2008-11-18

Hindu terror

Oft in the frenzy of attracting viewers to their channels media goes overboard painting a news item in a certain hue. They decided to paint the blasts in Malegaon saffron and thus evolved Hindu terror. The painful fact today is that the media conducts its own trial pronounces the guilty and goes as far as to punish the accused. The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) does its bit by systematic leaks occurring from its coterie to fuel these reports further.

Personally I find it absurd on their part to use the terminology. As also do I find the term Islamic terror equally absurd. A terrorist is a terrorist. The buck stops there. Giving terror religious hues makes it seem as if it is condoned by the particular relegion. If anything that hardly is the case.

The involvement of army in this particular case is another point that has been raised. I mean there were a select few involved, pointing fingers at the armed forces is hardly the way to go. These were a few misguided people who in the name for fighting their religion took a wrong recourse. Fuelling passions at this stage will further the divide already present with disastrous consequences. The way to go would be to educate the youth, not let them be blinded by rhetoric.

Sweeping statements like a Hindu can never be a terrorist are ridiculous. These people have killed ( subject to being proven), for Gods sakes just open your eyes and see it. A Hindu can never be a terrorist maybe in a utopian world. The BJP is back to its far right self by statements as such. It is akin to saying a Hindu might never steal, never commit a crime, the mere fact that he is a Hindu gives him impunity to every act he commits that might go against the prevailing land.

Every Hindu religious leaders finds refuge in the words of Gita and twist them to his own interpretation. To quote a small bit of it.

“svadharmam api cāvekṣya na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyād dhi yuddhāc chreyonyat kṣatriyasya na
vidyate”

(Considering also your duty as a warrior you should not waver like this. Because there is nothing more auspicious for a warrior than a righteous war.)

Notice the Lord says the righteous war. What leaves the door open is the definition of righteousness. To each I guess it means his own and hence most people do get away with what they say.
However the Lord also mentions ‘svadharmam’. Swadharma is One’s own dharma.
“Swadharma is one’s own prescribed duty in life according to the eternal law”
–Acharya Vinoba Bhave.
To quote Lord’s words further “Sreyaan svadharmo vigunah” One’s own dharma regardless of what it is the best for one.

Hence giving examples of Lord Krishna asking Arjuna to take up arms to justify reprehensible acts is lame. Then again I interpret the Gita in my own way, and I could be wrong.

The far right should maybe give things a ‘dekko’ and maybe come up with statements that don’t blind us to the wrong being committed. As for what I feel about Hindu terror. The term is wrong for me because in my eyes anybody who maims innocents for the Hindu cause ain’t a Hindu at all.



As and afterthought i'd hate to be in the ATS, pick up Muslims and they get whipped, pick Hindus up and dont get spared either. Poor guys.

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