One of Egypt’s leading dailies ‘the Egyptian Gazette’ has recently published a thought provoking article titled ‘Hindu Talibans Enraged by Modern Women’.
The writer has underscored that whereas the focus remains on Pakistani and Afghan Taliban, primarily due to ingrained prejudice for their being Muslims, Talibanization, which has now become synonymous with extremism is increasingly becoming manifest in India’s supposedly progressive society. These Hindu extremists (Mahasabhai) who consider themselves above religious, moral or constitutional obligations are targeting progressive Indian woman through unrestrained violence. According to the paper, in Mangalore, situated in the Southern Indian State of Karnataka, these Hindu Taliban abducted a young Hindu girl who was traveling in a bus along with her Muslim college fellow and after committing gang rape left her for a lifelong torture of mental and physical agony. This is no isolated incident; the manner in which Christian minority of Karnataka is being agonized by the Hindu fascists has bared the activities of these Hindu fascists to the entire world. Commenting on the situation, the Indian Minister for Women and Child Development, Renuka Chaudhery has warned the Government regarding the growing trend of Talibanization in Karnataka; saying that Hindu fundamentalists are treating women with the same attitude that has become the hall mark of Afghan Taliban. A Hindu Taliban group Sri Ram Sena (SRS), based in Karnataka and professing to be the followers of Ram, routinely attacks women who smoke, drink or behave in a progressive manner. Without any remorse for their despicable activities, Sri Ram Sena claims to be the custodian of the Indian Culture. Daily the Hindu, a well known Indian paper has termed Sri Ram Sena as Hindu Taliban. Castigating the SRS for its activities against women, the paper has likened the Sena as a copy of the Afghan Taliban. Whereas weekly ‘Outlook’ , in a recent issue, has expressed grave concern over the fast spreading wave of Talibanization in Karnataka, declaring it a scourge for the Indian society and a major obstacle in the way of the Indian women empowerment. Renowned human rights activist, Barkha Singh, belonging to the Delhi Commission for Women, has strongly criticized SRS saying that for Indian Government, claiming to be the champion of Human Rights, this kind of extremism was out rightly shameful. “Our society is a victim of deep contradictions whereby our Government castigates Pakistan over Talibanization without ever explaining as to what is being done to control the fast spreading similar trend within India.’ She asks. Foreign Minister of the same ‘civilized’ country, Peranab Mukherjee, in a recent statement, while declaring Pakistan a failed State, has expressed his bewilderment as to whom should he talk to in Pakistan; sarcastically enquiring as to who who holds the reins of power; President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani or the Army. It is obvious that such kind of condescending statements reflect the state of affair obtaining in India. Two reasons stand out on that account. First, is the Indian failure in attempting to have Pakistan reduced to the status of a pariah state after the Mumbai terrorist attacks. FBI Director has endorsed the Interpol stance that Pakistan is extending full cooperation in investigating the attacks in contrast with Indian Government which has failed to share any kind of information. The scenario stands transformed since the early days following the attacks when Indian leaders were threatening Pakistan with aggression on the pretext of culpability. Such positive turn has materialized in the wake of period when vicious Indian propaganda had badly tainted Pakistan and surprisingly, now, it is India that is mired in a bog of its own making. It has become manifest to the world that much against the thrust of Indian propaganda. Pakistan is extending full cooperation in advancing the investigations. It has also becoming apparent to the world that the shroud of secrecy, shrewdly employed by India is an attempt to hide certain facts related to the Mumbai attacks from Interpol or FBI, while continuing to wrongly castigating Pakistan. Second, India’s enduring discomfiture is caused by global exposure of the disruptive role played by RAW in Swat and the salutary effect that ‘Swat Accord’ has had in calming the situation. India has no justification to express concern over Swat situation where parleys with Sufi Muhammad’s Tehrik-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat have resulted into a peace accord. In this context even the US Secretary of State has accepted that according to Pakistan’s constitution Shariat Laws can be enforced anywhere in Pakistan and this is not something that could be related to Taliban. It is amazing though, that in contrast; Pranab Mukharjee has expressed his anguish over the Accord and is so upset over the developments that it has declared the ‘Peace Accord’ as Pakistan’s defeat. Consequently, a propaganda tirade has been unleashed that asserts that with the Accord in force, Swat would transcend into a safe haven for Taliban. Is the Indian propaganda a reflection of reality? Certainly not. Actually RAW has warned its masters that with the peace accord in place and militants sidelined its nefarious designs vis-à-vis Pakistan stand exposed. Every Intelligence Agency operating on the Pak-Afghan border is now aware of the role being played by RAW in training and arming the miscreants in Balochistan, FATA and Swat. This exposure has underscored Pakistan’s efforts to appraise the world of the obtaining ground realities. Indian hue and cry manifests that consummation and holding of the peace in Swat is a major victory for Pakistan and failure for RAW in equal measure. India hardly seems to be on its own in its attempts to weaken Pakistan. The international milieu is threatening to the Islamic world, whereby it is under assault from many quarters; offensive forces competing with one another to partake of its considerable assets. Pakistan remains the focus of such evil designs; a bulwark which if vanquished will open the way for colonizing the entire Muslim world. Pakistan is Islamic world’s first and only atomic power. God has blessed it with its bounties; supplementing its fertile lands and national resources is its ingenious and resourceful population base. This combination, if suitably harnessed can generate a capability of not only becoming a role model for the Muslim world in becoming the rallying point for thwarting conspiracies that seek disintegration of the Muslim world. It is a pity though that a lust for material gains and a drift away from the ideals and ideology of Pakistan has left our nation vulnerable to the evil designs of the inimical forces; confronting us with extreme dangers and problems of internal cohesion. US, Israel and India may have different objectives in different Muslim Countries, but for Pakistan there is a convergence of their diabolic designs. In the post Mumbai period the loud and pernicious rhetoric adopted by the Indian leaders, coupled with an overbearing and offensive attitude was a reflection of the deep animosity and malice harbored by them. This rhetoric was reminiscent of the yesteryear’s Hindu mindset which has been rejuvenated by the favorable regional and global milieu. The following excerpts adequately bring out this aspect: “We don’t need peace, we want war. It is our conviction that we shall see the realization of an “Akhand Bharat”; loaded with arrogance and fascist malevolence , these words comprise the opening of an interview that BJP leader L.K.Advani gave to a British journalist in 1993. When the journalist asked Advani if he would have still fought war with Pakistan had there been no Kashmir Issue, he replied, “Kashmir is just our excuse. We would have found another reason in its absence e.g. the assistance being provided to Sikh separatists; even if we are aware of the reality of who is actually supporting them”. When the same journalist asked him about human rights violations in Kashmir, Advani replied with great self assurance. “Even if we kill a thousand Kashmiris no eyebrows will be raised when it is claimed that we are killing only terrorists (freedom fighters). When the journalist pressed further that the ‘terrorists’ (freedom fighters) were small in numbers and largely the population was not affected by militancy, Advani brazenly replied “In case of involvement of common man in militancy we shall treat the entire population as terrorists and commence larger scale killings” It is pertinent to note that, under the same policy large scale killings of freedom fighters commenced in the nineties. According to confirmed reports by 31 Dec 2008, over one hundred thousand Kashmiris including women and children have been killed for demanding their genuine and universally acknowledged birth right of self determination. It remains a hard reality that Indians, with their atrocities and killing in Kashmir have added a new chapter in the ignominious history of repression barbarism and bloodshed on earth. The Indian propaganda campaign on Pakistan, encompassing electronic channels, radio and print media has acquired the proportions of a full scale assault. It was on display, expertly dovetailed into the evolving situation, during Mumbai terrorist strike. The aim of was to pin the blame for this gory drama on Pakistan in which it had no role. Such a reckless and fabricated response only goes to explain the limits to which India can go to castigate Pakistan for uncommitted crime of terrorism, which increasingly are becoming traceable to India’s indigenous dynamics. On all accounts Pakistan continues to rankle India and she has shown a persistent inclination for resorting to dangerous charades in order to cook up a casus belli against Pakistan. In this situation we need to ponder as a nation as to what should be our response in face of such evil designs.
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