Bombay Blasts and Premature Accusations Siraj Wahab

Opinion, August 2003, www.aljazeerah.info

Bombay Blasts and Premature Accusations

Siraj Wahab

Arab News Staff

JEDDAH, 28 August 2003 — The one thing that was overwhelmingly apparent during my recent visit to India was the remarkable change in people’s attitudes to communal politics. Thanks largely to a resurgent body of liberals in all sections of society, the tide seems to be turning decisively against the forces of fascism and communalism. Bookstores, newspapers and television channels were busy discussing and promoting the virtues of secularism.

In the country’s financial capital Bombay, or Mumbai to be more politically correct, people were happy with the social harmony. Business in all major cities was on the upswing. The country was buzzing with economic activity even as the politicians squabbled over what existed under the rubble of the Babri Masjid. The rupee was firming up against the dollar and the country’s foreign exchange reserves were rising steadily.

A good social climate and a strong economic base are anathema to the lunatic fringe. Both are the stuff of their worst nightmares. The bomb blasts in Bombay on Monday which killed and maimed scores of innocent people were meant to shatter the tranquil atmosphere and create chaos. These attacks were also aimed at rupturing the country’s improving relations with Pakistan.

Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s highly successful visit to India and the reciprocal gesture by a high-level Indian delegation led by the colorful Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav went a long way to defuse tensions between the two countries. A new era of cooperation had been set in motion. The people-to-people ties between India and Pakistan must have disturbed the minds of the terrorists.

The merchants of death know full well the repercussions of any thaw between India and Pakistan. They know equally well that they can thrive only in a situation where the two countries are at odds. The criminals must have calculated very carefully the impact of the bombs in both countries.

India will have to deal decisively with elements who believe in tit-for-tat. It depends on how the politically vulnerable right-wing politicians choose to handle the situation in the wake of the Bombay blasts. Judging from their track record, it is not hard to imagine which direction they will take. Once again, there will be an attempt to widen the chasm between the majority and minority communities. Once again, the minority Muslim community will be charged with being the fifth column. Once again, rhetoric will rule over reason.

A highly polarized society bodes well only for any country’s fascist elements. The right-wing may exploit the blasts to their advantage by indoctrinating the gullible masses. A case in point is the way Bharatiya Janata Party leaders reacted to the carnage in Bombay. Rather than extending all-out support to the Maharashtra government in dealing with the situation, they were quick to demand the removal of the ruling state government led by the Congress Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party has never shied away from playing politics at the worst of times, with Gujarat being the prime — and up to now the most tragic — example.

The victims’ blood was still on the pavement when Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani began pointing the accusing finger. First it was the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who were the culprits. Then he added the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba to his list. All of this of course was before there was any chance for even the most perfunctory investigation into the atrocities. That’s always the way. First we hear these premature accusations and next the wind carries the stench of charred flesh.

For the country to win decisively against terrorists, it is imperative for all communities to stand together. Cooperation is of vital importance in identifying and weeding out this menace which has made life miserable in India. Driving one community to the wall will boomerang and give greater credence to the ideology of terrorists. And they will easily exploit the frustrations of one segment of society in order to create havoc in all segments. But is there a will on the part of the ruling party politicians to undertake such measures? With parliamentary elections just a year away, there will be every attempt to stoke the fires for maximum results from the ballot box. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has already demonstrated the virtues of violence at the ballot box. One can only hope that the BJP will resist the temptation to go the way of Modi for the sake of the nation’s larger interests.

— sirajwahab@arabnews.com

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).