insult to injury. The damage caused to the
nation by those who are indulging in making such propaganda is much more than
the damage caused by terrorist activities. Consequence of this is disastrous
to the reputation and interest of the nation.
In this land of Mahatma Gandhi, it is unfortunate
that a few individuals have developed the expertise in the quality of suppressing
the truth and suggesting falsehood. There are examples galore to prove that.
The most cruel example of this is to coin the phrase 'Hindu terrorism' after
Malegaon blast probe became public. This is an injury inflicted on peace-loving
people who always believed in "Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah (let all be happy)
and Loka Samasta Sukhinobhavantu (let the entire World be happy) as part of
their dharma. Hindus, as the whole world knows, are peace-loving people and
by nature never inflict any injury against co-human beings just for the sake
of satisfying their hatredness towards other religion and they do not indulge
in violence against them. Even now Hindus are living in as many as 60-70 countries
throughout the world. They have remained loyal to the country where they live
in and have not indulged in any anti-national activities.
During the freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi
adopted the path of non-violence. However, there were people who were charged
with sense of patriotism such as Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Madanlal Dhingra,
Chandrashekhar Azad, Satyendra Basu and Chapekar Brothers. In the course of
their struggle for freedom, they adopted the path of revolutionaries with
the object of attacking the foreign invader and rulers. Just as it is the
height of perversity to call such patriots as terrorists, it is also equally
perverse to dub persons like Pragya Singh Thakur and her supporters as terrorists
and malign the entire Hindu society by calling it as 'Hindu terrorism'.
According to the criminal jurisprudence, no
person can be considered or declared to be guilty until he is convicted by
a court of law for the offences alleged against him/her. Even on the basis
that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and her supporters have committed the offence
falling under the Penal Code, when we consider as to why they had done so,
it becomes clear that they were provoked by the large number of killings by
several terrorist attacks committed by anti-national individuals. It was only
a patriotic retaliation to anti-national terrorism.
Such activities done by certain individuals
on account of patriotic fervour and due to provocation provided by anti-national
terrorists canot be brought under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes
Acts. Such a step taken is wholly arbitrary and unreasonable. This is nothing
but part of vote-bank politics which is being used in view of the fact that
elections are being held in some States of north India. This is nothing but
a political tool to divide and rule the nation.
- The writer is a Rajya Sabha Member and Former
Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court and former Governor of Jharkhand
and Bihar.
