Author: KR Phanda
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: July 24, 2006
Islamist terrorism may be a new phenomenon
for the West, but India has never been free from this menace. The only thing
new for the country is that the UPA Government has miserably failed to tackle
it.
Way back in the early 19th century, when the
British conquered the North-West Frontier Province, they were often subjected
to murderous attacks by Islamist fanatics. In this context, Field Marshal
Lord Frederick Roberts of Kandahar relates the following incident in his book,
An Eye Witness Account of The Indian Mutiny (London, 1896). In 1853, Colonel
Mackeson was the Commissioner of the Peshawar division. Peshawar, at that
time, was not only the most important division but also the largest in India.
On September 10, 1853, a Muslim fanatic murdered
Col Mackeson. He was sitting in the verandah of his house and listening to
appeals of his subordinates. A Muslim came up, bowed for a kurnish to Mackeson
to present him with a paper. As soon as Mackeson stretched out his hand to
receive the paper, the man plunged a dagger into his chest. Col Mackeson died
on September 14,1853.
The killer was caught, hanged and burnt in
public. It is well known that burning of the dead is considered an insult
to Islam. However, the British authorities had given very careful consideration
to this mode of disposal before it was acted upon. The authorities were convinced
of the "deterrent effect it would have upon fanatical Mohammedans, who
count it all gain to sacrifice their lives by the murder of a heretic, and
thereby secure, as they firmly believe, eternal happiness, but loathe the
idea of being burnt, which effectually prevents the murderer being raised
to the dignity of a martyr, and revered as a saint ever after".
At other times, when the British rulers discovered
that the native sepoys were plotting for treason, they were just blown up
by the artillery. There lies the secret of the British rulers on whose empire
the sun, it was thought, would never set.
It is the absence of such swift and severe
punishment in India that has encouraged Muslim fanatics to kill innocents.
The Indian leaders so far have been fooling people by making tall statements
without corresponding follow-up action. With the Mumbai blasts, the Indian
leaders' hypocrisy stands exposed.
