(Issues in Secular Politics,
June 2006 II)
Terror Attacks: More to it than meets the eye
Ram Puniyani
On April 6th 2006, two Bajrang dal Activists were
killed while making a bomb in the house of an RSS
sympathizer. The event was not much taken note of by
the national media. Maharashtra’s Anti Terror Squad,
after investigating the event confirmed that these
activists were being trained in making bombs. On the
site, a powerful IED, pipe bomb, and a diary with the
tips for making bombs was found. All the functionaries
of RSS affiliates went to offer condolences for the
dead and most of them visited other activists who were
in hospital. The BJP MP of the area asked the police
not to ‘harass’ the ‘innocent’ members of Bajrang Dal.
The bail was granted to the collaborators of the
accused while the police prosecutor had no objections
to bail being granted.
After this incident, police conducted many a raids in
nearby places and haul of explosive material and other
ammunition was found. It was claimed that this was
seized from the ‘usual suspects’, the ‘Islamic’
terrorists.
On 1st June, in Nagpur, in an early morning encounter,
the police claimed to have killed three dreaded
terrorists of Fidayeen group, who as per the police
version, were planning to attack the RSS head office.
In this encounter, no eye witnesses were there, and
police version was the only source of knowing the
truth. The police commissioner claimed that the car
had huge quantities of ammunition, but all the same,
police could decimate all the three terrorists,
without getting any serious injury. The next morning
police hogged the lime light for its act. It was
claimed that police had got a diary from the car
giving the details of the terrorists; they were
Islamic terrorists from Pakistan, and were cremated in
the Islamic manner. As usual it was a screaming
headline in most of the national media
So far in such incidents, the police version is
accepted by the media and the nation in an uncritical
way. Since all around the air of terror perpetrated by
Islamic terrorists is heavy, one more such incident is
received with some alarm, demonization of Muslims and
Islam is taken one step higher, and the matter rests
there. In this case two of the RSS trained
politicians, Gujarat Chief Minister Modi and MP Chief
Minister Chauhan, gave cash rewards to the police
personnel who killed the terrorists, in other state.
Not to be left behind, the ex Chief of Bajrang dal,
another RSS prachark, announced a hefty cash reward to
any civilian who kills the terrorists. Here all the
legal niceties were kept aside and two CMs and one top
BJP leader, as if reading from a prepared script, went
on to maul the norms of Indian constitution and talked
of things which cannot stand the scrutiny of law of
the land..
Smelling a rat, some civic action groups formed a
citizen’s inquiry committee to know the truth of the
incident
(http://www.pluralindia.com/articles.php?id=115). So
far not many citizens groups have investigated such
acts of terror. The team had retired Judge of
Maharashtra high court as the Chair person and many
prominent social activists as the members. The team
did all in its means to piece together the available
information from local media and people concerned and
concluded that police version has too many holes to be
trusted. The committee has demanded a probe by the
competent authority from the center. Despite its
frequent requests, the police officials refused to
talk to them as if they have something to hide. On the
contrary police cast aspersions on the motives and
linkages of the team members. Police claims of the
terrorists carrying 5.4 Kilos of RDX and a sealed box
of hand grenades does not match with the meek
surrender of the terrorists. Some of the local people
whom the committee met said there was a firing in the
air few days before in the same area where the
incident took place. And this firing sounded like a
repeat of the earlier one. Had this act been rehearsed
already?
One realizes that investigating such incidents by
civil groups is very difficult. Police and authorities
don’t cooperate; on the contrary they put up all the
roadblocks. In the Ansal Plaza case also Kulpdeep
Nayyar’s petition to human rights commission, doubting
the police version, went unanswered. Interestingly,
all such attacks hog the headlines for days, and eyes
are closed to the holes in the police version in the
name of national security.
In the present case what is worrisome is the attitude
of state and police in tackling the Nanded blasts,
where there is a concrete involvement of RSS
affiliates, seriously. It has been pushed to the
background, without taking it to the logical
conclusion of arresting the Bajrang Dal activists and
other affiliates. Despite the Anti Terrorist Squad’s
conclusion that the activists who were involved
belonged to Bajrang Dal, this organization continues
to be a legal entity. Also the affiliate and sister
organizations have not been touched. Despite the
alarming fact that they were being trained in bomb
making, the state govt is sleeping over the issue.
And finally, are these two incidents, Nanded blasts
and Nagpur episode, linked in some way? The claim to
unearth the arms and ammunition, the projection of
terrorist activity in nearby areas, the probable stage
managed attack on Nagpur Head Quarter of RSS, are
these meant to hide, the Nanded blasts and involvement
of RSS affiliates in the ghastly crime, under the
carpet? One wonders a nation conscious of its
security, suffering so many attacks, off and on, is
taking the Nanded blasts easy. The attitude of media
is also worrisome. While the acts of “Islamic
terrorist”, though having lots of doubts in the story,
are accepted as presented by police and highlighted,
the event like the one of Nanded has been pushed under
the carpet and forgotten. One hopes the central
government wakes up to the crude reality of these
happenings in Maharashtra. The home ministry is
sleeping over matters of a serious concern. In such a
situation who will tackle the issue of terrorism?
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